The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Expenses, policy updates approved by H-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved, via a 7-0 vote, of $116,460 in expenditure items at its Monday, March 13 meeting.
  Included was $90,000, to be paid through federal bailout funds, to send “up to 52 team members,” the proposal states, to Orlando, Florida over the summer for the Instructional Empowerment Building Expertise conference.
  The three-day conference will be June 21 to 23 to “explore the concepts of rigor and equity in learning and education,” the proposal states.
  The conference is through Learning Sciences International (LSI) which the district spent a whopping $18.5 million in 2021 to conduct admitted theoretical work through the 2025-2026 school year.
  The board also approved of a contract renewal with Thought Exchange costing $26,460 (education fund) as part of the district’s “equity” work. The proposal states: “Thought Exchanges are a psychologically safe method of engagement that can identify root causes related to equity and inclusion, allowing our team to take decisive and data-informed actions,” and it “can be used as a leading indicator to identify starts, stops, and continuation of all things that help to create a school district of belongingness and inclusivity.”
  Additionally, the board voted 7-0 for $4.2 million in itemized bills as well as 29 policy updates that Trisha Olson, chief legal officer, said the “vast majority… have very minor or technical changes.”
  The policies include 2:100 (board member conflict of interest), 2:105 (ethics/gift ban), 2:210 (board organization), 2:265 (Title IX sexual harassment grievance procedure), 3:12 (Title I state and federal program administration), 4:140 (waiver of student fees), 4:165 (awareness/prevention of child sexual abuse/grooming behaviors), 5:220 (substitute teachers), 5:250 (leaves of absence), 5:280 (duties and qualifications), 5:320 (evaluation), 5:330 (sick days/vacation/holidays/leaves), 6:15 (school accountability), 6:20 (school calendar), 6:50 (school wellness), 6:60 (curriculum content), 6:65 (student social/emotional development), 6:250 (community resource persons and volunteers), 6:255 (assemblies and ceremonies), 6:310 (high school credit for non-district experiences), 6:340 (student testing and assessment), 7:50 (school admissions and transfers to/from non-district schools), 7:70 (attendance and truancy), 7:100 (health/eye/dental examinations, immunizations, exclusion of students), 7:180 (prevention of and response to bullying), 7:250 (student support services), 7:285 (anaphylaxis prevention, response, and management program), 7:290 (suicide/depression awareness and prevention) and 7:340 (student records).