DeKalb school board approves expulsion in advance for student number 40924 after parental plea

The DeKalb CUSD 428 Board of Education voted to approve an expulsion in advance for student number 40924 during its regular meeting.

Before the board took the motion, a woman identified on the meeting roster as Carolyn Herman addressed the board and said she is the mother of the student facing discipline. “At no time did my child say that he was going to shoot at the school,” she said, adding that the firearm found in a shared vehicle’s glove box was lawfully stored and that her son “had 0 intention to disrupt the school.” She told the board he has had no other disciplinary actions in three years at DeKalb High School and asked the board not to expel him and to consider alternatives such as an alternative school, approved home instruction or online learning so he can graduate.

The board then moved to consider Item A, the recommended approval of an expulsion in advance for student number 40924. A motion and second were made and a roll call vote was recorded with Steve Byers, Ariel/Aria Owens, Christopher Boyce, Stacy Ramirez and Amanda Harness recorded as voting “Yes.” The motion passed.

The board did not publicly detail additional sanction terms or an implementation plan in the meeting record; the action on the agenda is recorded as approval of the expulsion in advance as presented.

The board meeting record shows the public comment and the vote took place during the public participation segment and the subsequent action item. No formal appeal schedule or alternate placement timeline was stated on the record during the meeting.

What happens next: the board approved the expulsion in advance; any administrative follow-up, appeal rights or placement arrangements were not specified in the meeting discussion.