Web Extra!

Attila Weninger's tenure as District 200 superintendent will come to a close at the end of this school year, an e-mail from Oak Park and River High School just announced.

"I am most appreciative and honored to have worked on behalf of the students of the District.  It is my intention to complete my work through the end of June in the same manner as I have throughout my tenure: diligently, passionately, ethically, and with a strong work ethic," Weninger said in a press release that the high school sent to people on its e-mail list at 12:35 p.m. According to the press release, Weninger has submitted his letter of retirement to the school board.

Weninger, 58, had been in talks with the District 200 Board of Education since late summer on a contract extension, but those negotiations did not produce a new deal. His three-year contract is set to expire June 30.

When contacted by Wednesday Journal, Weninger said that as talks with the board about a potential contract extension unfolded over the past two months, he had considered retiring as a possible outcome. Over the past 10 days, he said, he moved toward this decision.

He said that he doesn't consider himself to be a lame duck for the remaining portion of his contract and no restrictions or limits on his duties have been discussed with the school board. Weninger stressed that that includes working to fill five division chair seats and a new head of human resources for the 2010-11 school year.

Board president Dietra Millard is quoted in the e-mail saying that the board will discuss the search process for a new superintendent in the next several weeks, and that it will "seek broad stakeholder input on the qualities key to future school leadership and on the areas of greatest need and opportunity for growth."