District 220's 'first priority' is finding a new leader

Calling it the “first priority of the board,” the Barrington Area Unit District 220 board scheduled three more meetings to meet with candidates to replace outgoing Superintendent Tom Leonard.

Board President Brian Battle told the Daily Herald after the board's public meeting Tuesday night that the board is working hard to replace Leonard in the coming weeks.

“We're trying to accelerate the process, and our goal will still be to announce our selection before the end of the (fiscal) school year,” Battle said, referring to June 30, as opposed to the end of the academic school year on June 5.

On April 8, Leonard announced he had taken a superintendent job in a suburb of Austin, Texas.

Since then the board has conducted four meetings at the Garlands of Barrington with candidates, both in person and remotely, Battle said.

“We are very pleased with the quality of the candidates,” Battle said.

Battle declined to comment further on how the interviews have gone because it is an ongoing process.

To make room in the schedule for further closed-door interviews, the board canceled its regularly scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. May 6. Instead, the board will meet in private at the Garlands in the afternoon that day as well as on May 12 and 13.

The next scheduled public board meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 20 at Barrington High School.