DeKalb CUSD 428 board approves multiple facility contracts, curriculum adoption and staffing agreements; hears updates on Title IX and proposed LOAs

The DeKalb CUSD 428 Board of Education on Feb. 27 approved a series of facility contracts, curriculum and staffing agreements and accepted the district udit, while hearing updates on proposed labor agreements and Title IX procedural changes.

The board voted to approve capital work including an HMS roof replacement, district site improvements, track replacement at the high school and multiple sealcoating bids; approved the adoption of the Amplify ELLA curriculum for both middle schools; accepted the fiscal year 2023 udit and comprehensive annual financial report; and approved a temporary contract with Sunbelt Staffing to provide a bilingual virtual speech-language pathologist (SLP) for the remainder of the 2024'025 school year.

Why it matters: the approved vendor contracts cover building and grounds work that the district said is needed this spring and summer, the curriculum adoption affects instruction at both middle schools, and the temporary SLP contract addresses an immediate special-education service gap the district said it could not fill quickly through hiring.

Board action highlights

- Facilities and capital contracts: The board approved a base bid of $172,550 for HMS roof replacement to Sterling Commercial Roofing of Sterling, Ill.; a $322,000 package of site-improvement bids for Jefferson, HMS and Founders to Elliot and Wood of DeKalb; a $147,454 bid for sealcoating (base bid number 2) to Del Denler, Inc.; and a $154,000 base bid for the DHS track replacement to Truck Surfaces Company of Elburn, Ill. Each item was presented as a single roll-call action and approved by the board.

- Staffing and service agreements: The board approved a service agreement with Sunbelt Staffing to secure a full-time virtual bilingual SLP for the remainder of the 2024'025 school year. District staff estimated the fiscal impact for that temporary placement at about $67,600. The board also approved renewals and partnership agreements for teacher pipeline and bilingual recruitment with Golden Apple (amendment to the existing agreement), Spirit Cultural Exchange and Greenheart Exchange, and a site affiliation agreement with National Louis University (2025'028).

- Curriculum and instructional items: The board approved the adoption of the Amplify ELLA middle-school curriculum for both middle schools. The board also approved attendance requests for several professional conferences and student trips, including a DHS robotics trip to St. Louis (19 students; total cost about $9,000, with $6,000 from Title IV and $150 per student expected; remaining costs from the robotics account), a DHS student-council state convention trip (about $126 per student) and DHS broadcast travel to cover IHSA wrestling (total cost $1,700 funded by the wrestling program).

- Financial and program votes: The board accepted the annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending 06/30/2024, and approved an amended summer-school budget that added $21,559 for stipends and related costs.

Discussion and information items

- Letters of agreement with DCTA: District staff and DCTA leadership discussed proposed letters of agreement (LOAs) that would set parameters for vacancy coverage and compensating staff who take on additional duties (examples: elementary-level teacher/related-services vacancy coverage and certified school nurses covering health offices or 1:1 nursing). Staff characterized these items as informational and asked for consensus to bring them back for a formal action; the board agreed to return the items for future consideration. Staff noted the fiscal impact of the LOAs is "to be determined" and depends on caseloads and individual pay rates.

- Title IX: District administrators said the U.S. Department of Education and the Office for Civil Rights issued guidance reverting enforcement to the 2020 Title IX rules; the district presented revised grievance language ("Press" policy revisions) consistent with that guidance and requested consensus to return the item for action.

Public comment and superintendent report

A member of the public identified in the record as Mr. Marshervat criticized what he described as routine non-instructional spending in the accounts-payable list, citing vendor entries such as restaurants and lodging and urging board members to scrutinize the consent agenda. "As board members, you folks really need to be looking at all these details," he said.

During the superintendent's report, an unnamed superintendent thanked partners including Meta and the YMCA, listed recent state qualifiers in athletics and forensics, and encouraged community support for the upcoming STEAM conference on April 5.

Ending

Board president closed the meeting after the final consent votes and reports; the meeting adjourned following a motion and roll-call vote.

Quotes

"As board members, you folks really need to be looking at all these details because when the public looks at this, it's almost like it's a restaurant list and travel list," said Mr. Marshervat during public comment.

On the SLP need, a district staff member, Kyle Curtis, said the Sunbelt candidate is bilingual (English and Spanish) and "would be able to provide services for the remainder of the school year," and staff estimated the total fiscal impact at about $67,600.

"We have no way of forecasting what that is, so that's why it says TBA," a staff member said when asked about the fiscal impact of the draft LOA language; staff said individual costs will appear on future personnel reports when used.

Provenance

The article draws on the meeting transcript starting at the consent-agenda motion and roll call (transcript segment beginning "For the approval consent agenda items" ) and closing with adjournment (transcript segment ending "it is recommended that the Board of Education will adjourn.").