Pembroke searching for new school superintendent

Pembroke Community Consolidated School District 259 is in search of a new superintendent.

Nicole Terrell-Smith, the district’s superintendent since 2022, has accepted a position as treasurer of schools for Thornton Township, where she will oversee the finances of 12 school districts within the township.

Terrell-Smith is slated to begin her new role in the south Chicago suburbs July 1.

The Pembroke district contains one elementary building for kindergarten through eighth grade, Lorenzo Smith School.

Terrell-Smith said her new role will be similar to her previous position as assistant superintendent of business services for Kankakee School District 111, but it will be at the township level.

“I feel like, because I’ll be supporting 12 districts, that my reach could be even further to benefit more children,” she said. “It really all still goes back to my passion for helping students and what my God-given talent is.”

Terrell-Smith was not looking to leave her current position, but she was contacted by a search firm on behalf of the township.

She is slated to be one of the first women and the first African-American woman to hold the position, she said.

“I absolutely love it here [in Pembroke],” she said. “It was a very hard decision to make. It took me almost three months to really make up my mind to make that move. This district has been amazing. The kids are absolutely amazing. The [school] board is the best board I’ve ever met.”

Meanwhile, the Pembroke School Board has begun the search process for Terrell-Smith’s replacement.

Board President Stacy Noble said the board has received 16 applications and is working to narrow the list down to the top five candidates before beginning the interview process.

Noble said the board is looking for someone with a background in finance, as its goal is to maintain the district’s strong financial position.

A focus on academics is also important, she said.

Noble said the travel distance to Pembroke can be a challenge for prospective candidates, particularly for those commuting from areas north of Kankakee County. So, someone with local ties could make a good fit.

The board was happy with Terrell-Smith’s performance in her three years as superintendent and would have hoped to keep her on until she retired, Noble said.

“The board is sad to see Nicole go, but we truly understand that life gives people different opportunities, and we never want to see someone pass up on a great opportunity,” Noble said. “We wish her nothing but love. We are sad, but I think we’ll all remain pretty close-knit friends after this, because she still has connections in the community.”

Terrell-Smith had replaced former Pembroke school superintendent Marcus Alexander, who had been in the role for four years.