A new superintendent has been selected in the Grant Park school district, as John Palan is set to retire after 15 years at the helm.

Sean McNichols, the principal of Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School since 2019, has been hired as the next superintendent of Grant Park Community Unit School District 6.

McNichols will take the reins in Grant Park on July 1.

He will start on a three-year contract with a base salary of $165,000.

Palan, 55, is retiring at the end of this school year.

The Grant Park School Board began the search to find Palan’s replacement in August, using Pezanoski Consulting Firm to assist with the process.

“That was the best way to ensure that we advertised this as far out as we could and collect the largest amount of qualified candidates,” Grant Park School Board President Tim Markland said.

About a dozen candidates applied, including some from over an hour’s drive away.

Markland said he was impressed with the candidate pool and excited to see so much interest in the Grant Park school district.

“We had a lot of good candidates,” he said. “It was a very difficult decision, but we felt Dr. McNichols was the best fit for our district. We feel very strongly about that.”

Eight candidates were interviewed before the list was narrowed down to three finalists.

The board also invited stakeholders to be part of the process.

A group of teachers, staff and administrators met with the search firm and helped to develop a leadership profile.

The board approved the hire of McNichols in January.

Markland added that the search process was “bittersweet” because it meant saying goodbye to Palan.

“He has done a ton to grow this district, and I’ve seen it happen. I’ve had a front row seat to it,” Markland said. “He did an amazing job, and we’re just very grateful that we had him as a superintendent for the amount of time we did.”

Meet McNichols

McNichols brings over two decades of experience in schools across all grade levels.

He earned his doctoral degree from Loyola University Chicago.

Before his time in Oak Lawn, he spent 17 years in Chicago Public Schools as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal.

McNichols, who currently resides in the southwest side of Chicago, said he didn’t know much about Grant Park previously.

After doing some research and spending time in the community, he found the prospect of working there to be “an extremely inviting opportunity.”

When visiting Grant Park, he spoke with a few community members at random and was heartened by the way they spoke about the area.

“I’m more of a small-town person as it is,” he said. “It was really sweet to hear the love they have for the district and for their schools.”

McNichols has four sons, including two freshmen and a senior in high school, so he and his wife are not ready for a move to Grant Park just yet.

But, he said, it’s something they’re willing to reevaluate in the future.

“One of the things I value most in my leadership is getting to know students,” McNichols said. “Knowing this is a small enough district where I can still be hands-on and in classrooms is really important.”

The primary goal for the start of his new role will be to “learn as much as I can,” he said.

“Dr. Palan obviously has done a wonderful job,” McNichols said. “I’ve got some big shoes to fill, not just because he’s a large individual, but because he’s done some great work in Grant Park, and that’s exciting.”

Palan says farewell

Palan has spent 33 years in education, including the past 21 years as a superintendent.

Before coming to Grant Park, he was the superintendent for St. Anne schools.

“It’s a long shelf life for a superintendent. I still have a little hair left and a little sanity, but not very much,” he said jokingly.

The choice to retire didn’t come easy.

“Honestly, it was probably the most difficult decision I’ve made in my professional career,” Palan said.

“I love our staff; I love our kids. They are the reason that I come here every day and [we all] try to do our best.”

His primary motivation for retirement is wanting to spend more time with his family, including a new granddaughter, 9-month-old Leighton.

“I want to make sure she knows who I am,” he said.

He also plans to do some traveling, including visiting friends in Florida.

He won’t be hanging up his educator hat completely.

Palan hopes to tap into his passion for leadership and school systems to provide mentorship for new administrators and work with superintendent search firms.

He is particularly interested in helping leaders solve issues in their school districts with regard to school culture and climate.

“My Grant Park chapter is closing, which has been a great chapter,” Palan said. “I’m looking forward to the next.”