The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Various U-46 expenses set for May 17 board vote

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 is set to vote on $5.5 million in expenditure items, including a curriculum piece, as well as an annual resolution pertaining to property taxes at its upcoming meeting on Monday, May 17.
  The items were presented on May 3.
  The resolution will allow the district to use attorneys from Franczek P.C. to intervene in proceedings with the State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. Private property owners are allowed to appeal their property evaluations to protect the fruit of their labor, but government agencies are allowed to use tax dollars to hire lawyers who combat against taxpayers.
  The curriculum proposal, with an estimated cost of $175,252, is for new textbooks and resources for Advanced Placement courses, U.S. History and Psychology.
  The district is asking for $918,302 with Sentinel for a wireless access points project. The district expects the nation’s taxpayers to reimburse the project with relief funds related to COVID-19.
  “The district currently has 1,436 wireless access points that are approaching their end of support life,” the proposal states. “This proposal will completely upgrade the wireless network in 2 of our high schools and 4 of our middle schools as well as 13 of our elementary schools.”
  The district plans to used federal grant funds on four proposals: $2.5 million for speech language therapists, $614,960 for occupational therapy services, $231,200 for school psychology services and $200,080 for school social work services.
  Various education fund items are proposed including $371,372 for white and color copier paper, $177,960 for a three-year contract renewal for the Embrace IEP and 504 systems, $110,300 for a three-year contract renewal for mobile device management software for 5,000 AirWatch devices and $85,184 for three years of security awareness training and a simulated phishing platform.
  One operation and maintenance fund proposal, costing $82,200, was presented for a replacement backhoe purchase for the grounds department.