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Students showcase volunteer program; board hears website upgrade and bus‑fleet options
Summary
Students from the junior high Community Action Program described monthly volunteer projects. The board also reviewed a proposed ADA‑compliant website with an AI chatbot, approved a two‑year variable fuel contract, and asked staff to return with bus‑lease/purchase options for 21 buses coming off lease.
Students from the Community Action Program (CAP) described projects they run throughout the year and asked the board to support the student volunteers. Jill Kyle, a junior high social worker who oversees CAP, said the program includes about 20–25 seventh and eighth graders who do one community event a month, from visiting the Glenwood nursing home to helping set up Salvation Army banquets in Champaign‑Urbana. Student presenters — Vivian, Presley, Brianne and Joshua — told trustees the program builds leadership skills and benefits community partners.
Separately, Jessica (district staff) presented a proposal to replace the district website to improve ADA accessibility, mobile responsiveness, translation and analytics. The recommended vendor includes built‑in accessibility controls, translation for multiple languages and an AI chatbot to help parents and students find information. Jessica said implementation would take about six months and that because the district's current vendor contract auto‑renews, staff are working with the district attorney to understand any cost to terminate the existing agreement. The board asked about timeline, translation languages and ParentSquare integration; Jessica said the platform would integrate with ParentSquare and estimated ongoing costs at roughly $9,800 per year after an initial remediation cost.
Transportation staff explained fleet and procurement options: the district has 21 buses coming off lease this year and is exploring a mix of short leases and purchases to stagger replacements. Staff warned new bus prices have risen — staff cited a current base price near $155,000 for a 77‑passenger bus — and said leasing some vehicles may be necessary this cycle. The board accepted staff's plan to return in January with competitive numbers from multiple vendors and to evaluate staggering replacements to smooth budget impact.
Other operational action: trustees approved a two‑year variable fuel contract (Ken's / Penn's Oil service) that uses a hybrid fixed/variable pricing model and covers up to 50% of estimated usage; the motion passed by roll call.
