Barrington High School close to getting new principal

Barrington High School could have a new permanent principal by as early as next month, officials said Tuesday.

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Mike Johann gave an update to the Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board Tuesday on how the search for a new high school principal is going.

"We are currently in the middle of that search," Johann said.

The school board has been looking for a new principal since former principal Tom Leonard was named District 220 superintendent last summer.

All applications for the job were due into the district by early November, with the first round of interviews scheduled to take place later this week.

"There are now five candidates who we are moving forward with," Johann said.

A team of 43 administrators, teachers, parents and students has been conducting the search.

The five candidates being interviewed later this week will go through several meetings with all members of the committee.

"It will be a rather intense half-day of interviewing," Johann said.

A second round of interviews with the final candidates, Johann said, will take place Dec. 14.

"Our current goal is to be able to bring a recommendation to the board by Jan. 15," Johann said.

With other schools interested in the candidates, Johann said it has been important to keep the process moving on an aggressive timeline.

"The competition is very fierce for these people," Johann said.

Longtime Barrington High Assistant Principal Emil Rode has been serving as the school's interim principal this year. He is not in the running for the permanent position.

Also on Tuesday, the school board approved the hiring of Jeffrey Arnett as the district's new chief communication officer.

Arnett comes to District 220 from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., where he served as the director of education and public programs.

He also served as the director of school/community relations in Pattonville School District in St. Louis.

Superintendent Tom Leonard said the decision to create the new position was based off of a community written report on the state of the district.

"They recommended improving communication between the district and the community," Leonard said.

Arnett is scheduled to start work Feb. 1.