The Homewood Elementary School District 153 Board of Education on Dec. 15 voted to affirm an out‑of‑school suspension for student ID 33225 after reviewing a hearing officer’s report, and the board directed that written findings be issued.

Separately, the board authorized the second payment of November 2025 bills and the first payment of December 2025 bills in an amount not to exceed $2,656,053.45, acting on a recommendation from the chief school business official. The motion was moved and approved by roll call.

The board also approved a memorandum of understanding to place Tanya Thomas, who works at Willow School in a unique role, into a defined salary lane and step that did not previously exist on the schedule; the MOU was moved, seconded and carried by roll call. Administration described the MOU as aligning Thomas’s pay lane and step with her role and discussed RBT certification encouragement as part of broader personnel strategy.

Employment actions approved included hires and role changes: Jessica Cobbs (custodian at Churchill), Kachia Hamer (supervisor at Willow), Jordan Ross (special education assistant at Churchill), Seth Huff (floater custodian), and Julie Brelitz (pre‑K assistant at Willow), with effective dates and standard conditions (satisfactory background checks and evidence of qualifications to be provided by specified dates).

Why it matters: The suspension vote resolves a pending discipline appeal; the payment and personnel approvals finalize routine fiscal and staffing actions that affect school operations in the near term.

What’s next: The board directed written findings on the suspension and will record the MOU and hires in district personnel records; the business office will process the authorized payments.