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Facilities and Finance committee: ComEd to retrofit gym lighting at no district cost; board software swap, driver‑ed waiver and June 9 budget hearing discussed
Summary
Committee members reported a ComEd program will replace high‑school gym lighting at no cost to the district, discussed a driver‑education simulator waiver for Libertyville High School, recommended switching board management software to BoardBook to save ~$8–9k annually, and proposed June 9 for the budget‑hearing date.
The Facilities and Finance Committee reported several operational items Wednesday, including a no‑cost gym lighting retrofit through a ComEd program, discussion of a driver‑education simulator waiver for Libertyville High School, a recommendation to switch the board management system to BoardBook and a recommendation to set the fiscal‑year budget hearing for June 9.
District staff said the ComEd program will replace fixtures in the main gym and the west (gymnastics) gym and will reimburse or pay the contractor directly, at no cost to the district. “At no cost to the district, we were able to replace the lighting in the main gym, and the gymnastics gym, the West Gym,” said Mark (district facilities staff). Staff said certain earlier LED fixtures are failing and the program allows replacement of LED fixtures with new LEDs; staff estimated roughly $200,000 of classroom lighting could be eligible for retrofit but said they would verify coverage and take the work in summer if feasible.
On driver education, staff explained Illinois requires six hours of on‑road behind‑the‑wheel instruction but allows districts to apply for a waiver to substitute up to two of those hours with simulator time. The waiver being considered would apply to Libertyville High School, which runs a three‑cycle program (classroom, on‑road, simulator); Vernon Hills does not use simulators and meets on‑road hours without them.
The committee discussed moving the board’s meeting management system from BoardDocs to BoardBook, noting BoardDocs is being sunset by its vendor (Diligent) and BoardBook is offered through the Illinois Association of School Boards. Staff said the change would save about $8,000–$9,000 annually and that other nearby districts use BoardBook; district administrators will plan data migration so historical records remain accessible.
Committee members also recommended scheduling the budget‑hearing date for June 9, noting the district must publish public notice 30 days before the hearing. Staff advised adopting the date at the upcoming board meeting so notices can be placed in time but said the date can be changed later if necessary.
No formal committee action was required for the ComEd lighting upgrade (staff said installation and reimbursement are handled through the utility program). Staff said they will return to the board with any required documentation for larger capital items and to confirm which classrooms and fixtures are eligible for retrofit.
