HOBART | School Board members are set to name a new superintendent at Thursday night's meeting.

School Board President Terry Butler said Tuesday that the new superintendent was an in-house candidate, but he could not reveal the name until the contract was finalized. The appointment comes just a month after Superintendent Jack Leach announced his retirement.

Leach, superintendent since 1996, has been with the School City of Hobart for 39 years. He began his career as a high school English and speech teacher, before becoming the school's assistant principal in 1988. He was named the district's assistant superintendent in 1992.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the board room at Hobart Middle School, with a reception welcoming the new superintendent scheduled to follow.

Leach is expected to stay on as the district's superintendent through the end of June. His administrative tenure has been one of growth, with the completion of Joan Martin Elementary School in 1994 and the ongoing construction of a new Hobart High School, which is spearheaded by Associate Superintendent Peggy Buffington, another longtime Hobart educator.