Consultants from BWP walked the Palatine CCSD 15 board through a leadership profile on Jan. 14 based on surveys, focus groups and 1:1 interviews conducted districtwide.

The consultants said roughly 1,300 people responded to the survey and described common strengths — the district's facilities improvements, diverse student population and a strong staff — and recurring challenges such as budget shortfalls, special-education complexity, communication across departments and staff turnover. "There were a lot of common themes," a BWP presenter said, describing how the team synthesized focus-group feedback into traits and priorities for candidates.

From that input, BWP highlighted desired candidate qualities: a visible, approachable leader who is an instructional champion, decisive and equity-focused. The consultant characterized the leadership profile as a recruitment and interview tool: "It helps us in the recruitment of candidates ... interview question development, and candidate assessment and scoring rubrics."

Consultants reviewed the near-term timeline for interviews and candidate vetting; they said interviews would be conducted on Jan. 17 (as scheduled) and that the timeline remains flexible if the board chooses to extend it. Board members asked clarifying questions and expressed support for the search process.

Next steps: consultants will continue candidate outreach, and staff will return recommended interview schedules and next-stage materials to the board.