The Examiner U-46 News FeedExpense items, bills approved by U-46 board By Seth Hancock
The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved a pair of expenditure items costing $261,907 at its meeting on Monday, Oct. 5 which was held virtually due to COVID-19 regulations.
Both items were presented and approved that evening, and both will be paid through the education fund.
Included was $230,580 with Polar Electro, Inc. to purchase 2,093 polar heart rate monitors. The proposal states that “the last two years and students have increasingly chosen to participate in fitness-based courses. This proposal would provide polar heart rate monitors for all students in a fitness-based physical education class,” like walking for wellness and functional fitness at district high schools.
Board member Melissa Owens asked if students keep the monitors. Tracey Jakaitis, coordinator of student wellness, said it is “just like a textbook” in which they get checked out at the beginning of the semester and return it once they are no longer in a fitness-based class.
Jakaitis also said school administrators are “brainstorming plans” to get the monitors to students as schools remain closed.
Also approved was $31,327 to School Specialty to purchase schools supplies, like glue sticks and stickers to alphabet charts, to give to 1,200 preschool students.
“Early Childhood students require hands-on materials in order to engage in learning. Our current context of distance learning has created an inequity in the materials available for our early learners,” the proposal states.
Bruce Phelps, senior business official, said “parents will pick them up” from their child’s school.
The board also unanimously approved $4.8 million in itemized bills.
At its two September meetings, the board approved (7-0 votes) of $1.1 million in expenditure items including $704,311 over six education fund proposals. The remaining included $357,500 split between the education fund and grant funds, paid by the nation’s taxpayers, to One Hope United for in-person extended day childcare and $28,800 in operation and maintenance funds for a pipe insulation project at Elgin High School with Falls Mechanical Insulation, Inc.
The board also unanimously approved of $26.2 million in itemized bills over the two meetings.
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