Homewood-Flossmoor High School will not be hiring an interim principal for the upcoming school year, instead opting for a team approach to leadership, District 233 officials have decided.
Instead, Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233’s personnel committee has decided Superintendent Von Mansfield, the high school’s department chairs and the school’s two assistant principals will lead the school until the district finds a permanent replacement for the 2017-18 academic year, officials said.
This decision follows the Board of Education’s decision in June to sack former Principal Ryan Pitcock before the last year of his contract. According to the terms of that contract, the district will still have to pay Pitcock his salary and benefits through June 2017 — an amount of $189,371.
In a phone interview, Mansfield said the personnel committee, which consists of chair Gerald Pauling and members Jody Scariano and Tim Wenckus, developed the plan in collaboration with the district administration.
Both timing and budgetary matters played a role in that discussion, Mansfield said, agreeing that the decision was unconventional. He said administrators will not receive any additional compensation for assuming the temporary responsibilities.
“For the most part, it will be myself and the two assistant principals,” Mansfield said. “The other administrators will support as they can with various aspects of the duties. In addition, the department chairs will absorb some of the [teacher] evaluations that will have to be done.”
The two assistant principals are Craig Fantin and Lawrence Cook.
As the school year progresses, both the personnel committee and the administration will continue to evaluate if the arrangement is meeting the needs of students and staff, Mansfield added. If more support is needed, the district plans to take additional steps, including hiring an interim administrator if needed, Mansfield said.
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The division of responsibilities is only a temporary solution for Homewood-Flossmoor High School.
“We’re in the process of preparing to replace the principal’s position,” Mansfield said, outlining that the district plans to begin its search for a new principal in the fall.
Jodi Bryant, Director of Human Resources and Public Relations for the high school, stated that the district will use surveys, focus groups and various interview committees during this search to involve as many stakeholders as possible.
David Lipowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.