Superintendent reports four staff selected for Those Who Excel awards; district readies audits and safety inspection
February 16, 2026 | Homewood SD 153, School Boards, Illinois
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Superintendent Dr. McAlister told the Homewood SD 153 board on Feb. 16 that four district employees were selected as winners in the Illinois State Board of Education's 'Those Who Excel' program and will attend an awards banquet in Bloomington on April 18.
Named by the superintendent were James Cassidy (administrator of instructional technology), Caroline Deluya (kindergarten teacher at Willow), Kayla McLaurin (ESP at Willow), and Diana Musharbusch (fourth-grade teacher at Churchill). Dr. McAlister characterized the recognition as a notable accomplishment for the district and noted family members and statewide education leaders typically attend the banquet.
Dr. McAlister also told the board that the district will host its annual life-safety inspection and the four-year curriculum materials audit on the same day, and thanked staff who prepared documentation, naming Mary Kay Dunn (personnel manager), Morgan Consul and Catherine Czarnecki for their work preparing curriculum records. He said the curriculum audit's section 500 (the curriculum section) is the largest and that staff have been uploading required documents in preparation.
The superintendent reminded board members the district is administering the required 5Essentials feedback survey and asked the community to help reach a minimum 20% parent-response threshold needed to obtain parent-level results on the Illinois report card. Shelly Peck and building principals were identified as handling survey outreach.
Dr. McAlister closed this portion of his report by describing a recent community event: Churchill and James Hart choirs performed at a Chicago Wolves game and the district purchased roughly 400 tickets for families; he thanked choir teachers Heather Olsen and Nikki Souolcek for organizing the appearance.
The board recorded these items as informational; no separate motions were required for the awards announcement or the audits beyond standard operational follow-up.
Named by the superintendent were James Cassidy (administrator of instructional technology), Caroline Deluya (kindergarten teacher at Willow), Kayla McLaurin (ESP at Willow), and Diana Musharbusch (fourth-grade teacher at Churchill). Dr. McAlister characterized the recognition as a notable accomplishment for the district and noted family members and statewide education leaders typically attend the banquet.
Dr. McAlister also told the board that the district will host its annual life-safety inspection and the four-year curriculum materials audit on the same day, and thanked staff who prepared documentation, naming Mary Kay Dunn (personnel manager), Morgan Consul and Catherine Czarnecki for their work preparing curriculum records. He said the curriculum audit's section 500 (the curriculum section) is the largest and that staff have been uploading required documents in preparation.
The superintendent reminded board members the district is administering the required 5Essentials feedback survey and asked the community to help reach a minimum 20% parent-response threshold needed to obtain parent-level results on the Illinois report card. Shelly Peck and building principals were identified as handling survey outreach.
Dr. McAlister closed this portion of his report by describing a recent community event: Churchill and James Hart choirs performed at a Chicago Wolves game and the district purchased roughly 400 tickets for families; he thanked choir teachers Heather Olsen and Nikki Souolcek for organizing the appearance.
The board recorded these items as informational; no separate motions were required for the awards announcement or the audits beyond standard operational follow-up.
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