The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Expense items, bills list approved by U-46 Board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 voted unanimously to approve $9.3 million in expenditure items under the consent agenda at its meeting on Monday, April 12.
  The largest project is in interior buildout and furniture purchase at the district’s Elgin office at 1019 East Chicago St. where several departments will be relocated. The cost is $3.6 million for the buildout with Happ Builders and $225,374 for furniture from Warehouse Direct, to be paid for through the operations and maintenance fund.
  “District Records, Registration, Project Access, and the Family Welcome Center are currently located at the Educational Service Center (ESC) and the Early Education testing facility is housed within the ‘old fire station’ adjacent to (Elgin’s) Larkin High School,” the proposal states. “All of these departments support U-46 families and often interface directly with the public. Although staff at both locations do a great job of maximizing their respective space, their current locations do not fully support the needs of their operations and limit their ability to support the students and families in an optimal way. Parking is also an issue at both sites.”
  Also coming from the operations and maintenance fund is $1.9 million to replace the roof at the district’s Educational Service Center, $1.8 million for improvements at Elgin High School’s Memorial Field, $701,000 for a library relocation and wall repairs at Elgin’s Lowrie Elementary School, $440,136 for a gymnasium floor restoration project at Elgin’s Larsen Middle School, $344,000 for a boiler replacement at Elgin’s Hillcrest Elementary School, $158,600 for an HVAC system replacement at South Elgin’s Willard Elementary School and $72,000 for roof replacement at the Independence Center foe Early Learning in Elgin.
  One education fund item was approved, $37,309 for the district’s frontline absence and substitute management software.
  Also unanimously approved was $13.8 million in itemized bills.