The Examiner U-46 News Feed
Myriad of U-46 expenses approved via board votes
By Seth Hancock
The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved $23.6 million in expenditure proposals over three March board meetings.
The board voted 7-0 on expenditures items at its March 7 meeting, most from the operations and maintenance fund.
Those included $979,777 for a paving project at Elgin’s Kimball Middle School, $912,400 for gym floor refinishing and bleacher replacement at Streamwood High School, $819,770 for parking lot resurfacing at Elgin’s Otter Creek Elementary School, $628,777 for parking lot reconstruction at the plant operations building, $577,000 for a partial roof replacement at Elgin’s Larkin High School, a $65,000 contract with former U-46 administrator Sheila Downs for plant operations consulting and $54,770 for playground asphalt replacement at Bartlett’s Centennial Elementary School.
From the nation’s taxpayers through federal funds the district will spend $1 million for elementary school supply kits, $217,005 to get teachers’ bilingual certification from Roosevelt University, $88,314 for a Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) lathe purchase, $50,918 for safety mirrors and $32,319 for Boardmaker software licenses.
The district will spend $2.3 million, from the education fund, for a fiber build to convert the public internet network to private. U-46 “will be reimbursed by E-rate at 80 [percent] for a 5-year total of $1,873,440.00 with the total cost to the school district of $468,360.00,” the proposal states.
The board voted 5-0 on items at its March 14 meeting, John Devereux and Veronica Noland absent.
The items were primarily from the education fund including $91,800 for renewal of Tableau software used to “produce various reports and visualizations,” the proposal states. Also was $59,772 for an office and classroom move during fire alarm and asbestos removal at Streamwood’s Tefft Middle School, $57,717 to renew Advancement Via Individual Determination and $39,361 for frontline absence and substitution management software.
From federal funds is $3.9 million for 2022 summer programming, through various park districts and other organization like the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, and $377,599 for a purchase of kindergarten furniture.
For elementary furniture fixtures and equipment, the district will spend $4.2 million split between education funds ($2.2 million) and federal funds ($1.9 million).
The board voted 4-0 for items on March 21 with Devereux, Noland and Kate Thommes absent.
Included was $3.1 million from federal funds to replace 8,500 Chromebooks.
Operations and maintenance items: Tefft project (asbestos abatement, ceiling tile, piping insulation, lighting replacement) at $2.8 million, tennis court reconstruction and replacement at Larkin ($547,777) and Elgin High School ($517,777) and elevator inspections ($35,660).
Education fund items: Scorer tables at Bartlett, Elgin and Streamwood high schools costing $45,300 and a contract renewal for multimedia communications consultancy costing $40,000.
The board also unanimously approved of $14.5 million in itemized bills over the month.