The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Two expense proposals supported by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 voted 6-0, board member Veronica Noland was absent, to approve $383,669 in expenditures over two proposals at its meeting on Monday, Jan. 22.
  The items were presented and approved the same evening.
  Included was $270,214, to be paid by the nation’s taxpayers through grant funds, with American Institutes for Research (AIR) to conduct needs assessments at schools identified as needing support.
  The proposal stated that “seven schools were newly identified for comprehensive support by the Illinois accountability system,” and the “newly identified schools receive grant allocations to conduct a needs assessment performed by” AIR.
  “The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has negotiated with AIR to provide contracted services for all newly identified comprehensive schools in the state,” the proposal states. “ISBE has mandated that the schools conduct the needs assessment through AIR using the provided grant funds.”
  The proposal added: “The needs assessment will provide schools and districts with data on and information about their strengths and areas for improvement. The collected data is intended to support schools in making strategic decisions during the school improvement planning process. Activities in the needs assessments include schoolwide instructional observations, online staff surveys, principal and staff interviews, focus groups, and presentation of the findings. The needs assessment will help guide the work for the schools to improve over the next three years and improve their designation.”
  Also approved was a $113,455 (education fund) contract with Group Travel Planners to send up to 90 high school students on a trip to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
  The trip will take place from March 25 to March 30, and “U-46 will cover the cost of breakfast and dinner for students attending the HBCU tour,” the proposal stated.
  The district began this tour in 2021-2022 for 42 students from three high schools (Elgin, Larkin, Streamwood) and has since expanded its availability to students at all high schools.