BLOOM TOWNSHIP | A Proviso East High School dean has been hired to fill a special education position at Sandridge Elementary School.

The Sandridge Elementary District 172 School Board last week unanimously approved hiring Tawana Robinson as director of special education.

She will be paid a prorated annual salary of $65,000 plus benefits and is scheduled to begin work Dec. 1, said John Sawyer III, District 172 superintendent.

Robinson comes to Sandridge from the Maywood school where she currently serves as dean of students

Before that, she taught special education in the Chicago Public School system, Sawyer said, adding Robinson has a special education certificate and a Type 75 administrative certificate and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Roosevelt University.

Robinson was one of three applicants for the position and was deemed the best candidate by an interview team which included Sawyer, the school principal, school psychologist. and speech pathologist..

"I'm elated that she's joining us," Sawyer said.

Robinson fills a vacancy left by the August resignation of Andrea Brooks. Her departure took effect Sept. 12.

In other matters, the board set 7 p.m. Dec. 17 as the time and date for a hearing on the proposed 2008 tax levy.

The tentative, $2.12 million levy includes $260,028 for bonds and represents an increase of about $61,564, or 3 percent, over last year's $2.06 million levy amount, Sawyer said.