Oak Park school leader in hunt for District 116 top job
Round Lake Area Unit District 116 is down to three finalists for what'll be the first superintendent's job there since 2002.
An Oak Park Elementary District 97 spokesman confirmed Superintendent Constance Collins is one of the District 116 finalists. District 116 board member Nanci Radford declined to name the other two on the short list.
"This (superintendent hiring) is probably the most important decision we're going to make," Radford said Friday.
District 116's financial affairs have been handled by a special state panel for the past eight years. In January, the state finance authority recommended it end its oversight and return power to District 116's elected school board.
As part of regaining local control, the school board will hire a superintendent to take command July 1. It'll be the first superintendent since the district was near financial collapse when the state took over in 2002.
Collins led Zion Elementary District 6 until she joined Oak Park Elementary in July 2005. District 97 spokesman Chris Jasculca said Collins was traveling Friday and unavailable for comment.
Jasculca said some of Collins' achievements at District 97 include implementing a new way to discipline children by stressing proper behavior, creating new teacher evaluation methods and launching a popular full-day kindergarten at all schools.
Collins has had to cope with a financial scandal involving an top-level employee while District 97's boss. Criminal charges were announced in April 2008 against former buildings and grounds supervisor Jerry Malatesta.
Malatesta was charged with stealing more than $750,000 from 2004 through 2007 by issuing phony bills to Oak Park Elementary, according to Cook County prosecutors.
Without elaborating, Radford said District 116 has researched the three finalists. She said a deadline has not been set to hire the superintendent.
Former District 116 board president W. Guy Finley said officials were prepared to offer the going pay rate for similar school systems when the superintendent search process began in January. Superintendent Dan Coles earned $148,137 in the 2008-09 academic year at comparable Wauconda Unit District 118.
Collins' base salary at Oak Park Elementary is $201,773 for the current school year, with a chance to earn a $4,035 bonus, records show. Her total compensation package is $243,326 when car allowance, insurance and pension contribution are included.
At District 116, nearly $4 million in cuts - from employees to supplies - are recommended to fend off a deficit projected for the 2010-11 academic year budget. School board members are to vote on those recommendations Thursday.