U-46 Board Meeting - Nov 17, 2025

001[music] If everyone could finish their conversations and take a seat, please install call the schoolboard meeting to order. Okay. All right. So then just call to order. Roll call. >> Okay. Roll call, please. Miss Kurt >> here. >> Miss Khan >> here. Miss Martin here, Miss Nolan >> here, >> Miss Schwarz >> here, >> Miss Thomas >> here, >> President Owens. >> Right. Um I'd like um to request everyone stand as they are able for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. All right. Um, our first, um, with Dr. Johnson, accent on achievement. Thank you, uh, Vice President Thomas. Our first accent on Achievement,

002uh, is for American Education Week. Um, we actually have two, so we'll do these together, but then we'll we'll try to navigate the order that we're going to make presentations uh this evening. So, in recognition of American Education Week, November 17th through the 21st, 2025, a proclamation of appreciation is presented to the Elgen Teachers Association, ETA. ETA President Scott Sternal is in attendance to accept the proclamation of appreciation. Uh, so Scott, if you w to come forward and then board member Kerr is gonna read the proclamation. Okay, this is a proclamation of appreciation for American education week. Whereas the teachers who work in public education make a difference every day in the lives of students who come from all backgrounds, abilities and incomes. And whereas the contribution of these dedicated individuals are recognized as part

003of American education week November 17th through 2020 through the 21st 2025. And whereas school district U46 teachers are trusted, respected professionals who prepare our students for success in life and who help build school communities where all stu students feel they belong. And whereas school district U46 employees employs more than 2,300 teachers. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Education recognizes its teachers as part of American Education Week, November 17 through 21st, 2025, and asks administrators, students, parents, and the community to join in recognizing and thanking these individuals for their dedication, efforts, and service on behalf of children and youth. Presented this 7th day of November, 2025. signed by board president Melissa Owens and super superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. Appreciate the recognition. Um and I just want

004to say I value the relationships and the collaboration we've done together. We got a lot of work still to do for all of our students, all of our teachers, but I think we're on the right path to doing that work. So, thank you again for the recognition. >> [laughter] >> All right. Continuing then in recognition of National Education Support Professionals Day, November 19th, 2025, annually following on the Wednesday of American Education Week, a proclamation of appreciation will also be presented uh to the following representatives. So, I'm gonna I'm going to um read the organization and the name and if you would then come forward and then at that point, Miss uh board member Martin will read the the proclamation for everyone as well. Uh so to begin for our service employees international union SEIU we

005have Diane Ginski our food service lead [applause] >> it's a ma it's it's a little bit of a maze now >> um representing district U46 transportation Union. Heather Weiss [applause] representing District U46 Secretarial Association. Nancy Rodriguez [applause] representing our education support service organization. Beth Lucarelli [applause] And now now here's our big question because I see lot it's Sarah. Okay, perfect. Thank you Sarah. I was like I don't see the person who I had but I see lots of du. So representing our district U46 educational assistants Sarah Mohler. [applause] I thought I read that. I was like, there they are. Okay, >> we were making sure we had everyone. >> Okay, board member Martin. Okay, so I'm going to read our proclamation and then each of you will get one of them. So proclamation of appreciation

006education support professionals day whereas education support professionals include secretaries, paraprofessionals, food service workers, operations staff, custodians, bus drivers and assistants serve students on a daily basis and many capacities that contribute to the quality of education. And whereas the contributions of these talented and dedicated individuals are recognized as part of Education Support Professionals Day, November 19th, 2025. And whereas School District U46 employs more than 2,818 support staff. And whereas School District U46 support staff members work to serve our children and communities with care and professionalism. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the board of education recognizes its talented education support staff in honor of Education Support Professionals Day and asks administrators, students, parents, and the community to join in in recognizing and thanking these individuals for their dedication, efforts, and service on behalf of children and

007youth. Presented this 17th day of November, 2025. Signed by the board of education president Melissa Owens and our superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson. [applause] >> All right. Thank you so much on behalf of region 63, all of the ESP locals. Um, we truly appreciate being recognized. Thank you. [applause] >> Thank you. Uh, from SEIU, uh, Chief Stewart here, um, food service, thank you also and let's have a good year. [applause] >> [applause] >> Um, okay. Next up is strategic plan report. Dr. Johnson. >> Thank you, Vice President Thomas. Our first uh this evening is a facility planning update. Brian Lindholm, chief of staff, and Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent of operations, will present to the board of education an update on facility planning. >> Good evening and thank you for another opportunity to provide the board

008of education with an update on our facilities work. As soon as we get up the right presentation, Tonight's presentation covers several projects and really demonstrates the amount of work currently underway to update our facilities across the district. To start, we will provide the monthly updates on our projects currently under construction. Starting with our middle schools, we'll start with Kimell. On Monday, November 3rd, the Elgen Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the development application that would allow departures from the standard zoning ordinance for our new monument sign and outdoor refugees collection enclosure. The monument sign would replace the current one along MLAN Boulevard and would be larger than what is allowed under city ordinance for a street with 35 to 40 miles per hour speed limit. However, the new sign will match the monument signs that were

009recently approved for Legacy Middle School and Hilltop Elementary. The sign would include an electronic message center as well as the required landscaping surrounding the sign, and the masonary base will match the building. The new refuge collection area will be an open air enclosure surrounded by 8 foot masonary walls and gates located on the eastern side of the building and will replace the current one which is located in the area where the new outdoor courtyard is being constructed. It will be located adjacent to the new cafeteria and kitchen where most of the waste is generated. The variance we are requesting is to allow the collector area to face what is considered a streety yard to the east of the property facing Melrose Avenue. The planning and zoning commission was very supportive of our plans and they

010passed the recommendation on to the city council and we expect the matter to be in front of the full city council on Wednesday, December 3rd. Now, here we have some some updated pictures from just last week. And so, we'll start with the picture on the left. It is a stairwell addition that will significantly improve the circulation throughout the building. And as you can see, the glass enclosures are being installed, which will bring in natural light and create a strong visual connection between the learning spaces. This vertical circulation core not only improves accessibility and student flow, but also gives Kimell a refreshed contemporary identity on that side of the building. The middle images show progress in the interior classroom spaces. At the top, we're looking at a new art classroom with plenty of room for storage.

011You can see the natural light from the glass block windows and the extensive built-in storage that will support the materials and student projects. The upgraded casework and durable finishes are designed for long-term use while maintaining a bright, modern environment that supports creativity and hands-on learning. The image in the middle bottom shows one of the renovated science rooms. Again, new casework, counter space, and shelving providing flexibility for both lab and group activities. The improved ventilation and updated electrical and data infrastructure will allow these rooms to accommodate a wider range of STEM instruction and technology integration. And then last, but certainly not least, is the image on the right. It shows a newly constructed stairwell in the current building um that was recently completed and released for use. The stairwell is located just across the hall from

012the pri prior administrative office and will eventually lead to the coron lead to a corridor connecting to the addition. I know the students and staff at Kimell are very happy about this access in this bright new space. So the last part that we will show you at Kimble is a recent drone video that captures the full scope of the work that is underway. You will see how the new addition integrates with the existing structure, the masonary work that's underway, and the scale of the overall site improvements. This footage provides a great overview of how the interior transformations we just saw connect to the larger building modernization effort. So with that, Brian [music] >> [music] >> Thank you, Brian. Now, we will touch on Kenyan Woods Middle School. As you can see from this aerial image,

013the addition is taking shape very nicely and work continues with largely zero disruption to instruction or operations at the school. We sincerely appreciate the planning and careful attention to detail shown by our architectural and construction management teams. And as the weather is starting to turn colder, progress on the addition interior is actually heating up. Completion of the building envelope paired with the activation of our permanent heating systems allows for crews to continue steady progress with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work, classroom ceiling grid, and restroom wall tile, all in a warm and dry working environment. Final exterior building elements like the rooftop mechanical screens and entrance canopy details will be completed before Thanksgiving. Painting of corridors and classrooms is ongoing and will continue in the coming weeks. The permanent heating will allow for flooring flooring and

014casework installations to begin in December and continue into the new year. So overall for this project, it remains on schedule, if not a little ahead of schedule, and we are confident that the addition will be ready to welcome students next August. With that, I'm going to turn it over to Brian to talk about Legacy Middle School and the remaining projects that we have for you today. >> Thank you, Dr. Williams. So, construction at Legacy Middle School uh continues to make great progress and [snorts] uh doesn't it feel good to now actually have a name for the school also? Uh so as we mentioned the the teams here have uh generally taken advantage of the favorable weather and have made up ground for a slightly delayed start as we work to obtain the necessary permits from

015the city of Elgen. Uh we're now very confident heading into the winter months uh that we're in good shape to keep this project on schedule. Recent milestones include the installation of the storm trap and the completion of the building foundation. As you can see from the image shown here, the current work includes structural steel and decking for the three-story classroom wing as well as loadbearing masonry walls. We're also working to complete the back fill of the storm trap uh so that a parking lot can be laid over the top before the asphalt plants closed for the winter. Uh so to give you a perspective for the massive amount of work that's happening on this site every day, our construction team here uh also captured a recent drone video that we'll play for you. >> [music]

016>> This is the three-story classroom wing. This will be the gymnasium. >> [music] >> This is the cafettorium. [music] [music] >> [music] >> And there's where they're filling over the uh storm trap where the parking lot will go. Okay. Um, so our next update is for Century Oaks Elementary in Elgen, which is the last uh most recent project that has uh kicked off. So, as a reminder, Century Oaks was built nearly 50 years ago in the 1970s uh under an open concept design uh with a media center in the middle surrounded by connected classrooms. Uh in most cases, students need to walk through a classroom to get to another, which presents safety, security, and learning challenges. In addition, the infrastructure systems in these buildings were not constructed to meet the learning and technology needs of

017students today. So, for these reasons, Century Oaks was one of the buildings that the Unite U46 recommendations in late 2022 prioritized updating or replacing as part of our facilities master plan. So on November 3rd at the the last meeting, the board of education approved the construction bids that were recommended to complete the work to do significant renovations and an addition to Century Oaks. Last week, we received a site permit from the city of Elgen allowing us to start the work. And with this approval, our construction teams have already started some of the preliminary site work uh required before the winter weather hits. So recently we met with the staff at Century Oaks to make sure they knew what to expect in the coming days and for the rest of this school year as construction will

018uh start occurring on their site. So the first image here shows the impact to the southern part of the property including where the current building sits. Last week, we saw start of work on the site, including the excavation for the temporary parking lot, which is marked in the hashed yellow at the bottom left of the screen. Uh, and we anticipate that this will be paved uh even later this week. So, this was really the first uh major piece of work. It's an important first step to provide alternate parking area for staff prior to losing access to the uh to their second parking lot to the north, which will be consumed as part of the construction site. On the Monday after Thanksgiving break, uh December 1st, the bus drop off and parent pickup will move to

019the southern lot as is marked by the uh yellow um rectangles and then also the uh the small blue um dashed lines uh in that uh in that main parking lot. uh parent drop off uh will occur along the outer curb and then the buses will park along the inner curb um so that they'll be able to do curbside drop off for students. Principal Cheryl Frederickson has started communicating these upcoming changes to her families and we're working to create bilingual signage right now to help uh direct traffic on the site. We're also planning to have additional staff um out to help support um in the immediate days. And then the next diagram shows the impact to the northern half of the property which is where uh much of the activity will happen this school year.

020The red outline indicates where the construction fencing is being placed. Uh the purple area shows where the new addition will be located. The hatched orange area shows where the geothermal wells will be drilled. And then the teal area shows where the new underground storm water detention uh area will be dug. You can also see where the new staff parking and bus dropoff area will eventually be located to the far north off of Century Oaks Drive. This work is all scheduled to be completed prior to school starting next August. Uh in the top right corner in darker blue you can see where we plan to place a large mobile classroom complex with si six six classrooms and student restrooms. The students will have access to the existing building through the addition. Uh and please know that

021a majority of the construction area to the north will be recaptured as green space when the work is completed and that new trees will be planted to help replace those that will need to come down as part of the construction effort. We have scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony on December 2nd and we'll be sharing more details this week. And we realize this will be a complex project, managing construction while keeping students and staff on site. But we're confident that we've developed a phasing plan that will keep um uh will minimize disruptions to instruction and keep our students and safe students and staff safe. We're also working to keep the enrollment down at Century Oaks next year by not hosting preK or other specialized student services programs to minimize the number of classrooms that will be needed.

022So, our final update this evening is not a project that's funded from Unite U46 uh or our referendum bonds, but we an important one to highlight nonetheless. As we previously shared, we are working to build a new athletic complex at Larkin High School. Plan calls for a turf field with surrounding track, seating for over 2,000 spectators, an adjacent building with locker room, concessions and restrooms, an outdoor picnic area, as well as updated lighting, sound system, and scoreboard. So, a few recent milestones on the project include uh on November 7th, we held a mandatory pre-bid construction meeting and over 40 contractors showed up uh which shows a high level of interest and excitement for the project. We're working now to schedule a groundbreaking for late January, early February, and then construction to start shortly after, um,

023which we're estimating would be midFebruary, um, with work completed then, uh, to start next school year. So, as we shared, Larkin High School has long been the only U46 high school without a stadium. So, we're so excited to bring this well welldeserved opportunity to our students and the Larkin High School community. I've got a short video here to show you on this one as well. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey. kind of fires you up, right? Like ready for some Friday night football here. So, uh that concludes our update for this month. Uh next month, we'll come back and we'll talk about some of the projects that were not covered this evening, including Glenbrook, Illinois Park, uh and the new elementary school in Elgen. Uh but we would be prepared for any

024questions at this time. >> Thank you very much for the presentation. Appreciate it. Does anyone have any questions, comments? Sue, >> just on on on slide 12, Century Oaks, do I assume we've worked out a plan so the kids of the mobile get around all the construction that might be going on at that time? >> Yes, I'm trying to >> We absolutely have a plan for that. Yes, >> I figured I figured we did. Yeah, that's 12. >> Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. So, uh what I what I should have explained more here is ne all of this work is happening between now and the start of school next year. So, all of this would be completed by next August and then that allows the team to then move in and do the renovation to the

025existing space. >> Okay. So, yeah. So, this is a construction area until August and then when kids come back um this basically will be um recaptured as as green space. the new addition will be ready and so those kids in the mobile will have you know they'll be surrounded by by grass and then u with direct access to the building through the addition. >> Okay, great. Thank you for clarifying that. Thank you. Anything else, Don? >> Uh thank you for the update. With this many construction projects going on, the updates are greatly appreciated. Kimble, how are we looking on the Kimble schedule? that is um one of our more complex renovation projects and I know it has been a little more intrusive on our school. So I'm I'm hoping we have good updates on how

026the schedule is coming along for that facility. >> We are we are tracking that schedule very closely, but we anticipate opening on time and being ready. We do believe that the heaviest lift is behind us um with that first when did we start? Spring spring break >> through um last summer. We believe that that was the tightest crunch. Um, but we are we are actively watching and we we don't anticipate any issues being ready. >> They're looking at being fully enclosed. It was like January, I think. >> Yeah. >> Oh, being under roof. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I I think the only thing I would add is the way the phasing works. There will have to be a lot of work being done in that building next

027summer because there was a lot of work that we had to wait um to do until after staff and students leave. they'll be coming back in. We will need every bit of the the longer summer next year to finish this one. >> Whereas some of the other projects um you know, we're not having to work around active instruction to the same extent. >> But the good news is we um anticipate that Kenyon Woods will be done um earlier in the summer so that all of our focus can um move towards Kimble. But we are looking at that every week. I ask, are we on tar? Are we on time? Are we on time? So yeah, >> perfect. Thank you. We're watching it very closely. >> Thank you. Anything else? >> Okay. Thank you very much.

028>> Thank you. >> Um, now I guess there's a Gallup employee engagement survey results. >> Absolutely. Uh, we have a second strategic plan report and that uh is also [clears throat] going to be presented by Brian Lindholm, chief of staff, who will present the Gallup employee engagement survey results to the board of education. >> Okay. So, good evening. Uh thank you for the opportunity to share the high level results from our annual U46 voice employee engagement survey that we administer with our partners from Gallup. This is our fourth year using this survey instrument. Um and it came after the board of education asked superintendent Sanders uh to develop a more comprehensive way to measure employee engagement as it was one of the pillars in our previous strategic plan. So this past summer, uh, our executive

029cabinet team spent some some good time with Gallup exploring the connections and the overlap between our strategic plan, our new strategic plan I should say, and the questions that are asked in our annual employee engagement survey. There is strong correlation between particularly goal two, safety, sense of belonging, and inclusion and many of the questions. But there are also connections to some of our other goals including uh goals one and three around early uh academic and social emotional foundations and academic growth and mastery. So we treat these survey results as very important indicators of how engaged our staff feels to the mission and vision of U46. And we have data that shows that engaged leaders lead to engaged teams and that engaged teachers produce better student outcomes. So this is meaningful data that we take very

030seriously. This first slide includes a few top level results to highlight from our latest result or from our latest survey. First on the left hand side, the overall response rate this year was 55% which is the highest that we've seen at U46. And it was an even more impressive jump from last year's 44% because we invited more staff to complete the survey. So the net result is that we heard from almost a thousand more staff members than we did last year. The mean comparison on the top right is the composite score across all of the questions in our survey. The Gallup team has reminded us that any change larger than 0.1 is statistically significant. So, we should feel good about our composite score being up by 0.14 this year. And then the bottom two dials

031show where our composite score places us among other K12 districts and other global clients using Gallup survey. As you can see, we are now appro approximately at the midpoint on each of these measures, which is a huge jump from where we started three years ago. One of the highle metrics that Gallup's engagement in Gallup's engagement reports following the survey is to assign each respondent as either engaged, not engaged, or actively disengaged based on how they responded to all of the questions in the survey. Engaged employees are highly involved, committed to the organization's success, and generally willing to go above and beyond. Not-engaged employees are usually less committed and attached to their work or their organization. They're sometimes even only willing to do what's required to keep their job and stay out of trouble. Then, actively

032disengaged people are not only unhappy, but they're even resentful because they feel their needs aren't being met. So with that context on how employees are categorized, the engagement ratio is an interesting way to interpret our results. This year our ratio of engaged to actively disengaged was 3.7 to1 which is up significantly from last year and previous years. In fact in 2022 when we gave the survey for the first time our ratio was 1 one which was very eye opening to all of us. This next slide I know includes a lot of numbers uh on the chart. These are the uh result the responses to each of the 12 questions. Um and the main takeaway is that our scores were higher this year than last year on each of the questions included in their standard Q12

033survey instrument. In fact, 10 of the 12 that are shown in bold in the mean change column are up by a statistically significant amount of 0.1 or more from last year. And then a similar story here on the four additional questions that they consider the Q12 plus uh that we've added um to the survey this year and last year. Again, they were all up by uh by at least 0.1. So in terms of next steps, the Gallup team will be here this week um actually tomorrow meeting with uh with executive cabinet and with the executive directors uh to review our results in in more detail. Tonight was was sort of a preview um for the board of education in terms of what we will see um as we review the the data. They have consistently

034reminded us it's important to be very open and receptive to these results and not to get reactive or defensive to be intentional about asking questions and really listening to the feedback that we're receiving from our staff members. Uh it's also important to continue building trust and credibility in this process by demonstrating to our staff that we are taking tangible steps to address the feedback that we're receiving on how we can improve overall engagement levels. So that will be our work starting this week as we dive deeper into the latest results uh that we're previewing for for you here this evening. And that concludes the presentation. Are there any questions at this time? >> Yeah, thank you. Thank you very much. Questions? Anyone? Sue? Um, so a lot of what's going what happens happens at the

035school level and I imagine we're seeing a great variation between schools with responses on this. How is Gallup going out to any of the schools that may be having more difficulties or are they training our executive directors to to help work with the schools? >> Yeah. Uh, it would be the latter. Yeah. So, so they um this year they actually are developing uh scorecards for each of our leaders including our school principles um sort of assess their results and to identify uh items that based on what they see those leaders should be um uh sort of focusing on in their in their state of the of the team conversations. They're also going to be spending time with the executive directors such um to kind of coach them on when they meet with their school leaders,

036these are the types of questions they should be asking uh based on the results that they're seeing for each school. >> Okay. Thank you. And one more quick question on slide three. Even though we've gone up in our response rate, we're still below the average for K12 or and in general, do they have any suggestions on how we can increase our response rate? >> Yeah, we have a lot of suggestions. We've tried a lot of things as well. I I think um I think some of the challenge are our large number of staff members who don't really use their U46 email very often. So, we've tried to get very creative about posters with QR codes and making it very easy to take from your mobile device >> um where all you all you would need

037is is just your uh sort of staff ID to access the the survey um versus a unique private link that's sent to email that that we know people sometimes may not be getting. Um, so I think I think that's part of it. I also do still think there's there's some um trust and credibility issues that we need to work through some of our employees where I've had discussions with lots of people who they want reassurance that no one is actually seeing their individual responses. And as I try to explain to them, well, that's why we're working with Gallup is because it is completely anonymous and confidential. Nobody in U46 has access to any of the individual data. I I still think it it's it's uh something that we're working through at least with some of

038our staff. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody over here? Don. >> So, kind of following up on Miss Kerr's question as far as um you know, we talked about breaking it out by looking at different schools. Do we also do we get enough results that we can look at different departments within our schools like you know whether it's pair professionals or specialized student services? Are we able to see the satisfaction within the different types of departments? >> Uh you hit on it all depends on the number of employees that fall in that particular group because if it's less than five, they're not going to provide those those results to that small of a team because they feel like at that point then it would >> not be as anonymous or confidential. Um but yeah,

039as long as there's a significant sample size, we can sort of cut the data lots of different ways. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you, Shauna. Thank you for the presentation. Um for slide six, you had mentioned that you saw an in we saw an increase in each of the areas. Um do you have an idea of what caused that increase? So I know we're not exactly where we need to be, but an increase is good. And you know, is there any idea of how um why those areas increased over the last year or the last few years? And is that something that we can keep repeating? I I think there's kind of a number of things I could maybe give you one example. Um when we gave this survey last year, uh question number two, which

040is like I have the materials I need to um >> do my job or something. I can't remember the exact wording, but at that point, we were having a lot of issues getting materials delivered from our distribution center at the start of the school year. And there were a lot of schools that were starting when they were still waiting on curriculum. They were waiting on on instructional materials. And we've done a lot of things to to try to really address that. Um, I think Dr. Johnson's done a great job of um, in some of her weekly messages tying some of the resources that we've added, some of the process changes that we've implemented to address things that we directly heard from the survey. So, I'd say like that would be one great example. I think

041things like I think the Johnson on the job um series that we do I I think that shows that that people um see that that we want to really understand uh what they do on a daily basis and what we could do to help make their job easier and make them more successful in their in their jobs. So I think even things like that I think are having an impact. >> Thank you. Great. Anyone else? >> Okay. Um thank you very much. Um and then we're moving on to the public hearing for the tax levy. All right. Um okay. So the hearing is open by simple declaration of the board president. I hereby declare the meeting um the hearing open and then we do public comments. Do I have to read this? Okay. As required

042by the Truth and Taxation Act, a public hearing must be held by the public body when the proposed levy exceeds 105% of the previous year's actual extension. As required by the act, notice the public hearing was published in local newspapers in each of the three counties of our district. While the proposed levy does not exceed 105%, a hearing is being held in the interest of transparency. Dr. Anne Williams, Dr. Dr. Kyle Vonnezzy, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, and Robin Cornelius, Executive Director of Financial Services will review the proposed proposed tax levies and will be available for questions. >> Right. Well, good evening. Uh, Dr. Johnson, board members, and also our community of U46. So tonight we will review the district's financial outlook, our compliance obligations under Illinois law, and how this levy supports the larger Unite

043U46 vision. Every school district in Illinois is required to adopt a levy each year. It is how we request our share of local property taxes to fund instruction and operations. for U46. It's not about raising new dollars for taxes, but it's about providing quality instruction, providing reliable transportation to and from school, and ensuring classrooms are staffed and that buildings are safe. So, in short, the levy is how we protect the district stability and ensure students continue to get a high quality education each and every day. So this slide represents our formal calendar required by PEL and truth in taxation statutes. The hearing tonight satisfies the public notice requirements and maintaining this timeline ensures compliance and prevents any interruptions of revenue flow to the district. The 2025 tax levy occurs against a backdrop of fiscal instability.

044The federal shutdown shutdown delayed reimbursements and heightened local funding importance. Inflation has cooled compared to years prior, but costs remain elevated for utilities, transportation, and insurance. Cook County's delays did add some concerns to cash flow timing. These realities reinforce the district's prudent decisions to maintain a steady, legally compliant levy. So, what's the difference between a levy and an extension? A tax levy is a district's request for revenue from taxpayers. To calculate it, we use an estimated assessed equalized assessed value or EAV. And the tax extension is the actual revenue the district will receive. So using the levy and the pel formula along with new property, the county clerks calculate the final amount of property tax revenue. It's important to note that the district will not receive more revenue than it requested and will not receive

045more revenue than the pel allows. So this chart compares the tax levy and the amount requested by board. So to the tax exemption which is the amount the county clerk authorizes for collection. Please note that this does not include bond and interest funds. So the blue bars represent the levy is what we asked for and the yellow bar shows the extension of what we would actually receive. Both have steadily increased due to higher CPI growth of EAV and also new property. So the small gap between the levy and the extension in recent years reflects the application of PTEL limits. Overall the trends show consistent alignment between what the district requests and what the district is allowed to collect. So please allow me to turn this presentation over to Robin Cornelen, our director of financial services.

046>> Thank you Dr. Kyle. [clears throat] Each levy season includes both fixed and fluid elements. The consumer price index and the prior year extension are known. However, the EAV and the exemptions remain uncertain until counties finalize the assessments in the springtime. The district therefore levies slightly higher to ensure full capture under PEL. Without this approach, the district risks losing allowable revenue permanently due to the timing differences among the three counties. This snapshot summarizes state statutes that govern our levy process. Together, they protect taxpayers, guarantee transparency, and verify that the district levies only what it's legally entitled to receive. These statutes form the backbone of our financial integrity and public accountability. The Miller ratio was established by the 1969 Supreme Court case of Central Illinois Public Service Company versus Miller, which helps to ensure that the

047district's available funds in the particular fund are not too high compared to its average annual expenditures. The ratio is calculated based on our total cash reserves, our balances based at the end of the fiscal year divided by the average annual expenditures for the past three fiscal years. As you can see in the um the illustration, the district has met the statutory limit. And for the 20 uh the FY26 budget, the operations m maintenance budget has an estimated fund balance reduction of 24.6 6 million to lower the ratio in future years. With the legal framework in place, let's look at our local property changes that affect our levy base. A tiff or tax increment financing district is an area a city does designates to encourage redevelopment. When the TIFF is created, the property value inside that

048boundary is frozen and any growth in value, which is called the increment, goes to the city for projects within that district. During that time, school districts and other taxing bodies only receive taxes on the frozen base value. When the tiff expires or when the specific parcels are released, the new property value is added back to the regular tax base as new property in the levy process calculation for U46. That means it's an increase in EAV, which helps strengthen our overall levy without changing our tax rate. This chart shows the current TIFF districts that impact U46 and their total values by county. Each bar represents the value of property when the TIFF was created shown in blue and the increase or the increment in value shown in yellow. The increments shown in yellow are current values

049provided by the municipality. TIFF districts divert the growth in property tax revenue to support redevelopment projects within those boundaries, which means that the school district does not receive the full tax benefit from that growth until the T tiff expires. Overall, these tiffs represent areos areas of economic development within our district boundaries, but also temporarily restrict a portion of revenue that would otherwise support school operations and the ability to capture new property value in the until the tiff concludes. TIFF expirations and local property growth tied directly to how the evidence-based funding formula measures equit. Evidence-based funding recognizes that districts below 100% adequacy rely more heavily on local revenue. U46 currently operates at 76% of adequacy, meaning property tax property taxes provide critical support. The levy provides and protects our core services while the state continues its

050path towards full funding. Linking levy decisions to equity helps the public understand how each dollar sustains student opportunity. This chart shows the estimated revenue composition for FY26. It breaks down the sources of district funding into local, state, and federal contributions. Local revenue being 54% which is primarily funded by property taxes. State revenue being 42% primarily driven by evidence-based funding and categorical reimbursements. And federal funds representing 4% of our total revenue. This chart shows the CPI trend over the past decade. CPI reflects the rate of inflation and directly affects the allowable increase under PEL. Our new revenue is limited to the CPI of 2.9% plus new construction. Overall, this trend highlights the volatility districts have faced in recent years and reinforces the importance of maintaining steady levy practices to preserve financial stability amid changing economic conditions.

051This slide shows the district's total tax extensions for the past five years. The trend consistently mirrors CPI growth and new property additions, confirming that U46 remains compliant with PEL limitations. Showing this history provides transparency for taxpayers and reinforces our long-term fiscal stability. The gradual show slope also highlights that our debt service levy has remained steady despite significant facility investments. This chart shows how the district's total EAV has changed over the past decade. EAV represents onethird of the property's market value and serves as the base used to calculate local property tax revenue. This upward trend is positive for the district as it expands the local tax base and supports the ability to maintain programs and services while minimizing the impact on individual taxpayer taxpayers. This slide illustrates how the 2025 tax levy based on the highest

052allowable tax extension rate of 4.99%. So, this is based on the highest allowable they will provide at 4.99. How that could impact an average homeowner in Cook, Kain, and DuPage counties using a $250,000 fair market value home as an example. In addition, please note the estimated change shown here represents only the U46 portion of the overall property tax bill. Homeowners also pay taxes to several other local taxing bodies such as municipalities, park districts, and townships. A few important details. Cook County assesses homes at 10% while Kain and DuPage assess at 33.3%. There's also exemption exemptions such as homestead exemptions. Cook County provides a $10,000 exemption where Kain and Dupage are at 8,000. Overall, the estimated change in the U46 portion of the tax bill ranges from about 155 to 205 depending on the county. These

053are only estimates and will vary by home based on actual assessed value, exemptions, and market conditions. The key takeaway is that even under the full 4.99% levy, the homeowner impact remains relatively modest while supporting stable funding for district operations. I will now turn it over to Dr. Williams to discuss how the levy impacts our long-term planning. Thank you, Robin. The annual levy funds our strategic plan goals dayto-day. Teachers, aids, transportation, mental health supports, classroom materials, and the like. This is how fiscal stewardship directly impacts our strategic plan in classrooms across the district. On this slide, we summarize the final trunch of referendum bonds that will be issued early in early 2026 as well as the 2026 working cash bonds. It shows again that we will be able to issue these bonds without impacting the existing

054debt service rate and that these bonds will continue to support our strategic plan primarily through goal two which relates to safe and modern learning environments. On this slide, we go into additional detail as it relates to the 2026 working cash bonds to be issued. These bonds will fund modernization and safety projects, including secure entrances at multiple sites, science labs, and updated learning spaces. Our competitive double A+ bond rating um will allow us to issue these bonds through a competitive sale, which will cost a little bit less um than prior bond issues have cost since our bond rating has improved. Um and again, no tax increase as a result of the issuance of these bonds. As we look ahead, we have the capacity to issue possibly another 44 million in bonds in 2028, again without raising

055the tax rate. And this forward planning lets us space construction efficiently and maintain steady investments in our school facilities without impacting taxpayer dollars. That brings both pieces together, our operations and our capital plans working hand inand within the tax rate we already possess. This slide shows how our operating and capital plans fit together. Again, the levy funds our day-to-day operations and the bond issuances fund our facility facility improvements. So together they ensure that we are stable today and we are providing modernization for tomorrow. And ultimately the levy isn't just about numbers. It's about students. And this year stability allows us to maintain our reasonable class sizes to reintroduce elementary specials and to staff the middle school transition that we are all looking forward to. The same levy dollars also fund transportation, technology, and safety infrastructure

056that directly affect directly impact daily learning. Framing the levy around student outcomes helps the public connect fiscal decisions to educational results. And so with that, with that frame in mind, I'm going to turn it back to Robin so she can go over the details of this year's tax levy. >> Thank you. [clears throat] Thank you, Dr. Williams. This chart illustrates how the district's total EAV is distributed among the three counties that make up U46. Kain County at 39%, Cook at 37, and DUP page at 24%. The balance across counties highlights the complexity of U46's tax base and the importance of maintaining consistent communication with all three county assessors and clerks throughout the levy and extension process. The 2025 estimated tax levy has been prepared according to the Illinois School Code PEL and Public Act 94-0976.

057These laws govern how much a school district can request and receive each year. Because the board must adopt the levy in December, months before counties release final property values next spring, the district must estimate slightly higher than what we will ultimately receive. This ensures we capture every dollar we're legally entitled to once final assessments are certified. Counties automatically reduce our levy to match Ptel limits. So U46 never collects more than the the law allows. Now, let's look at the actual 2025 estimate and how these numbers break down by fund. This table shows the full 2025 levy by fund. The education fund at about 259 million accounts for nearly 2thirds of the total levy and directly supports classroom instruction and teacher programs. The remainder covers essential operations such as maintenance, transportation, special ed, and legally required

058funds like IMRF, Social Security, and TOR. The total levy for all funds is 402.6 million with 370.1 million in cap funds subject to PEL limits and 32.5 million in debt service that remain flat. Even though we are requesting a 4.99% increase, the district will receive no more than 2.9% more revenue than existing taxpayers plus the value of new construction projected at 58 million. So here's what the numbers mean in real terms. Although the district requests a 4.99% increase, state law caps what we can actually receive at the CPI limit of 2.9% plus the value of new construction added to the tax role. With roughly 58 million in new property value expected, the levy request is 402.6 million with the projected 2025 extension to be about 365.4 4 million. With this year's estimate finalized, we can

059now look ahead at what could influence next year's levy. The district is pleased with the recent resolution of both the federal shutdown and the Cook County tax rate information. As we look ahead in the coming months, the administration will continue to monitor the factors that influence our budget and tax levy process to ensure continual financial stability and sustainability. Decisions made at the state and federal level continue to impact school districts throughout Illinois and we remain attentive to any changes that may affect our financial planning. Every level cycle carries risks. Economic conditions can shift quickly. Cook County tax collections can strain cash flow and new statutory requirements can intro uh introduce additional obligations. We address these through scenario planning and rigorous internal controls. Each assumption is carefully stress test so that the board and the public

060can have confidence in the district's financial stability. As we conclude, I want to highlight four key points. First, this levy is fully compliant, meeting every state requirement from PTEL and truth and taxation to the Miller ratio test that keeps our cash reserves within accept an acceptable range. Second, it reflects responsible stewardship. Operations remain stable, our debt service rate remains flat, and we continue to protect the district's strong double A+ bond rating. Third, the levy is strategic and student centered, directly funding the goals in our new strategic plan and advancing UU46's commitment to safe and modern facilities. Finally, with several tiffs expiring in the coming years and new construction expanding the tax base, we're well positioned for sustainable growth through 2028 and beyond. Together, these factors show that U46's financial health is sound, our planning is

061forward-looking, and our focus remains squarely on students and community trust. That concludes the formal overview. I'll close with a brief note on our commitment to transparency and then open up with questions. This slide summarizes the district's 2025 tax levy request and the expected outcome under state tax cap limitations. The district plans to request a 4.99% increase in the total levy to capture allowable revenue growth under PEL. However, after applying the CPI limit of 2.9% [music] and excluding new property, the actual increase the district expects to receive is approximately $12.8 million or about 3.65%. It's important to note that the counties adjust or reduce the requested levy amount to ensure it remains within legal limits. This means the district will receive less than what is requested but still capture the maximum amount permitted under law. This

062process helps maintain revenue stability to support district operations while staying in compliance with state tax regulations. Accountability is ongoing through the processes we maintain. Our financial record records are audited annually and the results are made available to the community. Every decision from our levy to long-term bond issuances are guided by our com our commitment to equity, transparency, and responsible stewardship of financial and public funds. By openly sharing information and clearly communicating our financial decisions, we reinforce the trust that families, taxpayers, and our community place in the district. This concludes the 2025 tax levy presentation and we welcome any questions you might have. >> Thank you very much for the presentation. Um, any questions, Sue? So, I know you answered a lot of my questions at the at the finance committee meeting. One other question that

063comes to mind is when you were doing the estimate of what how the impact would be on each taxpayer, you were using the levy, but looking at slide 28, um the bond and interest looks like it's going to be $4 million less the coming year than it was last year. So that would off perhaps reduce the increase. Actually, I will um I will address that and u Robin can correct me if I'm wrong, but the levy amounts that are here are what's actually owed today. But we're issuing bonds and those bonds will be applied to bring that back up to the level that we were actually >> 36 billion. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you. >> That's great. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Don, >> this is so on slide four, the levy timeline,

064it says 2024 at the top and 2025. Should that be we are doing the work in 25 with the tax rates being released in the spring of 26 because it's a year in the rears because I feel like the years at the top of this timeline are incorrect possibly. >> So yes, it's a typo. It should be 25. 2025 should be in over the green bars. 2026 should be over the gray bar. >> Can we get that corrected when we post it just so no community confusion? >> Absolutely. Thank you for that. >> Um any other questions? >> Okay. And then I would also just want to remind the public that we did have a finance committee meeting today at six o'clock um where they went a little more in depth in this presentation and

065we had a few more questions. So, it should be available for people to watch within the next couple days, the same as this meeting. Um, if people have additional questions. >> Absolutely. There is um one question that did come up at the finance meeting though that I would like to address if possible. Um when we go to the slide that shows the um estimated value for homeowners um you may recall that we are requesting 4.99% to account for the factors that we don't know in this process. One of which being Cook County which tends to that data tends to come um after DuPage and Kain County. So we're requesting 4.9% 4.99% that is what the estimates are. So that means that this will not this estimate is high. This will not be what will actually

066go to taxpayers because that will be reduced likely to the 3.65% that we expect to get. So these estimates are high but we wanted to provide some sample of what that could potentially look like. Again, it will take into consideration each individual property's value. If you've had your bathrooms updated in your house, there may be an additional assessment associated with that. If you've added a basement or finished your basement or added an addition, your property value will vary based on those factors. So, we can't guarantee what the increase is. This is a very high estimate of what you might see. Any questions about that piece? >> Thank you. >> Any questions to follow up? Okay. Excellent. Thank you. Um and then now it looks like we have um comments from the public specifically though on

067the tax levy >> and we we have no comments from the public. >> No comments. Great. All right. So then um we will close the public hearing by a simple decoration. So I hereby [snorts] declare it closed. >> Thank you. Okay. And then now we have comments from the audience in a broader sense. Thank you, Vice President Thomas. and there are no comments from the audience in the broader sense this evening. >> Okay, thank you. Okay, other business um board member and superintendent update. Anybody over there? Anybody over here? Okay. Well, I just have one comment that I want to make. I was very privileged a couple weeks ago um to be able to go to Dundee High School for the ILMEA, which is the Illinois Music Music Educators Association. They had their whole day

068where they invited [clears throat] a significant amount of students from all five high schools in the district. There was a choir concert, there was a band concert, and there was an orchestra concert. And it was very impressive to look around and see all of our um students from all of our high schools represented with some amazing music. So, once again, U46 does an excellent job on that fine arts. Anything else, Dr. Johnson? I do not have anything else this evening. Okay. All right. Next up is uh foyer requests. Uh this evening we have nine Freedom of Information Act requests available on the public domain of Boardocks that will also be moved to the U46 website later this week. Questions? Okay. Um next up then is the finance committee meeting overview. Is that am I reading

069that right? which I guess we just did, right? Via the tax levy presentation. >> Well, there's another opportunity. So, we can welcome uh Dr. Anne Williams and Dr. Kyle Vonneesy, deputy superintendent of operations and Robin Cornell, executive director of financial services uh to discuss with the board of education the finance committee meeting held prior to the regularly scheduled board meeting this evening. >> Thank you. Go ahead. >> Thank you. Um, if it is the pleasure of the board, I can highlight the main ponent main components of the tax levy as well as the brief discussion that we had regarding the bond issuance. >> Yep, that sounds great. >> Okay, great. Um, the majority of the finance committee meeting discussed the 2025 tax levy with an anticipated increase of 2.9% aligned with the consumer price index.

070Um the district will request more than they anticipate receiving um as we have done for years to ensure we account for the unknown factors within that process. Um we discussed all of the compliance pieces as well as provided homeowner estimates. Um, in addition to that, the committee discussed the 2026 bond issuance and the UniteU46 capital plan with plans to hold a public hearing at at the December 15th meeting with bond issuance issuances occurring in January and February. Uh, those were the highlights of the meeting. >> Excellent. Any questions, comments, concerns? Okay, >> thank you. >> Okay, next up is consent agenda. Dr. Johnson. >> Uh, thank you, Vice President Thomas. This evening on consent agenda, we have personal report, personnel report, and workers compensation cases. Minutes of board meeting September 8th, 2025. Resolution for the

071disposal of surplus personal property books. Proposal information services analog replacement. Proposal plan operations Kimell Middle School unit ventilator purchase. Proposal plan operations districtwide access control migration to Genitech Security Center. Bid plan operations data center dry fire suppression system HVAC and generator project number 335-25. Bid plant operations snow removal services rebid regions one and three. Contract plan operations joint purchase agreement for Rocksalt contract office of schools graduation ceremonies at the now arena contract specialized student services occupational therapy services change order plant operations Bartlett Elgen Larkin South Elgen and Streamwood High School's back stop replacement project number 2072-25 change order plant operations Ronald D O'Neal Elementary School parking lot paving project number 140625. Change order plant operations Larkin High School roof replacement project number 274-25. Building permit one. Educational services center data center fire suppression project number

072335-25. Um are there any items in the consent agenda members would like to remove? Don. Um item J, contract, office of schools graduation ceremonies at the Mount Arena. >> Okay. Do we have to vote to remove it? >> Yes, please. >> Okay. Um so does that count as making a motion? Do I need to >> Great. Do I need a second then? A second. >> Did I do that right? >> Do we need a second? >> No, no, no. Just removed. >> It's just removed. >> Oh, okay. So, roll call, please. So the the uh the motion is to have the consent agenda for items A through O accepting item J. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes.

073>> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Motion passes. Okay. And then a motion for item J. >> Um, can I have a motion for item J? >> So moved. >> Second. Uh, discussion, right? >> Okay. Any discussion? Don. >> So, I'm going to start by saying I am voting yes on the contract. However, I just wanted to address it briefly and like items similar to this contract that may come forward in the future. So, this contract, I'm trying to pull up the exact information, um, addresses graduation for the 2627 school year, which we know is starting late. So, obviously, graduation needs to be later than normal. And then we are also doing um graduation for the 2728 school year after Memorial Day. And from what I

074can tell between a board inquiry I had done previously and a memo we had received it kind of looks like we are looking to move school year calendar again. Meaning like we're starting late for may or may not move back to where it was previously. I'm fine with that discussion. I'm fine talking about that. My concern with contracts like this is that we're voting on a graduation date for 20 2028 when we haven't discussed and voted on a school calendar for you that year and what the [clears throat] moving of the calendar is going to look like for that year and moving forward. We know that changing the school years is always a big deal in the community. So, I'm going to approve this, but I just I needed to go on record saying that

075approving dates for calendars that we haven't discussed yet is a frustration for me, and I find that very concerning. >> Thank you. Does anyone else have any questions? >> Question. >> Okay. Um All right. So, then roll call. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right. So, um, next then we're at discussion action. Dr. Johnson. >> Our first item this evening, itemized bills for November 17th, 2025. Robin Cornell, executive director of financial services, will respond to questions from the board of education regarding the attached bills. Administration recommends the board of education approve the list of bills in the amount of 36,66,972.93. Um, any questions? Thank you very much.

076Motion. >> Oh, motion. We have to vote. I'm so sorry. We have to vote. May I have a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Miss Kirk, >> yes. >> Miss K. >> Yes. >> Miss Martin? Yes, >> Miss Nolan. >> Yes, >> Miss Schwarz. >> Yes, >> Miss Thomas. >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> Sorry, I don't do this every time. [laughter] >> Okay. [snorts] Um, and so then next, uh, Dr. Johnson. Our next item is a resolution declaring the intention to issue $32 million in working cash fund bonds of school district number 46, Kain, Cook, and DuPage counties, Illinois for the purpose of increasing the district's working cash fund and directing that notice of such intention be published in the manner provided by law. Dr. Anne Williams and

077Dr. Kyle Vonnezzy, deputy superintendent of operations, um will be available to respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends the board of education adopt the resolution declaring the intention to issue $32 million working cash fund bonds of school district number 46 Kain Cook and DuPage counties, Illinois for the purpose of increasing the district's working cash fund at directing that notice of such intention to be published in the manner provided by law. >> Thank you. Um do you have something that you'd like to say before we offer time for questions? Um, I'd just like to say that this is approval of this resolution tonight is the first important step in the process and um, if the board does approve that approve of this resolution, public notice will be issued on Wednesday. >> Thank you.

078Um, so I ask a motion. >> Okay. May I have a motion to approve such resolution? >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Any discussion? >> Oh, any discussion? >> Any discussion? Sorry. Discussion. >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kurt, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay. All right. Next. Next is the order calling a public hearing concerning the intent of the board of education of school district number 46, Cane Cookook, and Dupage Counties, Illinois, to sell $32 million working cash fund bonds. Dr. Anne Williams and Dr. Kyle Vanchesy uh remain to present or to be available to respond to questions from the board of education. Administration

079recommends the board of education adopt the order calling a public hearing concerning the intent of the board of education of school district number 46 Kain Cook and Dwage counties Illinois to sell $32 million working cash fund bonds. Thank you. Anything you'd like to say? >> Um yes. This order calls for a public hearing on December 15th at 700 pm. Um at that time no bonds will be sold and no action will be taken. This step is strictly part of our required transparency in the bond issuance process. Thank you. Um then ask for a motion. >> Um can I have a motion approving this resolution? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes.

080>> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. Motion carried. Thank you. Okay. Um, moving on to other business, Dr. Johnson. >> Our first item is the September financial report. Robin Cornellison, executive director of financial services, will review the attached financial reports and respond to questions from the board of education. >> Well, hello. [clears throat] Good evening members of the board and board of education and Dr. Johnson. I will be presenting key highlights from the September 2025 monthly financials. Please note that these statements are unawudited. We are concluding that and that will be coming shortly, meaning that they reflect our internal accounting records as of September 30th prior to our audit adjustments in relation to both revenue and expenditures. This is standard for this time of year as the annual external audit process is

081now concluding. Please note that the financials now include the FY26 adopted budget. The September highlights include September ended ended with a surplus of 55.2 million attribut attributable to the property tax payments received by Kaine and DuPage County. While the yearto-date actuals through September did reflect a $19.6 6 million deficit. The unudited fund balance now stands at 856 million with a 331day cash on hand balance. The district can operate for approximately 11 months without additional revenue exceeding common benchmarks for financial stability. The combined cash and investments total $886.2 million, further reinforcing liquidity. As of the last business day in September, the state of Illinois owed the district just over $3.4 million for various state grants. September revenues totaled approximately $129.7 million, bringing our year-to-ate revenue, excluding financial re uh financing sources, to 178.9 million. This represents

082$18.01% of our annual non- financing revenue budget. The year-over-year comparison reflects a difference of 64.1 million in local revenue, which includes the property tax revenue delay from Cook County and 8.7 million in federal funding due to ESSER funding that we had in FY25, but we do not have in this year. Cook County has issued the property tax bills and all property tax payments are anticipated to be received prior to the end of December. Revenues received in July and August for June services will be acred and reallocated to FY25 during the annual audit process. September expenditures totaled approximately 74.5 million bringing the year-to-ate spending to 198.5 million or 20.61% of our budget. Paid expenditures again in July and August will be acred back and allocated to FY25. When compared to the prior September year-to- date total

083actuals, the variance of 68.4 million is largely contributed to the Unite U46 capital expenditures. Some key points to identify are the capital outlay uh expenditures related to building construction and facility improvements for Unite U46 and our district capital uh capital projects. Since these activities primarily take place during the summer months, the actual expenditures tend to run higher than the budget during this time. Purchase services include technical services included in our Unite U46 projects. For construction for construction projects, that typically encompasses architectural and engineering fees. In fund 60, you will see um that the expenditure should be classified as capital outlay so that they can pro properly reported as a part of the capital asset for depreciation purposes. Accordingly, in September, tech services were reclassified to total capital outlay, which resulted in a negative object total

084as displayed as shown on page number one. Electricity supply costs have increased 1.2 million over September of 2024. Salaries and benefits represent our largest expenditure category totaling one 101.1 million which is 17.9 of our budgeted amount and capital outlay for construction projects through September total 29.6 6 million for liquidity. As of September 30th, the district held cash and money market balances for 453.7 million, 432.5 million in investments, and 886.2 in total liquid assets. In conclusion, the September 2025 financials reflect a district that remains on solid financial footing despite timing related challenges such as Cook County property tax delay. With property tax bills now issued and payments anticipated by the end of December, revenue stability is expected to normalize. Year-to- date revenues and expenditures continue to align with the asc with expectations for this point in

085the fiscal year. And while capital spending is elevated due to ongoing United U46 projects, these investments are consistent with planned construction. Overall, these indicators demonstrate that U46 is well positioned to meet our financial commitments. I appreciate your time this evening and welcome any questions you might have. >> Thank you. Questions? >> Okay. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Our next item is the secondary schools financial report for the first quarter. Uh Robin Cornell will again review the attached secondary schools quarterly financial report and respond to questions from the board of education. So this report analyzes activity within middle and high school activities from July through September. These funds support extracurricular activities such as clubs, organizations, and athletics serving educational, recreational, and cult cultural processes or purposes. The beginning of the academic year and fall sports

086seasons generate significant activity within these funds. Middle schools experience an overall increase of 48,000 in total fund balances. Revenue generation was primarily driven by athletic fees while expenditures were largely attributed to orchestra and student activi or student council events. High school activity funds saw a $376,000 increase during this period. Revenue was generated through parking permits and athletic activities while expenditures were primarily related to athletics and homecoming events. The combined beginning balance for these funds was 2.9 million with the quarterly net change of 424,000 for an ending balance of 3.3 million. Please note that student activity funds will transition to monthly versus quarterly reporting starting with the October monthly financial statements presented in December. All funds will be reported including a statement of receipts, dispersements, and current balances summarized by schools along with the highlights. >>

087Thank you. Any questions, Sue? >> So, not so much a question on this report, but we have two middle schools that will be closing at the end of this year. What happens to their funds? >> So, all student activities, we're just talking about that as well. So, we will be meeting with those schools. So even for our elementary schools as well is we will make sure that we allocate those. We'll work with our staff to find out how those students are allocated out to those other students, >> take those funds and allocate those out appropriately to the schools in which they they will serve. >> Okay. So those funds will follow those students. >> Great. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you very much. Um, okay. Next we have work sessions. Um, tax levy.

088>> Thank you, Vice President Thomas. Uh, Dr. Anne Williams and Dr. Kyle Von Schneesy, deputy superintendent of operations and Robin Cornellison, executive director of financial services will review the estimate of the 2025 tax levy and respond to questions from the board of education. The proposed 2025 tax levy will be recommended the board of recommended to the board of education for adoption during the regular board meeting on Monday, December 15, 2025. The tax levy must be filed with county clerks by the last Tuesday in December. The township assessors determine property values. The county clerks set the tax rates associated with property values. In order for the district to receive the maximum tax extensions, levy amounts must be estimated higher to account for the unknown factors in the process. Since the equalized assessed valuation, EAV, of property

089and new construction numbers are unknown at the time the levy is submitted, it is a common practice to establish a defensive levy. Regardless of the amount levied, the county clerks will reduce levies as needed to ensure all taxing bodies comply with the property tax extension limitation law. For tax year 2025, the district is entitled to an increase of 2.9% over the previous year for existing property. >> Thank you. Anything you wanted to add? Um the only thing I'd like to add is that the estimated levy presented to the board of education last month last last month was unchanged. That is the same levy that was presented um this evening as required by law. The levy was um estimated at least 20 days or well above 20 days before um the recommendation to adopt which will

090come next month. >> Great. Thank you. Any questions? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, next we have the truth and taxation. >> Yes. So, our team uh continues to uh be at the ready to review the truth and taxation certificate and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends adoption of the truth and taxation certificate. >> Thank you. Anything to add? >> No. Okay. Um, great. And then next we have the certificate of tax levy. >> Yes. Once again, our team is here to present the certificate of tax levy and respond to questions from the board of education. The attached certificate is the final draft of the levy amounts that will be filed with the county clerks. The certificate must be filed by the last Tuesday in December. Administration recommends the

091board of education adopt the certificate of tax levy. >> Thank you. Anything to add? >> No, ma'am. >> Okay. Excellent. And then the last one, resolution. Yes, our team again still here to review the resolution authorizing the adoption of the certificate of tax levy and respond to questions from the board of education. The certificate of tax levy and the resolution authorizing the adoption of the certificate of tax levy are being presented and adoption will be requested on December 15, 2025. Administration recommends adoption of the proposed levy resolution. >> Thank you. Anything to add? >> No, ma'am. >> Okay. Any questions from the board, comments, concerns? Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um and that moves us on to work session, bids and proposals. >> Uh thank you, Vice President Thomas. Our first item

092is bid operations, Unite U46 Century Oaks Elementary School Electrical. Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent of operations, and Brian Lindholm, chief of staff, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible bidder, Associated Electrical Contractors Incorporated in the total amount of $3,543,000 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 through 2026 2027 fiscal years. >> Thank you. Anything to add? >> No, ma'am. >> Okay. Questions? Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Our next is a bid operationsite U46 Glenber Elementary School electrical. Again, our team is here to present the attached proposal summary and we'll respond to questions from the

093board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible bidder, Associated Electrical Contractors Incorporated, in the total amount of $2,753,300 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025, 2026 through 2026, 2027 fiscal years. >> Thank you. Anything to add? questions. Okay, next one. Next is a bid operations Unite U46 Illinois Park Elementary School. Our team again is here to uh present [snorts] the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends awards the lowest responsible biders regarding the bid packages listed below in the total amount of 12,399,35627 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. I'm going to read each bid package into rec record. Uh,

094bid package one, landscaping, Twin Oaks Landscaping Incorporated, $583,000. Bid package two, excavation and site work, Kellenburgger Incorporated, $1,31,000. Bid package three, building concrete, concrete by Wagner Incorporated, $230,183. Bid package four, masonry, MPZ masonry and construction, $746,900. Bid package five, steel, Mckin steel and sales incorporated WBBM joint venture DBA Metal M or did I I screwed that up? Let me go back. Bid package five, steel, Mckin Steel and Sales Incorporated, $577,79. Bid package six, roofing, WBBM Joint Venture, DBA Metalmaster Roofmaster, $358,282. Bid package 7, General Trades, RB Construction Incorporated, 1,440,000. Bid package 8, glass and glazing IG Commercial Incorporated, $176,900. Bid package nine, painting, Costco construction incorporated, $67,325. Bid package 10, Flooring and Ceramic Tile, Pinnacle Flooring Company Incorporated, $138,900. Bid package 11, Kitchen uh equipment Stafford Smith Incorporated $195,5327 cents. Bid package 12 fire protection

095CL Ducet Incorporated $199,200. Bid package 13 plumbing Hartwig Mechanical LLC $281,380. Bid package 14 HVAC FE Moran Incorporated 2,992,995. Bid package 15 electrical Peters Electric and Technology Incorporated 2,998,680. Bid package 16, Asphalt Paving Chadwick Contracting Company, $382,000. This expenditure will be charged the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 through 2026, sorry, this cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 through 2026 2027 fiscal years. >> Thank you. anything to add? >> Yes, ma'am. Um, an invitation to bid was released on September 24th and we received 90 bids across those 16 packages which reflects strong markets participation and support of the district. Um, our construction management partners at ICI conducted post post bid scope reviews to confirm the contractor's understanding, compliance and schedule alignment. As a result

096of that, six biders withdrew from the process. And for the purposes of the meeting minutes, we need to state those names. That is Midwest Masonery, Northern Glass and Glazing, MS Sebastian Painting, Trrimark Marlin LLC, Decal Mechanical, and Sentinel Technologies. They were all withdrawn um due to documented scope omissions. be happy to address any other questions that you have regarding >> okay >> this item. >> Any questions done >> about that specifically or the whole proposal? >> The whole proposal. >> So our budget was 10 million. >> Yes ma'am. >> We are at 12 million. Um I I read the why. Totally understand the why. So our um overall budget for our work is approximately 380 million when we're looking at U46. Um, are we thinking that we can claw this 2 million back um, via

097savings just through all the other work we have ongoing? Do we anticipate we'll have to make changes to other items? We do not anticipate that we'll have to make changes. We did come in under budget on some projects and over on others. So, I am um in the process of reconciling all of that. Now, in addition, our assistant superintendent of operations will be assisting with some of the maintenance aspects of the projects that have come up. As an example, at Kimble, um we are replacing all of the unit ventilators at Kimble, that will be paid for out of the operations and maintenance budget, even though it will be um timed with the construction of the United 46 project at Kimell. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Excellent. Any other questions? Okay, thank you

098very much. >> Thank you. >> And our last one. >> Yes. Our last item, proposal, plant operations. Kimble Middle School emergency chiller repairs. Ashley McKini, assistant director of plant operations and Josh Bu coordinator of maintenance operations will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the proposal from pre Mr. for mechanical in the amount of $55,486,000 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the operations fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. >> Thank you. Do you have something you wanted to say? >> Good. Any questions? >> Okay. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um, next we move on to work sessions contracts over 35,000. >> We

099have a contract for specialized student services contract for related service staff. Amanda Leatherbeby, director of specialized student services, and Melissa Robersonson, assistant director of specialized student services, will present the attached proposal and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contracts with the prior board approved agencies not to exceed the approval total amount in the board proposal presented on September 22nd, 2025 and request that funds projected to be spent with Stepping Stones SSG Healthcare be reddelegated to Sage Connections as follows. The Stepping Stones Group LLC $638,884 Sage Connections $179,876. This expenditure will be charged to the education fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. Thank you. Any questions? Okay. Thank you. All right. And next we have work session change orders. Our first

100is a change order. Plant operations streamwood high school pathways phase 2 automotive culinary and engineering renovation project number 321. Sheila DS assistant superintendent of operations and Jolene Linnamman capital project coordinator will present the attached change order and will respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends the board of education approve the change order from Northwest Contractors Incorporated in the amount of minus373,98789. Thank you. Questions? Okay. Next. >> Next is a change order plant operations Heritage Elementary School electrical switchboard replacement and emergency generator installation project number 879. Again, our team is here to present the attached change order and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends the board of education approve the change order from Newcastle Electric Incorporated in the amount of minus $50,000. >> Thank you. Any questions? >> Okay.

101Next. >> Okay. Another change order. Plant operations Lords Park Elementary School emergency generator installation project number 153. The team is here to present the attached change order and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends the board of education approve the change order from Newcastle Electric in the amount of minus40,572.88. >> Thank you. Any questions? Okay, last one. Uh finally, change order plan operations Horizon Elementary School electrical switchboard replacement and emergency generator installation project number 980. Our team is here to present the attached change order and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends the board of education approve the change order from Newcastle Electric Incorporated in the amount of minus48,89.36. >> Thank you. Any questions from the board? Don, >> I just want to say thank you for bringing forward

102four proposals that saved us half a million dollars [laughter] based on my earlier conversation. I greatly appreciate that. So, thank you. >> You work hard to do that. [laughter] >> Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um and so then that moves us to adjournment. >> Yes. >> Yep. May I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Second. >> Roll call, please. Miss Kirk, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> We are journed at 8:43 p.m. >> Thank you. Thank you, everyone.