District 204 board offers few public details on superintendent search

The new superintendent of Indian Prairie Unit District 204 needs to focus on retaining talented teachers, must be engaged with the community and must operate with more transparency when dealing with staff and the district's parents.

Those were among the criteria repeatedly echoed among groups of parents, staff, students and community members and relayed to school board members Sunday from a consultant working with school officials to find a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Stephen Daeschner.

But no mention was made Sunday of Deputy Superintendent Kathryn Birkett, who sources have confirmed is the only person being considered to replace Daeschner.

Instead, Bill Attea of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates Ltd. read through a page-long list of largely generic traits he said several stakeholders in the district were hoping the new superintendent would embody.

"I'm impressed you got it all on one page," school board Vice President Alka Tyle said. "Many of these (criteria) could apply to just about any employee."

Among the few caveats Attea conveyed to board members was the need for the new superintendent to review policies for possible inefficiencies.

"If there are outdated policies or they are not being followed ... there could be some liability issues," he said before school board members then adjourned to a closed-door meeting on Daeschner's replacement.

Daeschner's last day with the district, which covers portions of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield, is June 30. He accepted a superintendent's post in southern Indiana in mid-May and will depart with a full year remaining on his three-year pact with District 204.

The school board has met with Birkett for what were described as intense interviews that lasted more than four hours spread over two nights. The board has scheduled another closed-door meeting on Wednesday.