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The Lemont High School District 210 Board has begun the process of searching for a new superintendent following the recent announcement that Superintendent Mary Ticknor will retire at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Ticknor has been superintendent since 2012, and with her retirement in 2025 she will complete the district’s second-longest tenure as superintendent, according to a district news release.
“I am very proud of so many things that Lemont High School’s students, faculty and staff have accomplished over the last 12 years, and I feel fortunate to have been part of those successes,” Ticknor said in a statement.
Board President Kurt Korte said Ticknor told board members, when she signed her five-year contract before the 2020-21 school year, that she planned to retire at the end of her term.
“We’ve known for a while. We’ve known that this is on our radar, as far as a responsibility,” Korte said.
Korte said the board discussed the search process for a new superintendent over the weekend, and decided to hire a search firm. During the next two months, the board will interview firms.
Ticknor and her predecessor, Sandy Doebert, who was superintendent from 2002-2012, were both hired with the assistance of a search firm, Korte said.
“It’s a very big responsibility, and one that we want to find the best possible candidate,” Korte said.
The search firm will meet with district community members to gather input, create a job description and establish a timeline for the hiring process, Korte said.
Ideally, Korte said the board will hire a superintendent before Ticknor retires so she can work with that person.
“As the Board seeks its next superintendent, I will play whatever role the Board would like as they seek the right person to lead Lemont High School into its next exciting phase,” Ticknor said in a statement.
During her tenure, Ticknor worked with the board and administrators to develop a comprehensive master facilities plan. In 2022, she ensured the district has ongoing funding for improvements through the passage of a referendum to increase the district’s debt service extension base, according to the release.
Ticknor also oversaw the implementation of one-to-one teaching and learning, creation of an in-house transportation department and a partnership with Citgo Petroleum Company to establish the Lemont High School Citgo Innovation Academy, according to the release.
Korte said Ticknor served the district with a students-first focus.
“She’s done a wonderful job with that,” Korte said.
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