The Mundelein District 120 School Board approved the hiring of Dr. Art Vallicelli as Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools on March 10, with his term beginning July 1.
This appointment is significant for the district, as Vallicelli will oversee curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional learning for grades six through twelve. He will supervise principals at Carl Sandburg Middle School and Mundelein High School and support the Shared Services model between Districts 75 and 120.
Dr. Corey Tafoya, Superintendent of Districts 75 and 120, said, “We’re thrilled to have Dr. Vallicelli join our team. His experience, demeanor, and dedication to student success are exactly what we were looking for in this position. His ability to create relationships will be beneficial in so many ways.”
Vallicelli said he aims to support all staff working with students across both middle schools feeding into Mundelein High School from Fremont District 79, Diamond Lake District 76, and Hawthorn District 73. “This is a great opportunity,” Vallicelli said. “The key years for students are when they start at a new school. So, for ninth-graders, this is an opportunity to really evaluate how we help with these transitions, not just academically, but socially and emotionally as well.”
The role is not an additional administrative position but fills the vacancy left by retiring Assistant Superintendent Anthony Kroll in June. The job is shared between District 120 and Mundelein Elementary School District 75; the latter’s board will consider approval on March 16.
Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 represents Lake County and includes Mundelein Consolidated High School according to the Illinois Report Card. The district had an enrollment of 2,069 students during the 2019-2020 school year and serves grades nine through twelve according to state data. The district spent $29,799 per student in that year for a total expenditure of $61,653,428 as reported by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Demographically, the district’s student body is composed of approximately 41 percent White students, about two percent Black students, over forty-five percent Hispanic students, and nearly six percent Asian students according to ISBE data. There were also ninety-one chronically truant students enrolled in the same period—a rate lower than the statewide average as noted by ISBE.
District records show there are currently one hundred thirty teachers earning an average salary of $91,610 before pension contributions; just over half are women according to official figures.
