North Chicago School District 187 Superintendent John Price plans to leave his current position at the end of June after nine years, but will continue his career as an educator helping youngsters in underserved areas.
“This is my passion,” Price said in an interview on Thursday. “This is my joy. My mom was a teacher. My dad was a pastor. Service is the family business. Serving communities that are often underserved is where I will focus my service and my career.”
Price, 53, announced Thursday his decision to resign as superintendent effective June 30 in a letter to the school community.
“The district has come a long way and now it is time to find the next leader to continue and build upon the successes we have achieved together and like me, this new leader will need your help,” Price wrote in the letter.
He said he has “no firm plans yet.”
Price said announcing his resignation plans now gives the Independent Authority — the de facto school board of three elected members and four appointed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) — time to begin a search for his successor.
“We have stability and a great leadership team to help with the transition to the next leader to move the district forward,” Price said. “Six months is sufficient time to conduct a search for a new leader.”
Sylvia Johnnson Jones, the president of the Independent Authority since November and a 10-year board member, said Thursday the board’s goal is to begin a search with a new superintendent in place before Price leaves so they have time to work together during the transition. She said she will also miss Price.
“I have a sense of sadness, but I do have deep appreciation for the extraordinary leadership, dedication and service he provided to the students, families and the broader community of District 187,” she said.
Dora King, who was the president of the Independent Authority from the time it was formed 13 years ago — when ISBE took control of the district because of its unstable financial condition — until last month, said Price will be missed.
“He met all of our requirements,” she said on Thursday. “His leadership brought the school district back, and gave it back to the community. He took the District 187 family to the next level. He was all about forming relationships.”
North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, who has worked with Price on a variety of projects, also echoed King’s comments. His strong relationships with community groups and officials at Naval Station Great Lakes have also made a difference, the mayor said.
“His leadership has been very beneficial in regard to the children and their education,” Rockingham said. “All of our students have been able to excel. He increased the quality of their education, and the quality of the school buildings.”
During Price’s tenure, AbbVie donated $40 million to build the state-of-the-art Neal Math and Science Academy middle school. At Price’s urging and the help of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, the U.S. Department of Defense is providing $57 million of the needed $72 million to build the new Forrestal Elementary School.
Price considers the new buildings highlights of his tenure.
“Neal and Forrestal will benefit the community for a couple of generations,” he said.
Along with the new buildings, Price said he is proud of the academic improvement of the students. When he arrived, the graduation rate at North Chicago Community High School was hovering around 50%. It is now 84%. The percentage of freshmen on track to graduate in four years has climbed to 94%.
In his letter to the community, Price thanked teachers, staff, administrators, parents and the students for their help in the district’s academic and financial growth. They helped “each child write their own success story.”
“We have stabilized the finances and management of the district while focusing on and expanding our efforts to support each of our students – their wellbeing and success, now and in the future,” Price wrote. “The climate of the district has changed and we have dramatically increased expectations for ourselves and our students.”