McLean County school administrator among finalists for District 87 superintendent

Posted on November 12, 2021

*The new superintendent is scheduled to take over July 1. (WJBC file photo)*

BLOOMINGTON – The District 87 School Board has picked the three finalists to become the next superintendent, replacing Barry Reilly, who’s retiring next year.

David Mouser is superintendent of Tri-Valley CUSD #3 in Downs, near the Twin-Cities. The board will interview Mouser in the coming weeks along with David Deets and Becca Lamon.

Deets is superintendent of Harmony-Emge School District #175 in Belleville. He has served in that capacity since 2018 and is the Southwestern Region president for the Illinois Association of School Administrators.

Lamon has been assistant superintendent since 2013 of the East Noble School Corporation in Kendallville, Indiana. She’s also an adjunct professor at Purdue University in Fort Wayne.

Mouser has been Tri-Valley’s school chief since 2014, and has worked in education for 25 years.

Elizabeth Fox-Anvick, who’s the school board’s vice president, issued a statement.

“All three finalists bring unique talents and perspectives to the table, and all three are enthusiastic about working for a district that is as diverse, focused on kids, and steeped in rich history and tradition as District 87,” said Fox-Anvick.

The district received applications from 37 candidates. A search firm recommended 11 of those candidates, and the school board selected the three finalists, according to the district’s news release.

The new superintendent is scheduled to take over July 1.

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