Will Hinsdale D86 Depart From Tradition?

HINSDALE, IL – Over the next few months, Hinsdale High School District 86 plans to search for a new superintendent.

But you may never find out who the finalists are for the position. That's information that Illinois school districts usually keep secret, even though choosing a superintendent is arguably a board's most important decision.

But in Illinois, the public typically has no way to judge whether a school board chose the best candidate.

That's not the case in many other states, where districts regularly release superintendent finalists' names. Those states include Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Colorado and New Mexico, according to news reports.

Even in Illinois, districts occasionally depart from tradition and release superintendents' names.

In January, Geneva District 304 released the names of two finalists and planned community forums where residents could ask the candidates questions, according to Shaw Media.

In 2020, DeKalb District 428 divulged the names of four finalists and held a public forum with them.

On Tuesday, Patch left a message for comment with school board members about whether they plan to release finalists' names.

At a meeting last week, members heard pitches from two superintendent recruitment firms.

Members said they want a national search to replace Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, whom the board pressured out with a severance deal last month.