Board approves principal hire, district technology purchases and multiple operational items

Batavia USD 101’s Board of Education approved several formal actions during its Feb. 18 meeting, including the hiring of a new elementary principal, districtwide technology purchases, Fine Arts Center fee changes and adoption of a state education vision resolution.

Votes at a glance - Hooverwood Elementary principal hire: Board approved a three‑year contract for Sean Deggeman to begin July 1, 2025. Motion to approve was made by Aaron Kilberg and seconded by RJ Mathis. Roll call: Arlandu — Yes; Gonzalez Thomas — Yes; Mathis — Yes; Meadows — not present; Sliger — Yes; Ann Kilberg — Yes; motion passed. - Consent agenda (minutes, personnel report, payroll/bills, closed-session review, donation acceptances, textbook on display, acceptance of FY2024 comprehensive financial report and related items): Motion carried in a roll call vote with members voting Yes (Meadows present and voting Yes at time of roll call; see transcript for individual roll‑call order). Motion to approve consent agenda was moved and seconded; Cindy led roll call. Motion passes. - Resolution supporting Vision 02/1930: Motion by Danielle (moved) and seconded by Erin to adopt a resolution expressing district support for the state’s Vision 02/1930; roll call vote was unanimous among members present and the motion passed. - Batavia Fine Arts Center rental rate adjustments: Board approved adjusted rental rates and fee changes (including removal of buyouts for weekly packages and a new staff meal package for extended-day rentals). Motion passed on roll call. - Rejection of bids for demolition and flooring at Alice Gustafson and JB Nelson schools: The board voted to reject all bids for Trade Package 02A‑1 (demolition) and 09F (flooring) after bids came in substantially above the project budget. Motion to reject bids passed on roll call; administration said it plans to re-scope and re-bid later in the year. - Purchases for district technology: Board authorized (a) purchase of 368 staff laptops and 25 desktops from IT Savvy in the amount of $438,121; (b) purchase of 1,077 Chromebooks from IT Savvy for $439,027 (4‑year warranty/coverage included); and (c) wired network equipment and associated five‑year support at a cost not to exceed $675,973 (administration intends to pursue E‑rate funding to reduce district share). Each purchase was approved by roll‑call vote.

What the actions mean The new principal hire completes the board’s selection process for Hooverwood Elementary and places the incoming principal on a three‑year contract starting July 1, 2025. The technology purchases represent the district’s multi‑year refresh strategy for staff devices and student Chromebooks; administrators said they negotiated multi‑year coverage and used a competitive procurement process. The wired network purchase is tied to an infrastructure refresh (switching and closet gear) intended to sustain classroom Wi‑Fi improvements promised in earlier work.

Facilities items drew particular attention: flooring bids for two elementary schools were rejected after contractors’ quotes exceeded the project budget by a significant margin; administration told the board the project would be re-scoped and likely rebid later in the year. The board also approved modest fee increases and structural changes to the Batavia Fine Arts Center rental policy designed to align daily/weekly rates and reduce administrative ticketing complications.

Administration repeatedly told the board it intends to use available E‑rate funding when possible to lower the district’s outlay for wiring and networking equipment; the wired network purchase included a contingency tied to E‑rate approval. The board’s adoption of Vision 02/1930 was presented as a nonbinding statement of support for statewide priorities such as educator recruitment, retention, and full funding of public education.

Meeting evidence The board’s discussion and roll calls for each of the actions are recorded in the meeting transcript; excerpts include the motion and the roll call tallies for each vote. The superintendent and relevant directors presented each item before the board voted.

Ending The board approved the items listed above and moved on to additional agenda business, including a longer discussion about district bullying and reporting procedures and several public‑facing announcements and committee updates.