Oswego SD308 Board members interviewing semi-finalists for next school superintendent

Oswego School District 308 Administration Center at 4175 Route 71, Oswego.

The Oswego SD308 continues to move closer to selecting the district’s next superintendent.

School Board members on Tuesday and Wednesday met in closed session to interview the semi-finalists for the position. They will conduct additional interviews in closed session at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Superintendent John Sparlin is retiring at the end of June with a year remaining on his contract. Sparlin joined the district in 2012 as the executive director for administrative services and was promoted to assistant superintendent for administrative services in 2013. In 2016, he was promoted to superintendent following the departure of Matthew Wendt.

Oak Park-based School Exec Connect has put together a profile detailing what qualities the new superintendent should possess based on input provided at staff and community forums and through an online questionnaire. The School Board hired School Exec Connect after Sparlin announced he was retiring from the district.

The profile is posted on the district’s website at sd308.org. The new superintendent should also be someone that “passionately embraces the current traditions and values of the district, yet is open-minded, resourceful and responsive to the diverse and changing needs of the students and families,” according to the profile.

The board and consultants plan to use the profile as they screen and conduct interviews with candidates. Board members plan to interview the finalists on June 5, 6 and 7.

Other groups of people, including community members, parents, students and staff, will interview the finalists along with the board members. The new superintendent is set to begin on July 1.