Dist. 301 superintendent to leave at end of school year

After presiding over unprecedented growth in Central Unit District 301, Superintendent Brad Hawk has announced his intention to retire at the end of this school year.

The school board approved Hawk's retirement Monday and are now searching for his replacement. Hawk, who has been with the district for four years, said he first made school board members aware of his plans during a board retreat late last month.

At 56, Hawk has maxed out for retirement benefits. He did so two years ago but chose to remain with the district.

After retirement, he plans to spend time with his seven grandchildren - two of whom are on the way - golfing and working on his carpentry.

He hasn't ruled out returning as a superintendent elsewhere or working as a consultant in some fashion.

But from here on out, Hawk says he is looking forward to every day of work in the district and will leave with mixed feelings. He has come to enjoy the relationships he's had with the school board, staff and the school community and can't say enough about them.

"My last day will be a sad day," the Crystal Lake resident said. "It's not going to be the typical one where you see the kids leaving the last day of school, throwing the papers around. That won't be me."

Hawk came to the district in 2004 at a time when developers were predicting exponential growth in what used to be a small, rural system of five schools. There were roughly 2,400 students enrolled in district schools at that time.

"The staff and community knew things were going to change because the developers were already moving dirt," Hawk said.

Four years, two new schools and a high school addition later, more than 3,300 kids go to school in District 301.

One of the most challenging parts of Hawk's administration was the uncertainty of whether developers were correct in their population estimations, which Hawk used to calculate his own projections. In the end, the housing market slump resulted in fewer students.

Communicating the need for the $40 million bond issue - voters had twice rejected bond issues before agreeing in 2006 - also proved difficult, Hawk said. The measure was needed to build Country Trails Grade School, Prairie Knolls Middle School and the high school addition.

"Certainly, the public was very supportive, but they wanted to make sure the kids were coming," Hawk said. "Once the mobiles had to be put in, people saw there was a need for more schools."

Hawk's last official day with the district is June 30, after which time his wife, Jill Hawk, becomes the lone superintendent in the household. She oversees Crystal Lake High School District 155.