Minooka Community High School Restructures Administration

Editor's Note: MCHS provided the following information in a written release.

During a special meeting, July 25, the District 111 Board of Education members unanimously approved a restructuring plan of some of its leadership positions. The plan comes on the heels of a recent departure of the school’s Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Dan McDonnell, who left MCHS to pursue a new opportunity at a nearby district. 

“The vacancy created by Dr. McDonnell’s departure has presented a new opportunity for the district to re-align some of its administrative assignments and positions,” MCHS Superintendent James Colyott said. “We are able to bring this opportunity to life in a manner that will allow us to have more clearly identified administrative roles and responsibilities, and allow laterally aligned leadership positions to have a more specialized focus, all while remaining consistent with the direction of our teachers’ instruction and focus on student learning.”

Bob Williams moves from serving as principal of MCHS to becoming the district’s new Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Williams will move from a building-level position to a new district-level position that will include responsibilities in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessments, and evaluations.

Carol Whiteaker moves from serving as Assistant Principal for Student Services at MCHS to becoming the district’s new Director of Student Services.  Like Williams, Whiteaker’s move is from a building-level position to a district-level position, and will include responsibilities in the area of special student services, such as 504 plans, IEPs, guidance services, and homebound tutoring.

Both Williams and Whiteaker will now join Colyott and MCHS District 111 Business Manager Todd Drafall as members of the district’s leadership team.

Matt Wikoff moves from serving as Assistant Principal for Operations and Safe Schools to becoming the school’s Assistant Principal. Wikoff’s responsibilities will remain at the building-level and will revolve around teaming with the principal to facilitate the overall operation and management of MCHS.

“The principal vacancy created by Mr. Williams’ transition will be addressed in the coming days and weeks,” Colyott said. “I will determine the details regarding the interview process for the vacancy and will most likely ask the Board of Education to hire a candidate within sixty (60) days of the posting date.”

Wikoff and the new principal will join Athletic Director Bob Tyrell, Student Activities Director Kim Swanson, and Instructional Leaders Trent Bontrager, Shawn Capodice, Donna Engel, Bert Kooi, Cheryl Pillsbury, and Glenda Smith as members of the school’s leadership team.

The existing positions of Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Assistant Principal for Student Services, and Assistant Principal for Operations and Safe Schools will now be dissolved.

With each of these new positions, there are no salary or compensation adjustments, other than the addition of three additional workdays this year each for the Director of Special Services and the Assistant Principal at a total additional administrative cost of less than $3,000.

“The Board of Education is excited about what the new structure can provide for the district and its students as we allow school and district leaders to excel in their areas of expertise,” MCHS District #111 Board of Education President Chris Kobe said.