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District 207 approves masonry, turf, elevator contracts, keeps fees flat and urges Cook County to fix tax‑bill delays
Summary
The board approved several procurement contracts (Bruno’s tuckpointing, Wenger instrument storage, Hoppe’s turf, D. Kersey elevator), kept most student fees flat (yearbook price cut, activity tickets eliminated), and adopted a resolution pressing Cook County to remedy property‑tax billing delays that have delayed roughly $1 million in expected receipts.
At its February meeting, the Maine Township High School District 207 board approved multiple contracts and budget‑related items and adopted a resolution asking Cook County to resolve property‑tax billing delays.
On facilities and procurement, administration recommended and trustees approved the following contract awards: Bruno’s Tuckpointing for masonry repairs at Maine South ($951,885) after a rebid; Wenger Music Systems through a cooperative for instrument storage (East~$51,004; West~$109,005); Hoppe’s Landscaping for the Maine West turf project (base bid and alternates totaling $3,529,566), and D. Kersey Construction to modernize the freight elevator at Maine West ($589,843) after an Otis bid was found nonresponsive. Administration noted the turf project uses an organic infill product (ground corn cobs) rather than rubber crumb infill and cited expanded stadium use as a benefit.
On student charges and fees, the board approved the finance committee’s recommendations: keep base student fees flat for 2026–27 at $250; reduce the yearbook cost to students from $50 to $45 under a three‑year contract; and discontinue activity tickets so students with valid student ID may attend district athletic events at no charge. The district also noted an approximate 50% increase to the reduced‑price meal contribution while continuing free lunch for eligible students.
The board reviewed a second‑quarter budget update showing a projected $1,000,000 reduction in investment income tied to late property‑tax collections; other offsets include projected increases in replacement taxes and TIF payments. In response to ongoing county billing problems, trustees approved a joint resolution — aligned with nearby districts — urging Cook County and relevant vendors to fix a software/implementation issue that has delayed distributions and complicated reconciliation. Administration estimated the district’s near‑term cash‑flow impact at about $1,000,000 due to delayed disbursements.
Board members took roll‑call votes to approve the consent agenda, fee decisions and each contract; the meeting then moved into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
Vote outcomes and procedure: the transcript records roll‑call approvals for each motion; specific vote tallies were recorded as roll‑call “ayes” by board members present during each vote.
