Turns out the job of running Brookfield-Lyons Elementary School District 103 takes more time than just two days a week. Just two weeks after Interim Superintendent Griff Powell took the reins of the district, the District 103 board will announce the hiring of a second interim superintendent at a special meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the district office, 4100 S. Joliet Ave., Lyons.
School board President Joanne Schaeffer confirmed last week that Patrick Patt, who has worked side-by-side with Powell previously, is expected to join the district next week as a part-time interim superintendent. Both Powell and Patt served as co-interim superintendents in South Berwyn School District 100 during the 2003-04 school year.
A Lake Forest resident, Patt previously served as superintendent of Oak Grove School District 68 in north suburban Green Oaks from 1983-2001 and as superintendent of River Grove School District 85.5.
The board hired Powell to replace Raymond Lauk, who resigned as superintendent to take a corporate marketing position with GE Security in late February. His first day as interim superintendent was March 1. He was contracted to work the equivalent of two days per week at a salary of $523 per day.
“What we found out was that two days a week was not enough. Even if it was four mornings a week,” said Schaeffer of Powell’s work load. “He has realized he can’t do it.”
According to Schaeffer, spring is a particularly busy time of year since it is when the superintendent completes staff evaluations and prepares for class and staffing levels for the upcoming school year.
“We were interested in Patrick Patt when we hired Griff, since the two of them worked almost for one year together in South Berwyn,” Schaeffer said. “They work very well together. They know how each other thinks and how each other works. We figured why reinvent the wheel.”
Patt said that while the school board needs to confirm his appointment before any plans are finalized, he expects to work Mondays and Fridays, with Powell working all day on Wednesday and half days on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“Between Griff and I, we’ll ascertain what the immediate needs are,” Patt said. “Then it’s a matter of closing out the school year and getting things prepared for the new superintendent once that person is identified.”
27 applicants for top job
Meanwhile, Schaeffer said that the application period for the district’s search for a new full-time superintendent has closed. The Illinois Association of School Boards, which is conducting the search for District 103, has 27 applicants?”local, state and national candidates?”to consider.
The IASB will comb through the applications and present six to the District 103 board, which will either schedule interviews or seek other candidates from the IASB.
“The board at the end of March will look at the candidates,” Schaeffer said. “If we like them, we’ll bring them in. If not we’ll have them redo the search.
“I’m hoping by May 1 we can make a selection.”
