The ongoing search for a permanent superintendent of Hinsdale School District 86, received an update during Aug. 24’s Board of Education regular action meeting, as board members agreed to pursue a confidential search.
The decision was made at the recommendation of Kevin O’Mara, president of School Exec Connect, an education focused search firm based in Oak Park.
A confidential search would leave applicants anonymous until brought to the board for consideration, O’Mara said during the presentation.
“We would recommend a confidential search only because, to get the best out there, they’re probably in sitting positions right now,” O’Mara said. “We want them to feel comfortable moving forward in the process.”
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“Unless I hear or see an objection I would like to move forward with a confidential search,” O’Mara said to the board to which no comment or concern was voiced.
The decision to run a confidential search is not uncommon, what was not clear, however, was whether the names of finalists would be made public before the board reaches a decision.
O’Mara did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Also discussed during the presentation was the application process for applicants already working with the district; again the Bboard followed O’Mara’s recommendation to hold all applicants to the same process despite their connections to District 86.
“They take the same steps, they provide the same paperwork, they go through the same vetting and interview process,” O’Mara said. “I’ve worked with boards before where they might say ‘I know this person they’re really good I want to make sure they’re a finalist,’ I think that defeats the purpose of our process.”
Moving forward, board president Catherine Greenspon and Interim Superintendent Dr. Linda Yonke agreed to serve as the primary point of contact for the search firm for the remainder of the process.
Yonke was hired as co-superintendent alongside Dr. Raymond Lechner, to serve as interims for the 2023-24 school year, following a contentious departure by former Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, who agreed to leave the position in June.