Approaching the start of Superintendent Dr. Adrian Talley’s last year, Indian Prairie School District 204 now has a search firm to help find its next leader.
The board at its meeting on Monday night hired Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to recruit Talley’s successor, who will start on July 1, 2026.
For a base fee of $39,900, with additions possible for advertising and background checks, the Arlington Heights-based firm will help the school board recruit, select and transition a new superintendent into the district’s highest role.
‘Very pleased’ with search firm choice
The search firm, abbreviated as HYA, was established in 1987 and has helped more than 1,600 school systems of all sizes across the country select “exceptionally talented leadership,” school board President Laurie Donahue said in a statement posted to the district’s social media.
The district chose the firm after receiving proposals from eight companies and interviewing two of them.
“We went through a thorough process looking at different search firms through an RFP (request for proposals),” Donahue said during Monday’s meeting. “We’re very pleased to have HYA supporting our board.”
Board finalizing superintendent search timeline
With a search firm retained, the district will now finalize a timeline for finding its next superintendent, Donahue said. The process, she said, “will include asking stakeholders for feedback to develop a leadership profile,” and is expected to begin in August. After community engagement and a nationwide search, the board aims to select its next leader by mid-December.
Early steps of the search come after Talley announced in April that he will not seek an extension of his contract and will step down at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Talley joined District 204 in July 2020, taking the helm from previous Superintendent Karen Sullivan.
Officials have praised Talley for his leadership and support of students’ academic and social-emotional needs.
Donahue said the board plans to share details about the community feedback process and superintendent search during the coming months.
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