The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Series of expense items approved by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved $9.8 million in spending items, including a curriculum piece, as well as $9.1 million in itemized bills at its meeting on Monday, May 17.
  The vote was 6-0, board member Veronica Noland was absent.
  Included was $4.3 million in new items presented and approved that same evening, all of which were operations and maintenance fund projects except for $75,000 (education fund) with the Village of Hoffman Estates to use the NOW Arena for graduation.
  The board approved $3.8 million with Trane Commercial HVAC for replacement of water-cooled chillers, air-cooled chillers, univents and building automation system conversions at various sites and $120,000 to the Village of Streamwood for the district’s portion of a storm sewer improvement project at Oakhill Elementary School.
  Four proposals with Northwest Drapery were approved for auditorium curtain replacement at four high schools: Elgin’s Larkin ($45,376), South Elgin ($40,914), Elgin ($40,183) and Bartlett ($33,290).
  Four items with Warehouse Direct were approved including $26,886 for a ceiling tile replacement and lighting upgrade at Streamwood’s Sunnydale Elementary School as well as countertop replacements at three elementary schools: South Elgin’s Fox Meadow ($43,814), Bartlett’s Nature Ridge ($34,340) and Bartlett’s Hawk Hollow ($25,815).
  The remaining items were presented at the previous meeting including four proposals to be paid for by the nation’s taxpayers through federal grants: $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.
  Each of those proposals state that “the district cannot locate district hires” for the positions.
  Also from the nation’s taxpayers, $918,302 will be spent on a wireless access point project through COVID-19 bailout funds.
  Approved education fund items were $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.
  The curriculum proposal, estimated to cost $175,252, is for new textbooks and resources for Advanced Placement courses, U.S. History and Psychology.
  An operation and maintenance fund approved item will cost $82,200 for a replacement backhoe purchase for the grounds department.