Wauconda Unit School District 118 to get new superintendent in 2021
A Wauconda Unit School District 118 administrator will become superintendent after Dan Coles retires next year, officials announced.
David Wilm, the district's assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will be promoted in July 2021 after Coles steps down at the end of the 2020-21 term.
The school board approved a three-year contract for Wilm on Thursday.
In a news release, Wilm said he is "elated and honored" to lead the district.
"The Wauconda school community is a very special place, and it is truly a privilege to take on this responsibility," Wilm said.
Wilm has worked in public schools for 29 years, initially as a teacher in Woodland Elementary School District 50 in Gurnee. He also has been an assistant principal and a principal, the latter at both Wauconda Middle School and Matthews Middle School in District 118.
He's been District 118's assistant superintendent for seven years.
"In every position, he has put systems in place to create a student-centered approach focused on learning," board President Kathy Bianco said in a news release.
Wilm will receive a salary and cash benefits totaling $224,466 in his first year as superintendent, documents indicate. That's up from $192,426 for this school year, officials said.
Coles, who's set to collect $263,723 in salary and cash benefits this year, started in education as a teacher and coach in Schaumburg Elementary School District 54. He came to District 118 in 1995 as assistant principal at Wauconda Middle School.
Coles went on to become principal at Cotton Creek Elementary School and then the district's human resources director. He was named superintendent in 2004.
In searching for Coles's successor, the board initially focused solely on internal candidates and decided Wilm was the best fit for the district, officials said.
"His outstanding leadership skills, two decades of knowledge of our learning community and his ability to work collaboratively makes him the choice during a time of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty," Bianco said in an email.