The Lake Forest Community High School District 115 Board of Education tonight voted to extend a contract to Dr. Erin B. Lenart to serve as the next Principal of Lake Forest High School, effective July 1, 2021.
Dr. Lenart began her career in education as a high school English teacher, and brings with her more than two decades of student-centered classroom and administrative leadership. She currently serves as the Principal of Fairfax High School, a high-performing school serving 2,300 students in Fairfax, VA, a suburb of Washington, D.C.. Fairfax High School is also home to the Fairfax Academy for Communication and the Arts with approximately 1,100 students from other high schools attending to participate in specialized classes.
Tonight’s Board determination follows an extensive search process that began in March, executed in partnership with search firm B.W.P. & Associates, Ltd. and the Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Knollwood communities. In addition to interviews conducted by Dr. Montgomery, other administrators, and blended groups of students, faculty, support staff, union leadership, and members of the community, more than 900 members of the school community (including 242 LFHS staff members) also participated in an attributes survey, prioritizing three key leadership capabilities for the next LFHS principal:
1) Knowledge about curriculum and instruction with a deep understanding of how
students learn
2) Excellent communication skills
3) A team-builder who motivates and brings out the best in others
“The Board appreciates the engagement of our community in this process. We have listened carefully,” says District 115 Board President Jenny Zinser. “With a track record of inclusive practices, a deep commitment to collaboration, outstanding communication skills, and as a teacher at heart, Dr. Lenart has the qualifications to continue Lake Forest High School’s trajectory of growth. She is a builder of results, teams, and community. We cannot wait to see her build upon Lake Forest High School’s tradition of excellence.”
“I am both humbled and inspired to have been selected as the next principal of Lake Forest High School. I was drawn to LFHS because of its reputation for innovative, student-centered learning,” says Dr. Lenart. “As a servant leader, I work to build relationships that empower those I serve - students, staff, and community. I pledge to work tirelessly to listen, learn, see, and value each member of our LFHS family.”
Dr. Lenart received her Bachelor of Science in Distributive English with a minor in Secondary Education at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN; her Master of Education in Educational Leadership at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN; and her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and University in Blacksburg, VA.
Dr. Lenart and her husband plan to reside in the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff community.
The Lake Forest High School community will have an opportunity to meet Dr. Lenart on Tuesday, May 11 at 5:00 PM when LFHS Forest Scout editor Kailey Albus ('21) will moderate a livestream Q&A with the incoming LFHS principal. A link to that livestream is here.
