Palos CCSD 118 board approves IDOT school-safety busing participation, names treasurer and OKs $59,865 cybersecurity contract

The Palos CCSD 118 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a multi-part consent agenda that included a resolution to participate in the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) school safety busing program for the 2025–26 school year, the appointment of Justin Beeman as school treasurer for fiscal year 2026, designation of district depositories and a one-year cybersecurity contract with Cynet for $59,865.

The consent agenda, moved by Board member Jennifer Johnson and approved by roll call, also included approval of personnel reports listing multiple certified and classified hires and resignations, adoption of the final 2024–25 school calendar, and authorization to pay district bills and payrolls. Board President Pam Paris called for the roll call; the vote recorded in the public minutes was unanimous "yes."

The measure to join the IDOT school safety busing program was discussed in the finance and facility committee. According to the committee report presented at the meeting, the IDOT “hazardous resolution” allows the district to seek state reimbursement for busing students who live less than 1.5 miles from their assigned school when conditions make walking unsafe. The committee recommended approval and additional fiscal items: naming Old National Bank, BMO Harris Bank and the Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund as district depositories and appointing PMA Financial Network as a broker-dealer for fiscal year 2026.

The board also approved a one-year contract for cloud, email and endpoint cybersecurity services with Cynet for $59,865, a contract item recommended by the technology department and included in the consent package. The consent motion included payroll and accounts payable authorizations: bills payable in the amount of $1,442,498.74 and payrolls dated April 11 ($849,786.71), April 25 ($867,942.85) and May 9 ($867,776.58), as listed in the agenda.

The board’s action followed the finance and facility committee’s recommendation and a second reading of student- and district-related policies earlier on the agenda. No substantive amendment to the consent items was offered on the floor before the roll-call approval.

The approvals take effect immediately as recorded in the board minutes; details such as contract start dates and implementation steps were not expanded on during the public portion of the meeting.