Daniel Wright Jr. High gets new principal

Daniel Wright Junior High School will operate under new leadership this fall, as a new principal is hired and the search begins to replace the assistant principal before the school year begins.

Howard Holbrook has been hired as principal at Daniel Wright Junior High School to fill the position vacated by Josh Carpenter, who recently resigned to accept a position in Palatine.

Holbrook brings 11 years of administrative experience to Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103. He worked eight years as principal of Sandburg Middle School in Elmhurst and three years as assistant principal of Geneva Middle School. He has 12 years of teaching experience in middle school and junior high schools in Naperville, Marengo and the Houston area.

His leadership in school improvement efforts resulted in Sandburg Middle School being named a 2007 NCLB Blue Ribbon School.

Superintendent Larry Fleming said his broad base of experience in exceptional districts will prepare him for the similar high expectations in District 103.

"The past communities will match what our communities expect from schools," he said.

Community members and staff are invited to attend a reception from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 11 to meet Holbrook.

As Daniel Wright welcomes Holbrook, the Lincolnshire school also says goodbye to its assistant principal, Jodie Benton. Benton resigned to accept a principal position at an elementary school in Diamond Lake School District 76.

Benton's resignation and Holbrook's hiring both were approved by the board at a meeting this week.

Fleming said as an assistant principal Benton showed strong organizational skills and was well received by teachers. Benton worked as sixth-grade language arts, reading and social studies teacher at Daniel Wright for 12 years.

"She is practical. She thinks through problems and helps people to solve these problems very well," he said.

Fleming said he knew Benton had gained experience as a supervisor and was ready to move forward in Diamond Lake.

"Anytime that happens where someone goes from your district to somewhere else, it is a loss for our district but it was a great professional opportunity for Jodie," he said.

The district has begun to review applications to fill Benton's position and hopes to begin interviews the end of this week or start of next week. Fleming said the hope is her replacement will start in early August.

"While it will be a challenge for these two individuals, they will bring a new look and a new set of expectations," Fleming said. "But the bottom line is we want this school to be the top junior high school, period."