Cumberland School Board Discusses Superintendent Hiring Process

Cumberland school board members were updated at this month's meeting on the process of selecting a new superintendent.

Todd Butler is retiring as superintendent as of the close of this school year.

Tim Buss of the Illinois Association of School Boards provided board members with a folder of information from the recent online superintendent position search survey results. Buss said the results will help generate the ideal character traits desired in the candidate pool.

There were 363 total responses from the survey. Buss reviewed a brochure advertising the position, then presented a timeline for the hiring process.

Also, the Cumberland board heard from Butler that window installation is continuing in the high school gym. He also shared that the annual school maintenance grant application has begun. It's a $50,000 matching grant and he suggested that the building committee could meet to discuss what projects to consider. Butler suggested improvements to the front doors at the grade school or painting the upper sections of the high school gym walls and renovating the high school gym ceiling.

In personnel moves, the Cumberland board hired Brittany Gilbert as high school head softball coach, hired Ashley Carter as high school softball assistant coach, accepted the resignation of Heather Oakley as part-time grade school cook, and employed Kayla Peters as a part-time grade school cook.