Valley View Superintendent Announces Retirement

Phillip Schoffstall, the Valley View School District 365U superintendent since 2003, announced his retirement at the district's board meeting Monday evening, saying he couldn't do the job forever.

"I don't want to be considered a hanger-on," Schoffstall said. "I've seen superintendents stay on longer than I think they should. I think the time to make those types of decisions is when you still have the enthusiasm and still have the commitment to make things better for the kids.

"I don't just want to hang around here, or anywhere, just because I have a contract. That's not a good reason (to stay around)," he said.

The school board approved Schoffstall's request for retirement, which will be effective June 30—the end of his current contract.

Steve Quigley, the board's president, said the district will immediately begin looking for a replacement and hopes to have the job filled as soon as possible.

"The board, administration, teachers, staff, parents and our communities will miss the sense of professionalism and vision he has brought to Valley View for the past seven-plus years, and also his leadership and everyday commitment to doing what is best for our children," Quigley said in a prepared statement.

Whoever replaces Schoffstall will have their work cut out for them.

Valley View schools—as with most schools throughout Illinois—are owed a significant sum of money from the state and figure to to be financially shorted until the state's budget problem is fixed.

Schoffstall said the three biggest challenges facing his replacement are limited financial support—especially from the state—the ever-growing emphasis on raising district test scores and an increasing population of at-need students, such as bilingual, special education and economically disadvantaged students.

"You get more bilingual students and you will need more bilingual teachers, but you don't get the support for it," he said. "It's going to be tough."

Schoffstall said slumping test scores and an abysmal budget outlook played no part in his decision. At the board's last meeting, several board members spent hours blasting the administration for poor test results, even threatening a change in leaderhip if things weren't turned around.

"I've watched boards over the years react to different things and while the test scores are a concern, they are an inadequate measure of the value of education and the importance of education," Schoffstall said. "I've been through budget things before, too. It will be more difficult this spring."

Board member Richard Gougis III said an ideal replacement would be a strong leader that has a firm belief in all Valley View students.

"We have to believe that all kids can learn," Gougis said. And that starts with the adults in this district. And that starts with the adults in this (board) room. It starts with saying, 'I don't care what the kid looks like—black, white, how much money the kid's parents have. All of our kids can do it and we are going to see to there success.'

"We cannot accept anything less than the highest standards," Gougis said.

Schoffstall began his administrative career in 1973 as a middle school assistant principal in Pike Township in Indianapolis.

Schoffstall retired prior to becoming the Valley View superintendent, but said he grew bored of retirement within four months.