Dist. 33 to get new superintendent July 1

When Matt Tabar made the jump from principal to superintendent, he figured he would stay in Emmons School District 33 for about three years.

Eighteen years later, Tabar, 59, is finally ready to leave the one-school district located just outside of Antioch.

Tabar is retiring at the end of June, turning over the job to Dr. Robert Machak, a principal in Northbrook.

"I'll be 60 in July and it just seemed like a good time to go," Tabar said. "After 18 years, it really is a weird feeling. Right now there are a lot of things going on and I don't want to commit to anything for the future without first talking to Dr. Machak."

Tabar and Big Hollow Superintendent Ronald Pazanin, also hired in 1990, are the longest-serving superintendents in any Lake County district.

Tabar, a lifelong Lake County resident, was hired as superintendent of District 33 after serving as principal of B.J. Hooper School in Lake Villa for six years.

"I've had a few opportunities come up over the years but I always turned them down," Tabar said. "I never felt tied down here. It's been a real good fit for myself and the school district."

Emmons has 35 teachers and 400 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Tabar said the benefit of running a one-school district is the strong community feel.

The small district, however, does present unique challenges.

"Our kids have an opportunity to get involved on a greater level," Tabar said. "But on the other side, there is not a lot of diversity in this community. The challenge is to make sure our kids are prepared for high school and beyond. Research shows our students are doing pretty well."

Machak, 41, is looking forward to meeting the students, teachers and parents so he can finally put names and faces with the people he has heard so much about.

"What I really like about the school is they really respect the tradition and the history of the place," Machak said. "I wasn't looking to leave District 31, but this is an opportunity to lead in a district that values so many of the same things I do. It was too good to pass up."

Machak grew up in Waukegan and has taught in Des Plaines and Mundelein. He served as an assistant principal at Hawthorn Junior High School in Vernon Hills and for the past nine years has been a principal at Field Middle School in Northbrook.

Tabar thinks Machak is a good fit for Emmons, and is impressed with his enthusiasm.

Tabar, though, still turns over his office with a heavy heart.

"What I'll miss most is the kids," he said. "Anytime I'm not feeling right, I just walk down to the primary wing, get a hug from a first-grader or kindergartner and it puts everything back into perspective."