District 96 superintendent announces retirement

The longtime superintendent of Kildeer Countryside Elementary District 96 announced this week he'll retire in 2010.

Thomas Many said he wanted to give the school board enough time to find a replacement before his departure.

With the exception of six years he spent as superintendent at Mount Prospect Elementary District 57, Many has been with District 96 since 1984.

"It has always been such a great place," he said. "To me, this was always home."

Many said he's held pretty much every job possible in the education field, down to custodian when he couldn't find a fill-in for weekend activities.

"I think I've experienced every aspect of education," he said.

While he's proud of the district as a whole, he said the past decade have gone exceptionally well for the schools, and he wants that to continue in the time he has left.

"The student performance has improved every year for 10 consecutive years," he said. "It's been pretty remarkable."

The district has also received several honors in those years, including Ivy Hall Elementary being named a Blue Ribbon School this year by the U.S. Department of Education.

He said the community has had a big impact on the district's success, with parents willing to volunteer for committees whenever they're needed.

"Few superintendents have an opportunity to serve a community like this one," he said.

Before he leaves in 2010, Many said he has a lot more that he wants to accomplish.

This year, for example, almost half of the faculty at the district's school is new and nontenured.

"We want to make sure the new teachers are able to continue to be as successful as they need to be," he said.

And although student scores have been very impressive, Many said he wants all students to meet adequate yearly progress, not just 96 percent, as was the case this year.

"We've got a lot of work left to do," he said.