North Shore School District 112 Approves New Superintendents

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Two retired school superintendents will serve as Co-Interim Superintendents of Schools for North Shore School District 112, the district's board announced Friday.

Dr. Jane Westerhold and Mr. Edward Rafferty have worked with each other before, having spent more than 10 years serving together at Schaumberg School District 54. Both have been named Illinois Superintendents of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, Rafferty in 2009 and Westerhold in 2013.

“After spending time with the District 112 Board of Education and leadership team during the interview process, I was impressed with their dedication and commitment to students," said Westerhold, who has worked at schools in Edwardsville, Valley View and, most recently, Des Plaines. "I look forward to visiting schools and getting to know the community as we work together to continue the excellent educational opportunities for children that have existed throughout the life of District 112."

Rafferty spent his entire career working in District 54 Schaumburg schools, starting in 1976. He became superintendent in 2004 and remained in that position until he retired in 2013.

“I am honored to be joining District 112, and have been extremely impressed with the dedication and commitment of the Board of Education and the staff members I have met,” Rafferty said. “I am looking forward to meeting, listening to, and working with our parents, staff and community members to continue the important work of providing the type of high-quality education you have come to expect from District 112 schools.”

Both administrators are recently retired and limited by the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System to work a maximum of 100 days each school year. They will not receive benefits and both are being paid $1,200 per day. Their first day of work is Monday, Feb. 6 and their contracts last for 18 months, with upcoming board elections scheduled for April 4.

Last week, District 112 announced the departure of assistant superintendent Jennifer Ferrari from the board. Her last day will be in March, while Superintendent Michael Bregy officially left his post after announcing his departure in December. In the past two months, the District 112 board has also seen the resignations of Jacqueline Denham and President Michael Cohn. Both cited abusive responses from the community to their support of controversial budget measure BDR3.

Photo: Edward Rafferty and Jane Westerhold (Courtesy NSSD112)