Michael Simeck, who has presided over both of Lake Forest’s school systems since 2012, has been named the new superintendent at Deerfield District 109 starting July 1.
District 109 announced Monday that Simeck was selected as the new superintendent of the six-school elementary school system starting this summer. The board chose Simeck from a field of 49 applicants, according to a District 109 statement.
“We are confident that after a thorough search process and significant engagement with multiple stakeholder groups, 109 has found the right leader to move Deerfield forward in our goal to be educational leaders,” board president Nick Begley said in the statement.
Simeck agreed to a five-year pact where he will be paid nearly $320,000 per year, according to the contract that was approved by the District 109 board Monday night.
“District 109 has a proud heritage of educational excellence, and I am very excited to join an exemplary team of educators, passionate parents, and committed community members to lead the district into the future,” Simeck said in the statement.
District 109 operated with two interim superintendents for the 2020-21 school year.
Simeck has been the top administrator at both Lake Forest District 67, which encompasses the city’s four elementary schools, and Lake Forest High School since 2012. This year he had a salary of almost $270,000, according to district spokeswoman Melissa Oakley.
In a separate open letter to the Lake Forest community posted Monday night, Simeck thanked the teachers and staff and called his time in Lake Forest both “satisfying and challenging.”
“The volunteer community in Lake Forest, Lake Bluff and Knollwood is among the most committed in the nation, and the schools are beneficiaries of that truly amazing human capital and effort. It has been a privilege to witness that commitment,” Simeck wrote. “The districts are on strong trajectories with the Mission/Vision/Milestones adopted and supported by each of the Boards. My sincerest wish is that Lake Forest Districts 67 and 115 continue to be recognized for educational excellence, while achieving significant academic, social, and emotional learning for every student, for that is the right work for the right reasons.”
District 67 Board President Justin Engelland and his Lake Forest High School colleague David Lane issued a joint statement wishing Simeck well in Deerfield and thanking him “for his tireless work ethic, unwavering integrity, and deep commitment to our students, staff and community.”
Whether both Lake Forest districts will continue to share a superintendent is still to be determined as a review of shared services was underway before Simeck’s announcement, Oakley said.
Simeck had worked at two Michigan districts before coming to Lake Forest. He worked as a German teacher at both the middle school and high school level, before becoming a principal and then moving on to superintendent roles.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter.