District 113A to Name Interim Superintendent Jan. 24

 Board of Education will formally hire an interim superintendent during its Jan. 24 business meeting, Board President Mike Aurelio announced Tuesday.

Following a two-hour closed session, board members voted unanimously to begin negotiations with a candidate, whose name will not be disclosed until the next board meeting.

The decision will comes month after the board of former Superintendent Tim Ricker, who abruptly left the district following the disclosure of a.

Six candidates have been interviewed since Dec. 23, according to the board.

District 113A has been under the direction of Asst. Superintendent Mary Gricus and the district's administrative team since Jan. 1. 

Last week, the board voted unanimously to make Gricus the lead administrator through the remainder of the 2011-12 school year. She is ineligible for the interim superintendent position because she lacks the proper endorsement, according to Board Member Lisa Wright.

Gricus will take the lead on the days the interim superintendent is not working, likely two or three days a week. 

Wright said the board agreed to pay Gricus a per diem rate of $330, the same rate she received when she took on the same role in 2005.

District 113A board members hope to have a permanent superintendent in place by July 1. The district is accepting applications until Jan. 31, and will begin interviewing candidates in February, Aurelio said.

Community members are invited to participate in the search process through , which will identify the characteristics the district will be looking for in the new superintendent.

The forums are scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 31, and Wednesday, Feb. 1. Both will be held at 7 p.m. at , 16100 W. 127th St.

The next District 113A school board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Old Quarry. For more information, visit www.sd113a.org.