WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderPublic Forums Today to Help Find District 205's Next Superintendent

Public Forums Today to Help Find District 205's Next Superintendent

By Samantha Ptashkin

ROCKFORD- District 205 is hosting public forums all day to get input on who should be its next superintendent.

Current Superintendent Linda Hernandez's contract is up at the end of the school year. School board members say the selection of a new superintendent will impact all of Rockford, whether you have a connection with the district, or not.

Rockford Public School parent Yvette Walker says she wants the new superintendent to be "somebody who is familiar with our area." Janine Talley wants "someone that kept the kids in school."

These are just a few qualities people hope the new superintendent will bring to the district. "The process of the community forums will help us determine a leadership profile for the superintendent so we have an idea of where the community is right now in their expectations," said District 205 Board Member Jeanne Westholder.

Circulated surveys have people rank the importance of administrative experience and communication skills and ask questions like, what qualities do people want to see in a superintendent? "We need to have lots of input so if there is something that we don't think about, we're thinking about that to make it an exemplary district," Westholder said.

In order to choose the right person for schools and the community, District 205 wants to hear from everyone because the decision will impact everyone. "People are effected by their taxes, I mean the image of Rockford, all of those things, the schools dramatically impact the community."

District 205 hopes to choose a new superintendent by February 2009.

The forums are September 29 at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Room 207 at the Administration Building at 201 South Madison Street. 

Two other forums will be held at 7 p.m.  One at the St. Elizabeth Community Center at 1536 South Main Street. The other at the Booker Washington Center at 524 Kent Street.