The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Dist. U-46 Board approves variety of agenda items

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved, via 7-0 votes, of various items at its Monday, Oct. 24 meeting.
  Included were boundary changes for Elgin’s Garfield Elementary School as the district prepares to close the school at the end of this school year. Garfield will continue to be maintained by the district as a “transition space,” the proposal states.
  “This recommendation was based on age and condition of the facility, declining enrollment, and available capacity at neighboring schools,” the proposal adds.
  The boundary change uses Bent Road as the boundary line with students north of the road will be going to Channing Elementary School and those south of the road going to Huff Elementary School.
  The board approved changes to its Policy 7:285 which is now renamed from Food Allergy Management Program to Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response, and Management Program. The previous one-page policy will now be four pages.
  Trisha Olson, chief legal officer, said the changes generally relate to updates in state law, and “the changes just build upon what we had previously adopted, both in our internal rules and through (Illinois State Board of Education) rules to meet the requirements of law.”
  The board approved closed session minutes from 12 meetings between April 25 through Sept. 26 of this year as well as destruction of closed session audio from 11 meetings between Nov. 16, 2020 to April 12, 2021.
  Sue Kerr, the board’s president, said “the need for confidentiality still exists as to all or part of closed session minutes.”
  A contract costing $69,251 with Easterseals of Metropolitan Chicago was approved for coaching supports related to autism. The contract will be paid  through federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act grant funds.
  The supports will included 37 sessions (about four to five times a month from October through May) from a specialist coach which will take place at 10 schools in the district. It will also include three professional development sessions up to six hours.
  Itemized bills totaling $13.7 million were also approved.