The search for District 65's next superintendent began Monday, Sept. 14, the same night administrators announced plans to cut $20 million from the budget and close at least two more schools.

Monica Santana Rosen, CEO of Chicago-based Alma Advisory Group, presented the search timeline to the Evanston/Skokie District 65 school board. The firm will lead the district through a months-long process that includes community input sessions, stakeholder interviews and candidate screenings.

Santana Rosen told board members that prospective candidates are already paying attention. "Your candidates are watching you right now," she said, according to the Evanston RoundTable, urging the board to consider how its decisions signal stability to applicants.

She said she had already met individually with every board member before the kickoff. Each one emphasized the need for what the district has called a "generational leader."

Community input begins in October

Three public input sessions are scheduled for Oct. 20, 21 and 22. Times and locations had not been announced as of Monday. Alma will also conduct interviews and focus groups with principals, staff and community partners, and the board plans to create a staff and community survey.

Candidate interviews could begin as early as October, with meetings with finalists in December and January. The board expects to name a new superintendent by late January or February.

A search shaped by budget pressure

The superintendent search is unfolding against a difficult financial backdrop. At the same Monday meeting, Interim Superintendent Eric Witherspoon told the board that administrators will formally present a plan next month to cut $20 million and close at least two more buildings. The district has already closed Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies and Kingsley Elementary School after the 2025-26 school year.

Enrollment has dropped from 7,808 students in 2015-16 to roughly 5,900 this year. School utilization sits at about 64%.

Santana Rosen acknowledged the pressure directly. She told the board that if it makes difficult decisions now, the next superintendent could inherit a more stable district than the last one did.

How the search got here

The board selected Alma from three firms in a 6-1 vote on Aug. 17 and approved an $80,000 contract. Board President Nichole Pinkard cited Alma's recent experience in Evanston as a factor. The firm led Evanston Township High School's 2022 superintendent search, which resulted in the hiring of Marcus Campbell.

Board member Mya Wilkins cast the lone dissenting vote. She said all three firms were qualified but that the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) was significantly less expensive, Evanston Now reported. At a time of budget troubles, she said, even a small amount of money matters.

The search follows the departure of former Superintendent Angel Turner, who reached a mutual separation agreement with the board in June. Witherspoon, who served as ETHS superintendent from 2006 until his retirement in 2022, is serving as interim superintendent through Jan. 31, 2027.

The full budget-cut plan will be formally presented to the board at its Oct. 13 meeting.