Attendees at Lane Tech's LSC meeting await the council's decision regarding a new principal for the school. View Full Caption DNAinfo/Patty Wetli

ROSCOE VILLAGE — Lane Tech's Local School Council called an emergency meeting Tuesday night with the aim of choosing a new principal for the selective enrollment high school, but after nearly two hours of debate in closed session members emerged to declare the council deadlocked.

"After all that deliberation, neither candidate garnered seven votes," said Lisa Applebaum, LSC chairwoman. "An acting principal will be named tomorrow."

A principal search has been under way since February when Christopher Dignam, top administrator at the 4,000-seat school since 2012, announced his resignation, leaving for suburban Deerfield.

The ensuing principal selection process has been conducted by the LSC almost entirely in closed session.

The two finalists for the job were not officially named, though Lane Tech assistant principal Kathryn Anderson was widely understood to be in the mix. Several sources told DNAinfo the second finalist was thought to be a principal at a CPS elementary.

More than 50 parents, alums and Lane Tech staffers turned out for Tuesday's meeting, held at DeVry University due to ongoing construction at the high school.

During the public comment portion of the agenda, faculty members spoke in favor of hiring Anderson, who was not present at the gathering, having just given birth last week to her first child.

Nick Logalbo, English teacher, cited Anderson's stewardship of some of Lane's most challenging programs, including STEM, alpha honors and academic center.

"She's a leader we believe in and we trust," Logalbo said. "If she doesn't have the answer, she finds it."

Science teacher Russ Hencinski, entering his 44th year with CPS, has been through seven principals at Lane Tech.

"I've seen everything," he said. "The big thing is to have continuity."

With the school in the midst of a $50 million renovation and CPS facing a major budget crisis, now is not the time to bring in a leader with no knowledge of Lane Tech, added Bill Miceli, technology coordinator.

"I encourage you to look within," he told the LSC. Lane's situation is "too fragile to be handed over to an outsider."

But math teacher Tina Padilla argued the opposite point: "We all know we're at a crossroads. Are we choosing someone safe and familiar versus change and progression?"

Anderson's association with Dignam's administration worked against her with some.

"Hiring from without might be good" given that the outgoing administrator was "more of a toxic force," said Cathy Cunningham, parent of an incoming freshman.

Ultimately the LSC proved as divided as the Lane community on the question of insider versus outsider, with neither candidate receiving the required seven votes for hire.

CPS will appoint an acting principal to lead the school for the next three months, at which point, if the LSC still hasn't made a decision, the district will make it for them and name Dignam's successor.

Between now and the council's next meeting on July 9, the LSC will explore its options and determine next steps, which might include a candidate forum, according to Paul Knudtson, LSC vice-chairman.

"Everyone on the council is passionately pursuing the selection of the best candidate to lead Lane Tech," he said.

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