U-46 board approves $44.24 million in bills, passes consent agenda

School District U-46 trustees voted May 18 to approve $44,241,930.41 in itemized bills and to carry a comprehensive consent agenda that included personnel reports, construction and materials bids, and several contract renewals.

Robin Cornelison, the district’s executive director of financial services, presented the itemized bills and outlined that the expenditures align with the district’s FY26 plan amid timing of bond proceeds. “March closed with a monthly deficit of $14,500,000, bringing the year-to-date deficit to $59,500,000,” Cornelison said during the financial presentation earlier in the meeting; she told the board the overall fund balance remains strong at $776,100,000.

After a motion and second, the board approved the bills on a roll call vote. Board members Miss Kerr, Miss Khan, Miss Martin, Miss Nolan, Miss Schwartz, Miss Thomas and President Owens each recorded a “yes” vote when the clerk read the roll call, and the chair declared the motion carried.

The consent agenda adopted the district’s personnel report, minutes from the March 2 meeting, multiple plant operations bids (including South Elgin High School parking lot and Streamwood High loading dock replacement), curriculum and technology contract renewals, and several building permit approvals. Two vendors were approved to supply novels for grades 3 and 5–11: Superior Text ($226,071.30) and Follett Content Solutions LLC ($371,259.60), for a combined $597,330.90, as part of the consent process.

The board’s approvals included several capital and operational projects charged to the education fund; Cornelison said the district’s cash-on-hand ratio and reserves support continued work on these projects. The meeting proceeded to discuss additional work-session items and returned to closed session later in the evening.

The board took no substantive amendments to the consent items during the meeting and did not remove any items for separate consideration at this session.