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Lake Zurich High School hires new principal
Kent Nightlinger, a former District 95 administrator, will take over as Lake Zurich High SchoolÕs principal for next school year. | Photo courtesy District 95
Updated: April 1, 2013 6:10AM
LAKE ZURICH — A former School District 95 administrator will take over as Lake Zurich High School’s new principal for next school year.
At a special meeting Feb. 14, School Board members approved the hiring of Kent Nightlinger to replace Kim Kolze, who will be leaving at the end of the school year.
Nightlinger will officially assume the responsibilities of principal on July 1.
Currently associate principal at Rolling Meadows High School, Nightlinger was Lake Zurich High School’s assistant principal for student services from 2001 to 2004. Prior to that, he was assistant principal at Sherrard Junior Senior High School in Sherrard, Ill. He’s held his position at Rolling Meadows High School since he left Lake Zurich in 2004.
“Kent Nightlinger has 20 years of administrative experience at the high school level and he knows what it takes to lead a comprehensive suburban high school that meets the academic, social/emotional, and extracurricular needs of all of our Lake Zurich High School students,” District 95 Superintendent Mike Egan said. “I am extremely pleased to welcome Mr. Nightlinger back to District 95 as the principal of Lake Zurich High School.”
Nightlinger said was drawn to the Lake Zurich job because he enjoyed his four-year run in the community. He expressed interest soon after Kolze announced last fall that she would be retiring.
“I really enjoyed working for Lake Zurich while I was there,” Nightlinger said. “It’s a great community with great students.”
Of the many positive experiences he shared about his time as Rolling Meadows High School’s associate principal, Nightlinger said that he’s proud to have been part of the implementation of its Response to Intervention process.
“We spent a good amount of time implementing that process and developing our academic support centers for students, and we identified students in need of support — not just in the classroom, but while they are here at the school,” Nightlinger said.
Nightlinger said that he plans to begin his duties getting reacquainted with District 95’s staff, students and parents to better understand their wants, needs, goals and expectations.
He said his overall mission is for the community to work together in a way that provides students with the tools necessary to succeed in their chosen post-high school paths.
Nightlinger, who was selected out of 40 other applicants, earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University.
