New Butler District 53 superintendent coming from Norridge District 80

The Butler Elementary District 53 Board approved the hiring Monday of Norridge Elementary District 80 superintendent Paul O’Malley, who will take over July 1 from Heidi Wennstrom, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

O’Malley was chosen from a field of 38 applicants and will receive an initial starting salary of $220,000 annually, said board President Christopher S. Edmonds.

“He’s a great fit,” Wennstrom said. “He is very child centered and will focus on doing right by the students.”

District 80 Board President Srbo Radisavljevic said losing O’Malley will be a big loss for his district and a huge gain for District 53.

In October 2017, the District 80 Board extended O’Malley’s contract by a year to June 30, 2022, citing his performance in managing a difficult financial situation.

O’Malley was credited by the District 80 Board with reducing expenses and saving nearly $2 million over a two-year period, revamping the curriculum to improve academic achievement and align with proficiency-based learning objectives, and drastically changing the special education programs to better support the neediest students.

Radisavljevic said he and others in District 80 learned Monday that O’Malley would be leaving, so Radisavljevic wasn’t able to comment on plans for finding a replacement.

The District 53 search began last fall, with Sally Beatty and Laura Bieslin taking charge for the board, which hired the professional search firm Ray & Associates to help.

O’Malley was chosen after six semi-final candidates participated in video interviews and the final three were interviewed by the District 53 Board.

Edmonds said the board was incredibly excited to offer the job to O’Malley.

“His understanding of our high-performing students and the expectations of our community to consistently raise the bar for all of our students was eye-opening and refreshing,” Edmonds said.

O’Malley spent the past four years in Norridge.

“I really wasn’t looking to leave, but this position was just too good to pass up,” he said.

O’Malley said he plans to work collaboratively with an emphasis on teamwork, transparency and a “students first” mindset.

“It is my mission to continue moving our district from exemplary to epic through a gifted and academically talented pathway with high educational outcomes for all of our students,” he said.

O’Malley previously served as associate superintendent in Oswego Unit District 308, and as assistant superintendent for business services in Niles Township High School District 219 and in Glenbard High School District 87.

He began his career teaching high school chemistry, natural science and physics. He graduated in 1991 from Niles North High School in Skokie, where he was a star pitcher for the baseball team, before playing college ball at Illinois State University and in 1994 being a fourth-round draft pick of the Houston Astros.

O’Malley received his doctorate in educational leadership from National Louis University, a double master’s in education leadership and special education from Northeastern Illinois University and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry education from DePaul University.