The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Curriculum, expense items poised for U-46 board vote

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 is set to vote on $18.6 million in curriculum and expenditure items at its upcoming meeting on Monday, Feb. 13. The items were presented on Jan. 23.
  Three curriculum items were presented all from the education fund, the largest cost being $700,399 for a three-year contract for the GALE: In Context For Educators program for secondary schools.
  “Gale In Context: For Educators is a digital content platform that combines student-facing databases with tools for teachers that supports the U-46 language arts curriculum at the secondary level for CCSS (Common Core State Standards) Reading for Information as well as in other content areas,” the proposal states.
  The district is asking for $505,000 for resources and program fees to offer the International Baccalaureate at Elgin High School’s gifted and talented academy.
  Costing $152,635 with Cengage Learning, U-46 is looking to purchase updated textbooks and resources for business courses in the career and technical program including accounting, college accounting, introduction to global business, management and entrepreneurship.
  “Career and Technical Education focuses on continuously improving instruction for students by assessing, analyzing, and updating our textbooks and supplemental materials,” the proposal states. “We provide rigorous instruction by considering multiple options for textbooks and support materials that will engage students and broaden their understanding of the subject.”
  There are several operations and maintenance bids including a $5.1 million bid with Monaco Mechanical for boiler, electrical switchgear and generator replacement at Streamwood High School with the current items having “far exceeded their useful life expectancy,” the proposal states.
  There are four roof replacements proposed at four schools with roofs all at least 26 years old. Included is Elgin High School ($5.4 million, L. Marshall, Inc.), Elgin’s Huff Elementary School ($2.4 million, Preservations Services, Inc.), Elgin’s Lords Park Elementary School ($2.3 million, Elens and Maichin Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc.) and South Elgin’s Fox Meadow Elementary School ($1.3 million, Elens and Maichin).
  Two contracts were proposed to be paid by the nation’s taxpayers through COVID bailout funds. Included is $448,116 with Crisis Prevention Institute for training and materials and $363,420 with Care Solace for “mental health care coordination service with a mission to provide easy access to care regardless of circumstance,” the proposal states.