The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Renovations, travel costs slated for U-46 approval

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 is set to vote on $5 million in expenditures for Streamwood High School renovations and to send 45 staff members to Orlando, Florida this summer at its upcoming meeting on Monday, April 11.
  The items were presented on March 21.
  Included is $4.9 million, from the operations and maintenance fund if approved, with Northwest Contractors, Inc. for the first phase of renovations at Streamwood for the educational pathways program which will include early childhood, healthcare science, business incubator and science labs.
  Renovations will be made at all five high schools with one a year being renovated. Streamwood will be the second school to receive the Phase 1 renovations.
  “This initiative will continue until each high school has been adapted for the specific Educational Pathway that it will house,” the proposal states.
  Regarding the Florida trip, $75,000 is being asked for 45 people to attend the Building Expertise Annual Conference from June 22 to June 24 through the Learning Sciences International (LSI). The funds would be paid for by the nation’s taxpayers through federal bailout funds.
  A year ago, the board approved a whopping $18.5 million with LSI for openly theoretical work through the 2025-2026 school year. Some teachers have already been required to attend LSI professional development and have publicly stated they learned nothing new.
  Suzanne Johnson, deputy superintendent of instruction, said the district receives 33 seats at the conference and it is purchasing 12 more seats, $630 each. The remaining $67,440 is for travel and lodging expenses for all 45 which equates to just under $1,500 each.
  “The Building Expertise Conference is a three-day conference created to bring together teams of educators to research and explore the concepts of rigor and equity in learning and education,” the proposal states. “Along with experts and colleagues, educators will research and learn about strategies to enhance the continuous improvement cycle in alignment with the school instructional maturity model, with both general and specific strategies for U-46 schools and the school system. Sessions will also support personal reflection and growth.”