News from District 153
August 29, 2025
September is Attendance Awareness Month
HAPPY ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH!
As part of our district’s pledge to create a culture of achievement for every student, we want to start the year by emphasizing the importance of great attendance.
“Showing up” is a valuable life habit – it represents more than attendance, it’s an attitude. As adults, we know that going to our job every day matters, and your child’s “job” is to be a full-time student.
According to the research, attending school every day possible:
- Helps kids get back on track and recover lost momentum
- Promotes student learning and increases chances of graduation
- Helps kids feel better about school and themselves
- Improves mental health through socializing, developing friendships, building empathy and forming lasting relationships with peers
On the other hand, research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year negatively affects a student's academic performance. Ten percent is 18 total absences or JUST TWO DAYS PER MONTH! This is the state’s definition of chronic absenteeism and includes both excused and unexcused absences from school. No matter the reason, a student cannot learn if they are not here. Keep them home if they are sick, but otherwise make every effort to have them here every day.
With you and your family working together with us, we will successfully prepare, educate and inspire every student.
Here’s to a wonderful school year!
Dr. McAlister
Superintendent
A Message from the President of the School Board
Dear District Staff and Community Members:
The Homewood 153 Board of Education has begun the search process for a new superintendent. We have selected SCHOOL EXEC CONNECT, an educational search firm, to assist us in this process. We are interested in receiving your input about the new superintendent.
Survey
We would appreciate it if you would take about five minutes to fill out an online survey that will be available from September 3-10, 2025. Please check the District website and/or your email inbox on September 3, 2025, for the survey link.
Community Forum
In addition to the survey, if you would like to provide input on the district’s strengths, the district’s challenges, and the characteristics the next superintendent should possess, the SCHOOL EXEC CONNECT consultants invite you to attend their open forum:
Monday, September 8, 2025
7:00 PM
The James Hart Cafeteria
18220 Morgan St.
(Please enter door “I” off Morgan Street.)
Findings from the survey, the open forums, and several focus group conversations will be used to develop a New Superintendent Profile that will be reported to the Board on September 15, 2025.
As we move forward, our most important consideration is securing the strongest candidate pool and ultimately the best person to lead our District. To that end, the Board of Education has decided to conduct a confidential search and only the three final candidates’ names will be announced publicly.
The Board of Education looks forward to your support and assistance with this very important undertaking. Please feel free to contact the consultants assisting us if you have any questions or comments regarding the search:
Dr. Kevin O’Mara kevin.omara@schoolexecconnect.com
Dr. Brian Barnhart brian.barnhart@schoolexecconnect.com
We look forward to your input as we search for a new superintendent to lead the Homewood School District.
Sincerely,
Alex Bosch
President, Board of Education
Homewood School District 153
Join the PTA!
Join the Parent Music Association!
Do you have school hoodies, t-shirts, or other gear that you've outgrown or simply don't reach for anymore? Don't let those spirit gems gather dust! Bring your gently used SD 153 & SD 233 spirit wear to the library between August 1st and September 6th. Then choose exciting, new-to-you pieces that will ignite your school pride on September 6th!
All donations must be clean and in useable condition. Supplies are
limited