Dixon School Board OKs agreement to begin the search for a new superintendent in June

DIXON – The Dixon Public Schools District 170 Board approved an agreement Wednesday to hire the Illinois Association of School Boards to conduct its search for a new superintendent.

At the board’s Oct. 16 meeting, two representatives from IASB presented an overview of the services, which include creating an ideal candidate profile through input from board members, district staff, parents and community members; assistance with the interview process by prescreening applications, providing interview training and involving key stakeholders such as teachers or administrators in the process; and workshops after a candidate is hired to create goals for the district.

[ Dixon Public Schools get head start on search for new superintendent ]

The board has agreed to pay an $8,400 fee for the services, and the search process is set to begin in June.

Although Dixon Public Schools District 170 Superintendent Margo Empen will not retire until July 2026, beginning the process early puts the district in the first wave of superintendent searches.

There are three “waves” in superintendent searches. It’s ideal for school districts to announce the position vacancy within that first wave because they’ll have access to the most sought-after and the largest pool of candidates, Jim Helton, associate executive director of the IASB’s executive search program, said Oct. 16.

For Empen, it’s important to give the board enough time to select a candidate as early as January 2026 so that she can have time to work alongside the new hire before her last day June 30, 2026, Empen said at a previous board meeting.

“[We need] at least enough time to really figure out the job,” board President Linda Wegner said at the Oct. 16 meeting. She added that it also would be important for the new superintendent to be visible and make connections in the community before Empen retires.

The IASB conducts the majority of superintendent searches for school districts across Illinois, Helton said.

Board member Brandon Rodgers said the two key parts that stood out to him about the IASB’s search process were the collaboration with district staff, the community and the board, as well as the amount of preparation done before the job opening is listed.

“It may seem like a lot of money, but we’re hiring for the most executive position in our district,” he said.