By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven Board members participated in the meeting. Six members attended in person, while Board member Karen Stuefen took part remotely.
The special meeting was held to interview search firms to assist in finding a replacement for District 205 Superintendent David Moyer, who recently accepted a superintendent’s position in a district in New York. Moyer, who has been District 205’s superintendent since 2015, will officially begin his new position on July 1. He did not participate in the Jan. 20 Board meeting.
The Board heard presentations from three search firms during the Jan. 20 meeting. The representatives from each firm included current and former school superintendents. After hearing each presentation, Board members discussed the three proposals and decided to utilize the services of School Exec Connect, which is based in Oak Park.
Dr. Linda Yonke, a former principal of York High School, was one of School Exec Connect’s representatives at the Jan. 20 Board meeting. Yonke, who was York’s principal from 1998 to 2004, later became the superintendent of New Trier Township High School District 203. She retired from that position in 2017.
Board president issues statement
Before hearing from the three search firms, District 205 Board President Kara Caforio read the following statement:
“Tonight we begin the work of securing the next leader for District 205, which is one of the most important responsibilities of the Board of Education. Evaluating and choosing a search firm to support the Board in its work to secure a leader is the first step in a rigorous process as we prepare for the next chapter in District 205. The work that we do together happens here at the Board table and is a public process. It can be lengthy, feel a little messy and at times appear disorganized while the seven of us with varying education, backgrounds, professions and values work toward solutions to best serve both our school community and our greater community, who sacrificially supports our schools.”
Caforio then noted that Board member Jim Collins has taken part in two searches for a new superintendent during his time on the Board, while Board member Margaret Harrell and Stuefen have both been involved in one search.
Caforio proceeded to conclude her statement:
“All of us bring our experiences as longtime community members, parents of students and diverse professional backgrounds to this effort, and as we work through the search process, we are committed to ongoing regular communication and updates for our community,” she said. “There’s no question that we all care deeply about our schools, and are looking forward to a renewed sense of community as we begin this process tonight.”
Search firms offer presentations, costs
Representatives from Schaumburg-based Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) delivered the first presentation of the meeting. School Exec Connect gave the second presentation, while BWP and Associates of Libertyville provided the third.
Dr. Timothy Shimp, the current superintendent of Yorkville Community Unit School District 115, joined Yonke in giving School Exec Connect’s presentation at the Jan. 20 meeting. Giving a timeline of the firm’s proposed plan, Yonke and Shimp said School Exec Connect would develop a profile for a new superintendent. The firm would then seek Board approval of that profile. The search process, which would include community engagement, would lead the Board to interview a slate of candidates. The firm proposed that the Board could narrow that field of candidates down to three finalists. School Exec Connect recommended that the finalists each give a presentation to the Board before taking part in another formal interview.
Yonke and Shimp stated that School Exec Connect’s consulting fee for the search would be $20,500. Additional expenses include a background check ($750), advertising costs (up to $1,800) and regular expenses not to exceed $2,500. If the selected candidate resigns or is dismissed for any reason within 24 months of the starting date, School Exec Connect would conduct a new search at no cost.
Yonke and Shimp added that their timeline would lead to the Board selecting a final candidate in April or May. They also said that the goal would be to finish the search before the new Board is seated. The three seats currently occupied by Caforio, Collins and Harrell will expire this year. The election takes place on April 6.
Board members raise pros and cons
As Board members discussed the three proposals near the end of the meeting, Board member Courtenae Trautmann stated that she was disappointed in a statement from BWP representatives that there will be a limited number of candidates because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caforio said she values the district’s relationship with BWP—the firm that conducted the district’s superintendent search that led to Moyer’s hiring. Caforio added, however, that she gave an edge to School Exec Connect over BWP in the choice to select the firm that will conduct the upcoming search.
Collins said he was encouraged by School Exec Connect’s large network. He added that he liked the firm’s proposal of having each of the finalists give a presentation to the Board.
School Exec Connect chosen
At the end of the discussion, the Board members reached a consensus on choosing School Exec Connect to conduct the search for the district’s next superintendent. Caforio said she would work to put the firm’s proposal on the agenda for the Board’s next regular meeting, which took place earlier this week (Jan. 26).
On Jan. 14, Caforio sent a message informing the community that Moyer would be leaving the district.
Farewell to Moyer
“It is with candor and openness that I share with you that after six years of service to D205, Superintendent Dr. David Moyer has accepted a position out of state for the 2021-2022 school year,” stated Caforio in the message to the community. “The Board of Education was recently made aware of his intentions to further his career elsewhere. We will be working closely with Dr. Moyer and the D205 administrative team in order to ensure a smooth transition as he completes the school year here in D205 before beginning his new role on July 1, 2021.
“We are grateful for the dedication Dr. Moyer has exhibited these last six years to implement a vision of continuous growth and improvement for all of our students and staff,” added Caforio. “His educational vision will be missed.”
Moyer will be the next superintendent of schools of the Arlington Central School District. The district office is located in LaGrangeville, New York. A statement on the district’s website noted that Moyer was selected for his new position following a national search. He was chosen from a field of 40 applicants, the statement noted.
The statement from the Arlington Central School District also included comments from Moyer.
“People are obviously proud of their schools, and the sense of community has been obvious from the outset,” said Moyer in the statement. “This is the perfect professional and personal opportunity for me at the perfect time.”
In August 2018, the Board learned that Moyer had applied for a superintendent’s position in another state. Moyer subsequently withdrew his application for that position.
