District 95’s superintendent announced his retirement last month and a search to fill his position has begun. 

“I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely,” Mike Egan, superintendent of Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95, said. “Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 has been my home for the past twenty years. I’ve developed relationships with people. I’ve watched the District grow and flourish and that’s been very satisfying.”

Egan plans to retire at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. Jean Malek, director of communication and community relations, published an immediate press release on April 15, announcing Egan’s retirement.

“They’re going to contract with the search firm, and then they will begin the process. The Board of Education approved that contract last week [April 26- May 2]. They would like to be done by December, then have that person appointed and give them some transition time before the current superintendent leaves,” Julia Becich, director of human resources at CUSD 95, said.

After working in the District for 21 years and holding his position as superintendent for six years, Egan says he is most proud of how the District helps students grow.

“I think the thing that’s most interesting is to see the progression of students from pre-kindergarten all the way through high school and to see the development and growth of those students,” Egan said. “At each level, they are supported differently. At the elementary, they’re nurtured more, they gain a little independence as middle school students, and become very independent as high school students.”

Teachers like George Zasadil, 30-year LZHS math teacher, and Anne Hopkins, 28-year LZHS science teacher, have both watched the development of the District with Egan as an administrator.

“I think he’s done a lot of growing, as he started from the positions he was in at the high school, to the position he finally ended up with,” Zasadil said. “He acted as a really good model of how people [administrators] should be. He always talked about kids growing and kids developing.”

Hopkins, likewise, appreciates Egan’s student-driven goals.

“He does seem very student-focused,” Hopkins said. “Obviously, with all of the technology, the iPad initiative, all of that we have gotten, is to his credit. Our district has progressed in leaps, rather than just steps, compared to other districts. I think that we have increased many times more.”

Thinking about the steps Egan has taken to steer staff and students in new directions, the District is looking for someone who will continue to build on Egan’s legacy.

“We hope to continue the vision that Dr. Egan has set up,” Becich said. “We hope that the next person is just as focused on students, student growth, our staff, and our mission to inspire all kids to be continuous learners.”

Contributions by Brianne Saab