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Homewood SD 153 administration reports progress on second year of five‑year strategic plan
Summary
Superintendent Scott McAllister and administrators updated the board Oct. 14 on curriculum alignment, assessment tools, staff development, facility needs, finance and family engagement as part of year two of the district’s five‑year strategic plan.
Superintendent Scott McAllister and district administrators presented a year‑two update on Homewood School District 153’s five‑year strategic plan at the Oct. 14 board meeting, outlining work in curriculum alignment, assessments, staff training, facilities and family engagement.
Administrators said the district has spent the first two years aligning curricula and common assessments to state standards, using platforms such as Forefront for K‑5 math and language arts and introducing Pair Assessment (Mastery Manager) and Imagine Learning at Churchill School for grades 3–5. The superintendent said the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) results from spring 2025 remain under embargo and will be publicly released Oct. 30.
The district reported training staff in research‑based instructional strategies, including Kagan and CHAMPS classroom management, and increased use of Intermediate Service Center (ISC) 4 for professional development. The administration is evaluating universal screening tools for social‑emotional and mental‑health needs, mentioning Terrace Metrics as one option and noting the state will require universal screeners in coming years.
On finance, the superintendent highlighted a three‑year contract for staff raises and a property tax relief grant the district received; officials said the grant provides short‑term cash flow relief and will be counted in the tax base beginning in fiscal year 2028. The district also referenced a three‑year teacher vacancy grant worth $117,000 per year that helped staff training and certification, but said that program is not expected to be renewed.
Facilities work was described as a continuing priority. Administrators noted district buildings are decades old, and described an ongoing multi‑year roof replacement program; the James Hart roof and HVAC work discussed at the public hearing are part of that planning. Human resources staff presented hiring and retention tracking and said recent “5 Essentials” results show improvement in school climate. The presentation also summarized family engagement initiatives, PTA/PMA partnerships and a district communications site for staff.
The board asked no substantive follow‑up questions during the presentation. Administrators said they will continue to update the board periodically as the plan advances.
