Unit 4 Officials Say Supt. Search Process Off to Good Start

Champaign School officials say they have received hundreds of responses to their survey asking the public what qualities they want to see in their next school superintendent.

Unit 4 School Board President Sue Grey said distribution during the spring term and in the summer during school registration events has yielded a return of nearly 800 surveys--and that doesn't include surveys handed out during Champaign-Urbana Days over the weekend in Douglass Park. Grey said those surveys will guide the search firm hired to help select a new superintendent.

"They're compiling the data, putting together a superintendent profile, based on what our community is telling us," Grey said.

Grey said the survey results will help in designing a profile of what qualities the next Unit Four superintendent should have. In the meantime, she says the search firm, School Exec Connect, is already looking for applicants.

"They actually do have advertisements out in two national publications that are very familiar to the education community," Grey said. "We're pleased with the results. They say they're actually getting some nibbles."

Consultants from School Exec Connect, will be in Champaign in mid-September to gather public input face to face. That visit will include a public meeting on the evening of Sept. 12 at Centennial High School. Until then, Unit 4 officials say they will continue to take surveys from the public, as well as applications from people interested in serving on a community search committee.

Champaign School officials hope to hire a new superintendent by the start of 2012. That person will succeed Arthur Culver, who stepped down in June. Robert Malito is serving as interim superintendent, but is limited to 100 working days in the position.