Dec. 16--Waukegan School District 60 is expected to select a new superintendent at a board meeting on Thursday.
School board President Michael Rodriguez said he couldn't discuss the new superintendent until the board makes its decision official at the Thursday meeting.
"All I can say is the search firm came up with some excellent candidates," Rodriguez said. "We're really looking forward to working with the new superintendent."
Current superintendent Donaldo Batiste has announced plans to retire at the end of the 2015-16 school year. The district hired Libertyville-based consulting firm BWP Associates to conduct the search for his successor.
Rodriguez said they received about 45 applications. The school board interviewed five finalists in early December, Rodriguez said.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln Center Board Room at 1201 N. Sheridan Road in Waukegan, according to a statement from the district.
Rodriguez previously said the district hoped to have selected the next superintendent by January, relatively early in most schools' hiring process, to have their pick of candidates.
The district, with 17,000 preschool through high school students, is large, diverse, and complex to lead, Rodriguez said during the superintendent search earlier this fall.
"We're not looking for a first-time superintendent, we want experience and a proven track record," he said.
lzumbach@tribpub.com
