District 211 to begin search for new superintendent

With one school year left before the retirement of Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 Superintendent Dan Cates, the board of education plans to begin the search for his successor this month.

Officials hope to select the new superintendent by October, allowing for an eight-month transition period regardless of whether the appointee comes from within District 211 or another school system.

"One of the very most important responsibilities of the board is to hire the superintendent," said board President Robert LeFevre Jr., a member since 2005 who is taking part in his third superintendent search.

The same timeline was used when Cates, then District 211's associate superintendent for administrative services, was chosen in October 2013 to replace Nancy Robb upon her retirement July 1, 2014.

The relatively early appointment provided Cates needed time to fill 24 other top administrative positions that would be vacated the same day as Robb's retirement.

District 211, the largest high school district in Illinois, always has done an external search, though five of its seven superintendents ultimately were promoted from within.

LeFevre said he believes it's useful to conduct an external search despite that track record.

"It's important to get the very best person that we can," he said.

At the board's June 20 meeting, Cates will present two potential search firms for members to consider. LeFevre said the board is likely to make a decision that night to keep the ambitious timetable on schedule.

In 2013, the district hired the firm School Exec Connect to conduct the search. It interviewed 17 of the 35 people who applied for the job, narrowing the field to the four candidates who were interviewed by board members.

When Cates accepted the job, he received a four-year contract and a starting base salary of $215,000. In 2016, he was awarded a three-year contract extension but ultimately decided to retire a year short of its expiration.

For the 2018-19 school year, he earned a total annual compensation of $269,963, with $13,264 listed under Retirement/Enhancements, according to district records.