In January, superintendent David Pruneau announced his retirement at the end of the 2014-2015 school year after serving as superintendent for four years at District 205 and 42 years in education.

“It has been an exceptional journey, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to have worked in a community that highly values education and supports the school district in providing a quality education for all children,” said Mr. Pruneau in a statement on the Elmhurst District 205 website. “I am grateful for your involvement and support and look forward to continuing to serve you for the remainder of the year.”

York sudents and faculty are grateful for Mr. Pruneau’s dedication to York’s success.

“Mr. Pruneau has consistently advocated for the unique needs of the high school within our unit district,” said Diana Smith, the principal at York. “He has supported us in hiring outstanding teachers and coaches at York, which in turns provides the best educational experience for students.”

“He’s a really nice guy,” said Christian Heinzel, a senior who previously interviewed Mr. Pruneau. “He knows what he’s doing and is very committed. He is also very supportive of YTV.”

The York community is also thankful for his guidance and character. “He has had a tremendous impact on the overall climate in our District,” said Smith.“He is a superintendent who values–above all else–building relationships with parents, teachers, and students. His leadership serves as a model for me and all of the other principals in the district. He will be greatly missed.”

“He had a calming presence whenever he entered the room,” said Rebecca Keller, the Division Chair of the Math/Science Department.

The Board of Education also expressed their gratitude on behalf of the school district.

“Our school district and community have benefited greatly from Dave Pruneau’s many years of experience, as well as his great talent as a superintendent and educational leader,” said Jim Collins, President of the Board of Education via the York Community High School website. “The Board believes that Dave will be remembered as a hard worker, a collaborator and one of the very best Superintendents in Elmhurst’s history.” Collins went on to explain that the search for a new superintendent has started, and the board is determined to involve the community in the decision.

District 205’s search for a new superintendent has included meetings throughout the district involving teachers, students, and parents.

“What was interesting was that teachers and students had similar feedback,” said Mrs. Thompson, the Career Counselor at York.

The district also sent out surveys to the community to gather feedback and identify traits in a new superintendent.

Respondents ranged from staff, to parents, and other members of the community. All agreed that District 205 has a lot of positive strengths such as a great staff and excellent academics.

Still, the district needs to address finances, curriculum, educational options/programs, and instruction/technology.

With feedback in mind, District 205 is targeting specific skills when searching for the next superintendent.

“The most important skills for the new superintendent to possess are: leadership, communication, managerial, financial and interpersonal,” said Melea Smith, the Director of Communications and Public Relations.

In addition to having the right kind of skills, candidates must have the right character.

“Most important characteristics for the new superintendent are: good decision maker/problem solver, integrity/trust, commitment to community, child-centered, visionary,” Melea Smith said.

Finally, the candidate must also bring the right set of experiences.

“Other important factors for the new superintendent are: experience in strategic planning; a proven record of success; background in instruction and classroom teaching; coming from a district of a similar size,” Melea Smith said.

With these criteria in mind, the district will conduct three rounds of interviewing with the help of the search firm BWP and associates.

BWP recruited 31 applicants, narrowed it down to 12, then selected six candidates for the board to interview.

Starting April 25, the Board will conduct their first round of interviews with the six candidates in special closed session meetings.

“Five of the six candidates are currently superintendents in other districts. One is an assistant superintendent in another district,” said Collins.

Eventually, the Board will narrow down the number of candidates through more interviews.

Eventually, the two finalists interact with the people that make up District 205, including administrators, faculty, students and parents, with each weighing in on the decision.

The Board hopes to reach a final decision by the middle of May.

“If we do not find a candidate that we feel is a great fit and a great educational leader for our school district, we will hire an interim superintendent and begin a new search this summer,” said Collins.