The District 233 school board agreed to hire BWP & Associates consulting firm to begin the process of finding the next principal for Homewood-Flossmoor High School. The expectation is to have the board select that person by the end of the first semester.
Superintendent Von Mansfield said now “is the ideal timeline …The first window (for hires) is November/February in terms of prime candidates, so we’re on target for that.”
BWP will begin posting the position on educational websites and other outlets to draw candidates. The firm will conduct a full-blown search that will include surveys and focus groups to help develop a principal profile.
Input will be solicited from community groups, students, staff and administrators, and stakeholders outside the school, said board member Debbie Berman.
“We value everyone’s input and we need everyone’s input,” she said. “Please be an active participant in this process.”
Board member Michelle Hoereth wanted to make certain that the community is informed that their comments are valued by the board.
She said it is important to give “clarity around how that data will actually be used. I just want the community to know this is very authentic and inclusive process.”
The district is in search mode after Jerry Lee Anderson left the position in June to become principal at Bloom High School. James Mitchem, who retired as superintendent from Valley View Consolidated Unit School District 365, is serving as interim principal for the 2021-22 school year.
BWP & Associates will be paid $12,900 for its work. The firm last worked with District 233 to find its next superintendent. Scott Wakeley accepted the position in March and is working now as superintendent-elect during Mansfield’s final year as superintendent.