NORTH PARK — Northside College Prep High School and Ravenswood Elementary will start the new school year with interim administrators at the helm while their Local School Councils search for permanent replacements for the departed Barry Rodgers and Heather Connolly, respectively.
At Northside, Ellen Estrada was appointed "administrator in charge" in late June with the support of the school's LSC.
Estrada is a retired Chicago Public Schools principal. She formerly held the top job at Walter Payton College Prep.
"We knew that she was the person with the most experience in a similar school that could help us through this time of transition," Kathleen Andrade, LSC chairwoman, said via email.
"The knowledge she brings from being the previous principal at Walter Payton is invaluable to us."
Northside just closed its principal advertisement, and the LSC plans to begin its first round of candidate interviews within the next few weeks, according to Andrade.
At Ravenswood, Leonor Karl will serve as interim principal when students report back to class in late August. Karl is also a retired CPS principal, having previously led Pulaski Fine Arts and Camras Children's Engineering School.
LSC chairman Greg Janes announced the appointment to the Ravenswood community via email.
"Ms. Karl has the skills to maintain the high standards that our community demands. I am thrilled that she is willing to undertake this important and difficult task," he wrote.
Meanwhile, Ravenswood's principal selection committee has defined the qualities it's seeking in a new principal and will run a recruitment ad in a variety of outlets over the next three weeks, according to Janes.
