Dist. 204 begins search to replace Daeschner

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 has hired the chairman of the search firm responsible for finding Stephen Daeschner to help pick the departing superintendent's replacement.

School board President Curt Bradshaw said Bill Attea of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., has been hired - at an undisclosed hourly rate - to update the district's 2-year-old search criteria and to assist the board in evaluating its options during its latest superintendent search.

"Ultimately what this costs us depends on which options we pursue," Bradshaw said. "But we anticipate this step will cost us no more than $2,000."

In 2007, the firm recommended the district hire Daeschner, who is leaving June 30 to take a superintendent position in southern Indiana with more than a year left on his contract here.

The same firm helped Naperville Unit District 203 select its new superintendent, Mark Mitrovich, who begins work July 1. That search sparked some embarrassment when the district learned Mitrovich's Ph.D. was not from an accredited university - a fact the search firm apparently overlooked until it was pointed out by a resident. The district wound up paying the company only half its fee as a result.

For Indian Prairie, Attea will gather input from leaders of various parent and community groups, as well as district staff and the board.

Bradshaw said the district is putting its faith in Attea.

"It is significant that we hired Dr. Attea. He's the best. He is the chairman of the board of the nation's largest search firm and the company is named after him," Bradshaw said.

"The (school) board and community both have a high level of trust and comfort with Dr. Attea. He has had a close relationship with the district since he was personally involved in the hiring of Dr. (Thomas) Scullen over 20 years ago.

"Most recently he met with 150 people in individual or focus group settings to order to develop the search criteria that was used two years ago (to find Daeschner.)"

Attea also previously conducted searches that led to the hiring of several former Indian Prairie superintendents, including Scullen, Gail McKinzie and Daeschner.

Bradshaw said the board has not ruled out the possibility of having a permanent superintendent in place for the coming school year but admitted that would be unlikely.

"Finding the right superintendent to work collaboratively and productively with the board and community is critically important," Bradshaw said. "We need to find someone who can move forward with our district's aggressive, yet attainable, targets and goals for student excellence and make the transition from one superintendent to another as seamless as possible."