Yorkville School District officials mull creating new project manager post

The Yorkville School District 115 school board discussed hiring an “innovation project manager” for the district at a committee meeting on Monday night, Jan. 11.

The new position, which faces a board vote later this month, would quarterback district projects and coordinate them across the organization, said Superintendent Tim Shimp.

Shimp, who drafted the project manager job description, said the new position will focus on three areas: project development and management delivery, project presentation and events management and relationship management.

The superintendent also lobbied for the position to require a project management professional certification.

Though Shimp floated hiring the position in the summer, school board vice president Dr. Robert Brenart urged the board to hire the position immediately.

“I think the purpose of the project manager is to help prepare things for future usage,” Brenart said. “The sooner the better.”

Jason Senffner, another board member, seconded support for the new position.

“Teachers are going to have more time to focus on what they’re doing in the classroom and not be pulled out for so many committees of redoing data,” Senffner said.

During the discussion, Brenart also pushed for hiring a data analyst to assist the project manager.

“We have to take a look at how we analyze data at each level,” Brenart said. “Putting together all this data, getting it coordinated, having a person that’s going to flow between the different groups - that’s how you’re going to get things done.”

In other personnel news, the district approved hires for a physical education teacher at Bristol Bay Elementary School, an early childhood teacher for Bristol Grade School and a fifth grade teacher at Autumn Creek Elementary School.

The district also accepted resignations for three elementary-level positions.