Crystal Lake District 155 has time on its hands
Planning ahead is always a good idea.
The Crystal Lake High School District 155 school board will have plenty of time to do that now that Jill Hawk has announced she will retire as superintendent at the end of the 2011-12 school year.
Picking a replacement for Hawk will be at the top of the board's list of priorities over the next two years.
Hawk's timing allows the board to consider both internal and external candidates and to plan for the transition.
The transition, according to Hawk, will probably not be a long one, like Michael Bregy's apprenticeship this year to Superintendent Ken Arndt in Community Unit District 300.
Instead, an internal candidate may shadow Hawk for a semester while continuing to fulfill his other responsibilities - as Hawk did with her predecessor, Mike Mills. If the board selects an experienced external candidate, the transition period may be even shorter.
The board, though, has not yet determined how it will approach the search. Hawk has offered to help in any way she can. One option the board may want to consider is hiring a search firm.
District 155, according to district officials, has not typically hired a consultant to aid its search for top administrators. But given the size of the district and the visibility of the role, the board should consider it.
It cost District 300 an estimated $9,250 to hire a search firm. The firm conducted interviews with internal candidates, stakeholders and board members, compiling its research to aid the board's decision.
Whether or not District 155 hires a consultant, it can certainly learn from District 300's outreach efforts during its search process. At a minimum, board members need to hear what parents, teachers and other district employees are seeking in a superintendent.
And while District 155 needs to offer a compensation package that attracts top talent, it also needs to show (like it did with a voluntary administrative salary freeze) that it is serious about having top personnel share in the sacrifices of taxpayers and rank-and-file workers.