Two local superintendents finalists for Dist. 25 top job

Two suburban superintendents have been named finalists for the top job at Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 and the school board plans to hire one of them next week.

Lori Bein, superintendent of Roselle Elementary District 12, and Dane Delli, superintendent of River Trails Elementary District 26, are the two finalists for the District 25 superintendent job, said Mark Friedman, consultant with BWP & Associates, which has been running the search.

Bein and Delli have both spent a day at District 25 and met the PTA and with members of the school board several times, but there are a few more steps before choosing whom to hire. Friedman said members of the school board will also visit the finalists’ school districts to see how they work and will need to hash out contract details before a final announcement is made.

One of the two will be hired to replace Superintendent Sarah Jerome, who will retire at the end of June.

“They hope to hire someone at the school board meeting next (Thursday, Nov. 21),” Friedman said. “But, sometimes these things take a little time.”

Friedman said more than 50 people applied for the job, with half of the applications coming from sitting superintendents at districts in Illinois.

“The applicant pool was rich,” he said. “They (the finalists) stood out for their level of success in their current positions, their personalities and their understanding of the community needs.”

Friedman said there has not yet been a determination about how much the new superintendent will be paid. Jerome’s annual salary is $228,655, according to her most recent contract extension

According to the District 12 administrator compensation report, Bein is being paid a base salary of $177,468 for the 2013-2014 school year. She has 23 years of experience and oversees the two schools in District 12.

According to the District 26 administrator compensation report, Delli is being paid a base salary of $204,570 for the 2013-2014 school year. He has 19 years of experience and oversees the three schools in District 26.

District 25 has nine schools and more than 5,000 students.

“Whoever gets it is going to be very lucky because this is a really good job, a really good community and a really good school system,” Friedman said.