Indian Prairie District 204 to hold forums as part of superintendent search
As Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials prepare for a new school year, they’re also letting families know how to provide feedback on the search for the next superintendent.
District officials are encouraging community members to attend one of two virtual forums this month. The district will also launch an online survey asking stakeholders about the leadership traits they want to see in the new top administrator of the Aurora-based school system.
“We are committed to making this a transparent and community-driven process, and we encourage all stakeholders — parents, staff, students, and community residents — to participate and share their perspectives,” school board President Laurie Donahue said in a statement released by the district Thursday.
Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, the firm selected by the board to help with the search, has posted the job description. Based on a list of “strongly preferred” qualifications, the district is seeking an “exceptional communicator” who has earned a doctorate, has demonstrated successful leadership in a high-achieving, highly engaged public school district and can engage with a diverse student body and community, among other experience.
According to the posting, District 204 is the fourth-largest school system in the state, serving roughly 26,000 students.
The school board aims to have the new superintendent assume the role next summer, with a planned start date of July 1, 2026.
Current Superintendent Adrian Talley announced in April that he would not be requesting renewal of his contract, which expires at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Talley called it one of the most difficult decisions of his career, but it gave the board “ample time to conduct a thorough search for the next superintendent,” he wrote in a message then.
Talley took the helm of the district in 2020.
As part of the process to find his successor, the district will host the two virtual forums on Zoom from 7 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 26 and Aug. 28.
The online survey will be available from Aug. 18 through Sept. 12.
Focus groups and interviews will also be held with key constituent groups. The board intends to use the feedback to guide its candidate selection.