The District 233 school board approved a new administrative structure for Homewood-Flossmoor High School that was proposed by incoming Superintendent Jennifer Norrell.
H-F Superintendent Scott Wakeley said changes had been discussed in the past. He presented the proposal to the school board after consulting with his successor. She first brought the changes to the board’s Personnel Committee meeting Feb. 6.
Norrell, who addressed the board Feb. 18, stressed that changes on the personnel chart are not going to require additional funding. “That’s something I want to reiterate to the board and the community.”
Norrell is organizing the administrators to serve as a cabinet that will advise her.
Norrell starts in her new position July 1, but asked the board to consider several title changes that would best reflect the administrators’ workload. She wanted the people in place when she starts her job.
This past year, H-F has used two retired school superintendents to direct the human resources office. They’ve reworked the office’s organization and are converting a number of operations still done on paper to new computer programs.
Norrell said the position will move from a director’s title to assistant superintendent for staff services. The person in this role will put an emphasis on providing the school culture, resources and support that staff members need.
The salary is a fair market rate and will be capped at $185,000. Norrell believes H-F should be able to attract a number of highly qualified candidates.
Chief School Business Official Lawrence Cook and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development Jennifer Hester are under contract until July 2026. When the school board negotiates new contracts, the new job titles for those positions will be assistant superintendent of finance and assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and professional development.
Norell will organize a cabinet to include Cook, Hester, the incoming assistant superintendent of staff services and the superintendent’s administrative assistant. She also will designate an Executive Committee that will include Hester along with Cook and the incoming assistant superintendent of staff services.
Principal Clinton Alexander’s position is being reworked. The new title is principal and director of high school programs. The principal will be a member of the cabinet and Norrell said she wanted “to give credit to that position” for added responsibilities.
As director of school programs, Alexander will be responsible for the implementation of how H-F will handle state and federal mandates “making sure those are on the (work) docket to be accomplished” by school administrators.
(This article was edited on Feb. 27 to reflect new information from District 233.)
