Three DeKalb schools to get new principals

DeKALB - Three elementary schools will get new principals under a proposal before the DeKalb School Board tonight. Rafael Segarra will become principal of Chesebro Elementary School under a plan put forth by Schools Superintendent Brian Ali. Segarra is now vice principal of Clinton Rosette Middle School, a position he has held for one year. Before that he was a teacher for six years in the Aurora School District. He succeeds Geraldine Crider who has been principal for five years. She has accepted the position of principal of Harnew Elementary School in Oak Lawn. Jessica Lombard has been named principal of Tyler Elementary School. Information attached to the agenda for tonight's meeting indicates she has been an assistant principal for two years and a teacher for seven years. She previously worked for the district's migrant program, which serves mainly Latino children, at Clinton Rosette Middle School. She succeeds Scott Kubelka who has been named principal of Wright Elementary School in Malta, the partnership school the district is operating with Northern Illinois University. Connie Rohlman, who has 13 years' experience as a teacher at Tyler and Clinton Rosette, has been named interim principal at Malta Elementary School. She succeeds Jim Hicks. Under district policy, the school board decides whether to appoint principals based on recommendations from the superintendent. In practice, though, the board routinely approves Ali's appointments. The board also will be asked tonight to increase registration fees and school lunch prices. Registration fees will go up $10 under Ali's proposal. The district now charges $50 for elementary students, $65 for middle school students and $70 for high school students. Fees also will increase for high school and middle school interscholastic sports, intramural sports and parking. John Kelleher can be reached at jkelleher@pulitzer.net.