Batavia Illinois – The 5th Ward

Consent Agenda: Support Contract Renewals & HVAC Agreement

The Board must authorize routine but high-value operational and instructional contracts to ensure the district is prepared for the upcoming school year. The Chief Academic Officer and the Assistant Director of Facilities submitted requests for specialized student service contracts and district-wide climate control agreements.

• The district is renewing the “Everyway” software suite—which combines Read and Write with Unique Learning Systems—to support special education needs at a cost of $31,220.86.
• An external personnel contract is requested for a transition coordinator managing 70+ outplaced students, billed at $53 per hour for an estimated total of $53,000.
• The Board is reviewing 1:1 nursing support contracts for students via Team Select or Brightstar, not to exceed an estimated $100,000.
• Bilingual, 504, and early childhood evaluations will be contracted through the Center for Special Education Services, capped at $30,000.
• A renewal agreement with Trane U.S. Inc. for the Building Automation System will cost $48,912, which represents a 9.56% decrease from the previous year’s contract.
• This system allows the facilities team to monitor, back up, and repair district-wide HVAC and select lighting systems.

Reports: 2026 Summer Project Construction Update

The administration is updating the Board on the widespread summer construction executing the “Warm, Safe and Dry Initiative”. With buildings empty, crews are completing massive overhauls ranging from foundational utility trenching to complete roof replacements across the district’s elementary campuses. The overarching district-wide initiative includes new HVAC installations, classroom and office reconfigurations, new windows and doors, tuckpointing, roofing, security entrance sequence updates, and new fire detection systems.

• Alice Gustafson Elementary School: The interior is receiving a massive cosmetic and operational overhaul. Old, failing tile is being demolished and replaced with modern, wood-grain luxury vinyl tile (LVT) surfaces across the main hallways, the multi-purpose room, and the gymnasium. Concurrently, the building is undergoing a comprehensive deep cleaning and seasonal preparation program through a Custodial Operations Partnership with GSF.
• H.C. Storm Elementary School: Construction here is heavily focused on foundational site improvements and infrastructure. Heavy machinery is currently on-site executing deep trenching to install new underground utility lines. The grounds are also undergoing major earthwork, excavation, and grading to facilitate a reconfiguration of the parking lot and entrances, which is designed to significantly improve community traffic flow.
• J.B. Nelson Elementary School: Similar to the projects at Alice Gustafson, J.B. Nelson is seeing extensive interior flooring demolitions. Failing tile floors are being systematically removed, subfloors are being prepped, and new LVT wood-grain surfaces are being installed throughout the hallways, the multi-purpose room, and the gymnasium.
• Louise White Elementary School: Work at Louise White is heavily focused on the exterior envelope and climate control systems. Crews are executing a complete roof tear-off and replacement alongside the installation of massive new rooftop HVAC units. Additionally, masons are performing extensive brick tuckpointing around the exterior to secure the building’s facade.

Action Item: Public Hearings on the 2027 Budget Adoption and Proposed Fund Transfers

The Deputy Superintendent of Operations and Finance is facilitating mandatory public hearings regarding the upcoming fiscal year’s finances and a major reallocation of operational money to fund facility improvements. While no action will be taken until August 18, 2026, this provides the community a transparent look at the tentative 2027 budget and the strategic shifting of reserves.

• The tentative 2027 budget projects $109.1 million in direct revenues against $115.1 million in direct expenditures.
• The budget accounts for $25.3 million in State on-behalf revenues and expenditures, alongside $12.2 million allocated directly to Capital Projects Fund expenditures.
• The district currently estimates its ending fund balances to sit at $50.9 million.
• The budget is officially classified as balanced under state reporting requirements, meaning no deficit reduction plan is legally required.
• A massive fund transfer of $11,655,855 is proposed to be moved into the Capital Projects Fund to pay for planned facility upgrades.
• This transfer draws $7,000,000 from the Educational Fund and $4,655,855 from the Operations and Maintenance Fund.

Action Item: Approval of Social Media Guidelines

The Director of Communications is proposing a rigid new framework for district social media to mitigate the risk of perceived political or religious endorsements and prevent polarizing public discourse. This policy shift aims to maintain viewpoint neutrality by strictly limiting posts to educational milestones and permanently disabling comment sections.

• Recent posts recognizing specific holidays, observances, or groups have generated polarizing engagement, creating legal and moderation challenges regarding First Amendment protections.
• The new framework strictly limits posts to 11 federal holidays, educational appreciation days, district and school celebrations, operational updates, and Board Strategic Plan Initiatives.
• The framework explicitly includes state curricular mandates mandated by the Illinois School Code, such as Asian American, Black, Native American, and Women in History.
• The district will no longer post content that recognizes religious holidays, highlights political movements, or takes a position on political, religious, or social issues.
• The administration formally recommends keeping all comment sections disabled, citing that social media is no longer an essential customer service channel and alternative official feedback avenues (email, Board meetings, surveys) are readily available.

Action Item: Board Policy (First Reading)

District Administrators are presenting a first reading of multiple policy revisions to keep the district compliant with changing Illinois statutes and best practices. These updates cover a broad spectrum of administrative procedures, employee conduct rules, and student welfare protocols.

• Administrative updates are proposed for policies governing School Board Meeting Procedures, Access to District Public Records, and the Uniform Grievance Procedure to reflect current legal requirements.
• The policy on “Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors” is being updated to align with the Policy Reference Education Subscription Service (PRESS).
• The “Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace; E-Cigarette, Tobacco and Cannabis Prohibition” policy is being explicitly amended to add provisions for on-call employees.
• Student-focused policies are being refined for clarity and legal cross-referencing, including Health/Eye/Dental Examinations, Teen Dating Violence Prevention, Bus Conduct, and Misconduct by Students with Disabilities.

Action Item: Authorization for the Sale of End-of-Life Batavia High School Percussion Equipment

The Director of Finance is seeking authorization to liquidate aging musical equipment that was replaced earlier in the year. Declaring these instruments as surplus allows the district to legally sell them on consignment and recover funds for future instructional purchases.

• In April 2026, the Board approved the purchase of new keyboard percussion instruments, rendering the existing 15-year-old equipment surplus to instructional needs.
• The surplus property includes three Yamaha 4.3-Octave Marimbas and three Yamaha 3-Octave Vibraphones housed at Batavia High School.
• The instruments will be sold on consignment through Rocco Z Music, an arrangement where the district receives 75% of the final selling price.
• The estimated gross value of the sale is $21,000, which is anticipated to yield roughly $15,750 in net proceeds for the district.

Action Item: Approval of Northwestern Illinois Association Board Vote

The Superintendent is asking the Board to fulfill its regional obligations by casting a required vote for the Northwestern Illinois Association executive board. This cooperative provides vital, specialized special education services to the district, and member boards must vote in its leadership elections every even-numbered year.

• The Northwestern Illinois Association (NIA) provides the district with external support for physical therapy, vision, hearing, and other related special education services.
• Regional bylaws dictate that member Boards of Education must cast a vote for the NIA’s Director of Special Education and Member-at-Large.
• The current ballot features two candidates running unopposed for these executive positions.
• The Superintendent formally recommends that the Board cast its vote to support the representatives listed on the ballot.

Documents: https://bps-101.community.diligentoneplatform.com/document/14189/?lastModified=639199119927330000

Author: Jim Fahrenbach