Keep Hopefuls' Names Secret, Hinsdale D86 Advised

HINSDALE, IL – The firm handling the search for a new Hinsdale High School District 86 superintendent last week advised the board to keep candidates' names secret.

That is the tradition in Illinois school districts, but not in much of the rest of the country.

At Thursday's school board meeting, Kevin O'Mara, president of School Exec Connect, gave the board two choices on how to deal with candidates' names.

His preference was that the board maintain a search in which candidates' names are anonymous until they are brought before the board for consideration.

The other choice, O'Mara said, was "an open search where every candidate who applies has their name published in some way, shape or form either in your local media or your social media."

A confidential search, he said, would result in getting the best candidates available, particularly those who are serving in administrative positions now.

"We want them to feel comfortable moving forward in the process," O'Mara said. "We give our word to our candidates."

O'Mara did not tell the board about the choice many boards across the country take: They release the finalists' names, not those of all candidates.

In a phone call, Patch asked O'Mara why he did not include that option in his presentation to the board. He declined to comment.

At the meeting, O'Mara told the board, "Unless I hear or see an objection, I would like to move forward with a confidential search."

No one objected.

O'Mara also told the board his firm did not want to give any special preference to internal candidates. He said he had no idea whether anyone in District 86 was interested in the superintendent's job.

"I've worked with boards before where they might say to me, 'Hey, I know this person. They're really good. I want to make sure they are a finalist,'" O'Mara said. "I think that defeats the purpose of our process that has worked at a very high success rate."

In June, the board ousted Superintendent Tammy Prentiss. Now the district employs two interim superintendents, Linda Yonke and Raymond Lechner, both retired superintendents.

The board hopes to have a new superintendent in place by next July.