Elmhurst District 205 names interim leader, zeros in on 3 superintendent finalists
School board members in Elmhurst Unit District 205 are poised to hire an interim superintendent to temporarily replace a departing school chief who is leaving at the end of the month.
Board members plan to vote Thursday to appoint Linda Yonke, a retired superintendent of New Trier Township High School District 203, to the interim role.
Yonke also is a former principal of York High School in Elmhurst and one of the consultants with School Exec Connect, an Oak Park-based firm hired by the District 205 board to help search for a new superintendent.
Board members were set to interview the final three candidates for the top job beginning Tuesday night. The board also is scheduled to meet Wednesday behind closed doors for an executive session.
The superintendent's search remains on schedule, with board members hoping that a new administrative leader will be able to begin transitioning into the district before July 1.
"We've seen very high-quality candidates," school board President Kara Caforio said Tuesday. "We're very pleased with the applicants and look forward to placing a leader of excellence in our district to begin the next chapter."
Yonke would lead the district for the rest of the school year or until the district names a new superintendent to succeed David Moyer, who is taking the helm of a New York school system.
The terms of Yonke's agreement will be discussed Thursday before the board votes on hiring her, according to a district spokeswoman.
In January, Moyer announced he would step down at the end of June after six years in charge to take the superintendent's job in a district of similar size in LaGrangeville, New York, near Poughkeepsie.
Since then, Moyer and the Elmhurst school board have worked together to develop a transition plan to give him "ample time to move and get settled in New York," according to a district letter to families.
Based on those discussions, Moyer and the board have mutually agreed that his last day will now be March 31.
"The search for Dr. Moyer's successor is well under way and will not be impacted by Dr. Moyer's departure on March 31st," Caforio said in the letter.
Yonke will fill in as students prepare to return to school full time starting April 12.
"The Board is confident that the District's academic and administrative operations are in good hands as we move forward to a full 5 days of in-person instruction for students on April 12," Caforio said.
The district serves roughly 8,500 students in eight elementary schools, three middle schools and York High School.