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Union Township board approves preschool playground, rooftop‑unit replacement and grant filings
Summary
The board approved a $79,500 preschool playground paid from Preschool Expansion Aid, a $127,840 rooftop unit replacement to be funded from Maintenance Reserve if needed, and authorized IDEA/ESSA grant submissions and a Bond Act application for water remediation.
At its Aug. 18 meeting the Union Township Board of Education approved multiple facilities and finance actions, including a preschool playground purchase, rooftop unit replacement and the submission of state and federal grant applications.
Finance Chair John Malone moved and Heather Eberstein seconded approval of Finance and Facilities items F1–F21, which included certification of the June 2025 Board Secretary and Treasurer reports; budget transfers; and the district's June vendor bills. The board adopted a resolution (F8) to set the district bid threshold at $39,000 in line with the State Treasurer's increase, authorizing the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary to award contracts below that threshold under specified quotation rules.
Capital and vendor approvals included a $79,500 quote from Shaffer Recreational for a preschool playground addition to be paid from Preschool Expansion Aid (F17) and a $127,840 rooftop unit replacement quote from Mack Industries (F18). The board also authorized a withdrawal from the Maintenance Reserve, if needed, to fund the rooftop unit (F19).
The board approved submission and acceptance of federal grant awards under IDEA (Basic: $119,249; Preschool: $3,893) and ESSA (Title I: $11,207; Title II: $5,992; Title III: $1,431; Title IV Part A: $10,000), and authorized submitting an application under the Securing Our Children's Future Bond Act for remediation of water contamination, with commitment to provide local funds should the total estimated cost exceed the grant allowance (F20).
Other finance items approved included disposal of surplus property via GovDeals; professional contracts for water fountain rental, HVAC maintenance, therapy and software services; lunch prices for 2025–26 (student $3.75, adult $4.25); and multiple out‑of‑district tuition contracts for special education placements that list annual tuition and extraordinary services costs (e.g., The Eden School tuition and associated extraordinary services totaling six-figure amounts). The minutes note a settlement agreement in the matter of Clark v. Union Township Board of Education and authorize Superintendent Dr. Barbara Popp to sign on behalf of the board (F21).
What’s next: procurement activities will proceed under revised thresholds and awarded contracts; playground and HVAC work will follow district purchasing requirements and vendor scheduling.
