Is Indian Prairie superintendent on the move?

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 Superintendent Stephen Daeschner may have his eyes on greener pastures.

Daeschner said Thursday he is "contemplating a decision whether to apply" for a superintendent vacancy "in the Louisville area."

"I'll decide in the next two days whether I'm going to do it and we'll go from there," he said.

Daeschner still has a little more than a year remaining on his original three-year contract with District 204 that expires in July 2010. But before the April election, Daeschner spoke of being pursued by southern Indiana's Greater Clark County School System for two years. Officials there are expected to name a new superintendent as early as June.

Immediately following the election, several board members said they were ready to negotiate an extension for Daeschner but that he was noncommital. Daeschner himself said he was being "wishy-washy" about his future despite being "pleased with the outcome of the election."

Geographically the move would be old-hat for Daeschner, who is a former superintendent at nearby Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Ky.

Daeschner said he has begun having conversations with board members about his future but would not elaborate.

Many District 204 board members attended a farewell dinner for departing board members John Stephens and Jeannette Clark on Thursday evening and could not be reached for comment.

Board member Christine Vickers, however, who returned home from an out-of-town business trip and was not at the dinner, said she is not surprised Daeschner is contemplating a move, given his comments before the election. She said she hasn't spoken with Daeschner recently, but said she hopes he intends to at least fulfill his contract so the district is not scrambling to find a replacement or interim.

"I'd like some continuity for a little while," she said, "I don't want to need an interim superintendent here. I don't think any of us do."

Neither Greater Clark County President Bob McEwen nor Vice President Robbie Valentine could be reached for comment Thursday evening.

According to the district's Web site, Greater Clark County Schools is the largest of three school districts in Clark County located on the Ohio River in southern Indiana. It is the 19th-largest school corporation in the state operating 20 buildings with a student population of roughly 11,000.

Indian Prairie, which covers portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield serves roughly 28,000 students in 32 schools.