The Examiner U-46 News Feed
Series of March expenses approved by Dist. U-46
By Seth Hancock
The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved just under $10 million in expenditure items over three straight meetings in March.
On March 5 the board approved a $205,000 expenditure (from the education fund) with RVK, Inc., a $1.2 million item (education fund) with Peak Electric, Inc., a $280,282 proposal (Title I funds from the nation’s taxpayers) with Dell Marketing LP and CDW-G, a $34,676 item (food and nutrition fund) with Chef’s Depot and Douglas Equipment and a $4 million expenditure (capital project fund) with Happ Builders, Inc.
The RVK proposal is for a “retirement investment advisor” to help the district in its effort on “consolidating its 403(b) and 457 defined contribution retirement plans service providers from over 30 to one/two providers” according to the proposal. Two bidders came in with lower bids of $137,500 and $156,000 which board members Melissa Owens and Jeanette Ward inquired about which the administration said they lacked experience with educational organizations and didn’t fit with what the district was trying to do.
The proposal with Peak Electric “will complete the installation of wireless access points and necessary wiring in 19 elementary schools” to complete “the implementation of a phased project to provide wireless access points to support all schools” according to the proposal.
The proposal with Dell and CDW-G will go towards the purchase of 543 Chromebooks, 150 student laptops and 24 Bretford 36-unit carts.
Chef’s Depot and Douglas Equipment will provide three milk coolers, two single door mobile warmers, a boilerless steamer, a two door pass-through warmer, an electric counter top steamer and a double deck electric oven for various schools. In response to a question from board member Sue Kerr the life expectancy of the equipment is between 10 and 15 years according to Claudie Phillips, director of food and nutrition services.
Happ Builders will “provide all the necessary unique mechanical, plumbing, electrical, refrigeration, storage and Health Code requirements” for a new commissary according to the proposal.
On March 12 the board approved a one-year contract renewal with Workforce Software costing $44,730 (education fund), a one-year contract renewal with Baragar Systems costing $30,000 (education fund), a $2 million proposal (capital projects and life safety funds) with Mechanical Concepts of Illinois, Inc. and a $203,704 proposal (education fund) with Sentinel Technologies, Inc.
The Workforce Software deals with payroll and Baragar Systems software “is utilized for staffing, enrollment projections, mapping boundaries and planning for the location of programs” according to the proposal. Mechanical Concepts will provide work on air handlers in the gym and auditorium at Streamwood High School “to address obsolete existing equipment and systems” according to the proposal, and Sentinel Technologies will help “maximize uptime for our schools” by providing uninterruptible power supply across the district according to that proposal.
On March 19 the board approved a one-year contract renewal with HERO Software costing $64,225 (education fund) and a $1.8 million proposal (capital projects and life safety funds) with F.E. Moran, Inc.
HERO software tracks “student timeliness in class every day” and “reinforces positive behaviors and allows students and parents to track progress” according to the proposal. Terri Lozier, assistant superintendent said the district has “seen a dramatic reduction” in the number of tardy students at the middle school level with the software in response to a question by Kerr.
F.E. Moran will provide work on the second phase providing HVAC replacements at Canton Middle School in Streamwood.
Also unanimously approved were $3.8 million in itemized bills on March 5 and $7.1 million in itemized bills on March 19. The board also approved six more human resources resolutions authorizing the honorable dismissal effecting 76 classified staff and 32 teachers, those votes coming on March 12.
In March the board also voted, unanimously, to direct staff to create a budget which could be the last year such a resolution comes before the board as a board policy update could remove that requirement. U-46 CEO Tony Sanders said legally the board did not need to direct him to prepare a budget and Ward said “of course they’re going to prepare a budget” which is why they are considering removing that from the board’s policy.
Related to the budget, Kerr asked what the district expects from the state in revenue for the upcoming budget. Jeff King, deputy superintendent of operations, said: “Ask me at the end of May. I can probably get a little closer to that answer, hopefully.”
The board also unanimously approved in March a joint agreement with 50 to 80 school districts in the state to “jointly bid food and beverages which will reduce the labor hours for each district to construct their own bids and seek approval at the state level which is very time consuming.” Kerr asked if the district has pursued such an agreement before which King said “informally yes, not formally.”
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