NORWOOD PARK — The search for a new principal for Taft High School, the most crowded public high school in Chicago, has begun.
While former Principal Mary Kay Cappitelli stepped down in November, citing concerns about her health, her retirement did not become official until April 11, allowing school and district officials to begin the process of replacing her.
Heather Cherone talks about the search for Taft High School's next principal:
The Taft Local School Council this week approved an advertisement announcing the open position and seeking candidates. The principal selection committee will meet next week to discuss the next steps in the search, officials said.
A statement from council Chairwoman Lisa Schwieger posted on the high school's website thanked Cappitelli, who became principal in 2010, for her service to Taft.
Acting Principal Carolyn Rownd will finish out the 2013-14 school year, and a permanent replacement is expected to be selected by July 1, officials said.
Rownd, an assistant principal at Jones College Prep, has earned high praise from members of the Taft council during her tenure at the school.
In March, a $17 million renovation of the 74-year-old building at 6530 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., began. The project promises to repair the crumbling building, replace windows, build several new science labs and replace lockers.
Approximately 3,195 Taft students attend class in a building with an ideal capacity of 2,184 students, making it the most crowded Chicago Public Schools high school, according to data released by CPS.
At the beginning of the school year, Taft became a wall-to-wall International Baccalaureate program.
