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Local News

Marti to take over principal post at Flossmoor Hills School

Haley Marti has been selected as the next principal at Flossmoor Hills School. The Flossmoor District 161 Board of Education unanimously approved her promotion at its Jan. 9 meeting.

  Members of the Parker Junior High School 8th grade
  girls basketball team were honored at the Jan. 9
  Flossmoor District 161 school board meeting.

  (Photos by R.L. Anderson/H-F Chronicle)
 

Haley Marti has been selected as the next principal at Flossmoor Hills School. The Flossmoor District 161 Board of Education unanimously approved her promotion at its Jan. 9 meeting.

Marti, who is assistant principal at Flossmoor Hills, will succeed Principal Pat McCraven, who is retiring.  Marti will officially begin her new responsibilities on July 1.

  Flossmoor School District
  161 Superintendent Dana
  Smith congratulates Haley
  Marti following her
  appointment as principal
  at Flossmoor Hills School.

 

According to Superintendent Dana Smith, Marti “provides great leadership and does a great job of working with parents, teachers and her colleagues.”

Marti joined the district in 2008 as a classroom teacher. She also served as K-8 instructional coach prior to becoming assistant principal.  Additionally, Marti serves as District 161’s Summer Academy administrator.

In other business, the board continued its discussion over the merits of entering into an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Homewood as a referendum on Homewood’s desire to become a home rule community draws near.

Approving the intergovernmental agreement is necessary for District 161 to receive a share of revenue from a new sales tax. Should Homewood voters approve home rule in a March 20 referendum, the village board would raise its sales tax by 0.25 percent to be distributed among District 153, 161, 233, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District and the Homewood Public Library. District 161 would annually receive approximately $75,000 or 7.5 percent of the tax revenue.

“We are down almost to the wire, we have a deadline of Jan. 23 to sign on,” Smith said.  District 161’s next scheduled board meeting is Jan. 22.

“All they’re asking us to do is to map out how funds would be distributed,” said board member John Simmons.

Board member Carolyn Griggs, added, “I am OK with accepting the money.”

However, board member Cameron Nelson is not in agreement.

“It doesn’t seem like we need it,” he said of the additional revenue. Nelson also stated concerns about District 161’s possible involvement in Homewood becoming a home rule community. He questioned whether the district should be accepting tax revenue in this manner. He said the amount of money coming to the district would not be substantial yet the district would be involved in a sales tax increase affecting Homewood residents.

The board’s discussion of the home rule issue came much later in a long meeting after an advocate of home rule briefly addressed the board.

Nicholas Quirke of Citizens for Home Rule asked the board for its support. He said home rule will “maintain the quality of life we’ve come to expect in the H-F area.”

Quirke described the home rule measure as being “in the best interests of local residents, especially the schools.” He also said home rule would result in better local education, shifting some of the problem-solving to local leadership and away from Springfield.

The school board heard an update about special education in the district.

Robin Latman, director of special education, said this school year there are 342 eligible students, up from 326 last year. This year, 327 students have Individualized Education Plans compared to 317 a year ago.

Latman also reviewed service locations within the district. Walk-in speech services are available at each K-5 building. Preschool services are offered at Flossmoor Hills. Early childhood and K-1 instruction are offered at Western Avenue School. Instruction for grades 2-5 are at Heather Hill School. Special education services for grade 6-8 are at Park Junior High School.

Latman also reported that services continue to be offered at out-of-district locations such as SPEED, the Lincoln-Way Cooperative and the Illinois School for the Deaf. 

It was a successful season for the Eighth Grade Girls Basketball Team at Parker Junior High and team members were recognized by the board.

Under the direction of Coach Darryl Thompson, the squad enjoyed a 22-2 record this year including regional and sectional championships and a trip to the state tournament.

Team members honored by the board included Bianca Anderson, Lexis Deans, Sarah Doane, Audriana Gant, Yemayah Gray, Aria Harrell, Alexis Human, Isis Aliyah Phillips, Rachyl Robinson, Adriana Short and Autumn Turner.

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