Click here for several updates from the D158 Board of Education.
Monday, October 16, 2023
Dear Huntley 158 staff and families:
On behalf of the board of education, I’d like to provide you with several important updates related to the leadership of our school community.
Superintendent Search
I would like to acknowledge the efforts and performance of interim superintendent Jessica Lombard, who has done a remarkable job this year leading the district. Her passion for students, ability to connect with others, scope of knowledge and familiarity with the district, and drive to achieve the district’s goals and objectives has made for an energizing start and smooth transition to the new school year.
The role of the superintendent is pivotal to sustaining and enhancing our commitment to academic excellence, innovation and providing a personalized education for our students. The board feels it’s important to create a comprehensive profile for our ideal candidate who will serve as our permanent superintendent by seeking input from staff, parents and the community. In this vein, we have made a decision to partner with an outside search firm to carry out this community engagement initiative as well as the superintendent search process.
At the regular board meeting on October 19th, two search firms, HYA (Hazard, Young, Attea Associates) and IASB (Illinois Association of School Boards) – both with a solid track record of educational leadership recruitment – will share presentations with the board to provide an overview of their services and the search process, as well as a tentative hiring timeline. Once the board has selected a search firm to work with, more details will be communicated.
Board Vacancy
After the departure of board member Gina Galligar, a vacancy notice was posted on the District 158 website seeking interested applicants. During the open application process, we received nine submissions, which the board is currently reviewing. Applicants include: Rich Bobby, Autumn Bozza, Jill Cataldo, Heather Hoffman, Stephen Lulofs, Andrew Martin, Kate Policheri, Charles Ruth, and Dana Wiley. On Monday, October 23, there will be a special board meeting at 4pm, where the board will interview applicants in closed session. The board intends to then discuss and appoint a new member to the board.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our school district. We will continue to keep you informed on the superintendent search process and open board position.
Sincerely,
Andy Bittman
President, Board of Education
Huntley Community School District 158
