• January 20, 2023

    The Board of Education has appointed Dr. Kenneth Arndt and Dr. Lazaro Lopez as Co-Interim Superintendents to lead the District as the board continues its search for a permanent successor to Superintendent Dr. David Schuler.

    Retired Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Arndt brings more than 45 years in education as a social studies teacher, school administrator, and district superintendent. He led Community Unit School District 300 from 2001 to 2011 as its superintendent before retiring and has since served as a consultant, adjunct professor, and interim superintendent for District 300 and School District U-46.  In District 214, Dr. Arndt will be the primary point of contact for parents and community members and serve as the superintendent of record for state and federal compliance purposes.  

    During his years leading District 300, Dr. Arndt completed realignment of and increased standards for K-12 curriculum, instituted an annual comprehensive review of the effectiveness and cost of all programs and established the District 300 Foundation for Educational Excellence.

    Dr. Arndt earned a Ph. D. in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Toledo; a master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor of science degree in Political Science, also from Bowling Green State University.

    He was a teacher and administrator at school districts in Ohio and downstate Illinois before assuming his responsibilities in District 300. He was named 2011 Administrator of the Year by the Kane County Regional Office of Education.

    A Mount Prospect resident, Dr. Arndt serves on that community’s Finance Commission and Sustainability Committee.

    Dr. Lazaro Lopez has served District 214 for 23 years.  He taught at Hersey High School and was the principal of Wheeling High School, where he was named the Illinois Principal of the Year and recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in their Profiles of Change series. Since 2013, Dr. Lopez has served as the district’s Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, a role in which he oversees all academic programs serving students at 214’s six comprehensive high schools and one specialized school.  He will continue these duties while he serves as Co-Interim Superintendent with Dr. Arndt.  Dr. Lopez will primarily focus on the daily operational activities of the District and lead initiatives already in progress.  

    Dr. Lopez has been recognized as a national leader on career pathways education by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. Since 2015, he has served as Chair of the Illinois Community College Board, where he has prioritized the state’s community college agency on the seamless transition of students, workforce development and institutional effectiveness. 

    Before working in education, Dr. Lopez served in the U.S. Army as a training non-commissioned officer and in the private sector as a small business owner and corporate trainer. 

    Dr. Lopez earned a Doctorate in Education from Aurora University. He earned an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Roosevelt University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication from Illinois State University.