Board approves 25-year amendment to cell-tower ground lease with T‑Mobile; $18.50 monthly payment with 15% increases every five years
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Summary
The board approved a first amendment extending the ground lease with T‑Mobile Central LLC for 25 years; district staff said the arrangement provides a steady revenue stream and must be board‑approved because it exceeds the state's $1,000 threshold for contracts generating revenue.
The Board of Education on July 28 approved a first amendment to the ground lease with T‑Mobile Central LLC extending the district’s cell‑tower lease for 25 years. District staff said the amendment sets the monthly payment at $18.50 and includes 15% rent increases every five years.
Why it matters: The tower lease is a multi‑decade revenue source for the district. State procurement rules require board approval for contracts that generate more than $1,000 in revenue, and staff said the lease represents a recurring revenue line in the district’s budget.
Dan Stanley explained the approval requirement under Illinois rules and said the revenue from the T‑Mobile lease is a small but useful line item in the district’s revenue budget. "It is revenue," Stanley said, noting the board must approve the long‑term agreement because of state contract review rules for revenue generation.
Board members voted to approve the amendment in the regular meeting. Staff said the lease renewal had been a yearlong negotiation and that the administration recommended approval.
No changes to district operations or student services were associated with the lease amendment; the item was brought forward by the facilities and finance committee and placed on the consent/action agenda for board approval.
