Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The District 186 school board, in a special meeting Monday, agreed unanimously to contract with the Illinois Association of School Boards for an executive search, as Jennifer Gill has announced her retirement effective at the end of this school year.

The initial cost is $13,400, but the total price could reach about $50,000, depending on how much IASB service the district purchases.

What if an expensive national search ends with the district hiring an internal candidate – someone right under their nose?

“If it happens like that, it happens like that,” board president Erica Austin said after Monday’s meeting. “But our whole goal is to get the cream of the crop, and if our cream of the crop is internal, then we did our due diligence, we still put out a national search, so i doesn’t look biased, and we got the cream of the crop.”

IASB officials told the board last week there could be six candidates for board consideration.