Lake County Gazette

At its Feb. 14 special meeting,The Barrington Board of Education approved Dr. Craig Winkelman, a long-time administrator in the district, as the new superintendent for the upcoming school year.

“We believe that you can continue to move us forward as a district,” Barrington Community Schools Board Member Erin Ding said. “Some of the things that stood out to me, Craig, when we were interviewing you is that you just know our referendum. You're quite literally in charge of our Build 220 efforts, and you know our Framework 220, our strategic plan that we developed with so much input from our community and with Dr. Hunt, you know that so well. And it was just so apparent that you could take what we were already envisioning and what you were so much a part of, and continue to keep running with it. And then now you will be the face of it too, which is pretty exciting.”

Ding also told Winkelman she appreciated his dedication.

“I think that you also care so much about student voice and the representation of all students in inclusive education,” Ding said. “And that stood out too, when we were talking with you. And you also care so deeply about partnering with our parents, our community organizations and us as a board.”

Winkelman, has been in education for 27 years with 24 of those serving in the Barrington School District.

“I am truly honored and appreciative of this opportunity,” Winkelman said. “I've reached a point in my career where I have started contemplating making a career move to the superintendency. And when you start to ponder that possibility, you naturally begin to think about where may that occur, where would I go? And I feel blessed because Barrington 220 is at the very top of my list. And I know that may sound cliché, but it's from my heart, this is literally my dream job.”

The Barrington board began its search for a new superintendent in January following an announcement by Dr. Robert Hunt, the current superintendent who joined the district in June 2021, that he would be resigning on June 30 to become a superintendent in Ohio. In his resignation announcement, Hunter stressed that it was a “personal family-based decision” to leave and move his family back to Ohio and did not reflect upon his experience at the district.