The Homewood School District 153 Board of Education plans to create a new five-year plan as the previous plan, which was established in 2018, draws to a close.
Dr. Scott McAlister, district superintendent, spoke about the success of the strategic plan during a Jan. 9 board meeting, and what was to come in the future.
"One of the things that we've always taken pride on is the relationship we have within our staff, administrative to teachers to assistants, etc., and also with our families. So that's still a big priority for us: that they have a place that people want to get on to work," McAlister said during the meeting. "In education it is becoming more and more challenging to find good people. And so I think one of the things, you know, so long as you're being competitive with salary and compensation, which we are, you know, one of the deciding factors is going to be things like culture. So it's really important to us that we have a positive culture."
In 2018, the Homewood School District decided to focus on several areas including: finance, human resources, facilities, social and emotional welfare, community and public relations, and curriculum and assessments.
| Homewood School District/Facebook
In 2018, the group decided to focus on several areas including: finance, human resources, facilities, social and emotional welfare, community and public relations, and curriculum and assessments.
McAlister talked about the district's success in each of those categories. Some of those successes included removing the structural deficit from the budget, analyzing district buildings to effectively plan and budget maintenance needs and make best use of space, developed close bonds between employees and the community, and maintained competitive wages and benefits. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, McAlister said it appeared students have bounced back with a return to normalcy.
The board and district administration will soon draft the next five-year plan. It will be created at the meeting at the end of the month.