U-46 superintendent again announced without contract first

Despite getting burned in the past, the Elgin Area School District U-46 board has presented a superintendent nominee to the community without a contract.

"I think the risks are minimal," said board President Ken Kaczynski of introducing Chicago Public Schools official Jose Torres as the next U-46 superintendent.

Six years ago, similar actions left the board scrambling to find a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Marvin Edwards.

In the spring of 2002, out a pool of nearly 50 applicants, district officials selected five and took them each on separate U-46 tours and held individual town hall meetings so the district's staff and community members could meet them.

After the board narrowed the finalists to two, those two decided U-46 wasn't for them. One candidate cited personal reasons and the other accepted another job.

So, U-46 started all over. Once again, U-46 took the candidate, John Sonedecker, superintendent of a New York district, on a tour and introduced him to the public.

Negotiations for the position began, but before the deal was sealed, Sonedecker declined, saying he wasn't ready to leave New York.

Now U-46 finds itself in a similar situation.

Torres has not yet tendered a letter of resignation in Chicago, where he oversees 25 schools and 14,500 students.

"They have said, if something falls through, they'd like to have me back," Torres said of Chicago officials.

The U-46 board last week voted to draft a contract for Torres. It will be voted on at the next board meeting, Kaczynski said.

Torres and Kaczynski both declined to comment on whether any specific figures have been negotiated.

"He has a lawyer, we have a lawyer, they're talking," board member Karen Carney said.

U-46 first began its search last fall, after then-Superintendent Connie Neale went on indefinite sick leave, moving to a home in Joplin, Mo. She stayed on the district payroll until Feb. 25.

Milwaukee-based search firm ProAct Inc. conducted nine community forums, 55 group sessions and a widely circulated survey in January in its quest for a U-46 leader.

According to ProAct consultant Nancy Noeske, community concerns included academic accountability, staff morale, a lack of discipline, a need for smaller classes and bitterness over outgoing Neale's retirement.

This school year, Neale's compensation package, with salary and benefits, totaled slightly more than $535,000. Adding in interim Superintendent Mary Jayne Broncato's per diem rate of $1,100, Neale's total cost to the district this school year was about $750,000.

"I told the board I can't be punished for past mistakes. ... At the same time, I understand the concern," Torres said of the public's view of Neale's contract.

Torres plans to assume his new role July 1.