Groundbreakings, compensated home visits, and more money approved for projects... and updated candidate information here. Also the News-Gazette issued their endorsements (whether one takes that as positive or a negative) here. First on news updates, however, Unit 4 budgeting for projects in addition to or increasing referendum projects got a boost this month. From the News Gazette a couple weeks back:
Unit 4 board unanimously OKs another $10M in upgrades for EdisonMore details at the full article here and an article the day before previewing the school board meeting here. The News-Gazette editorial board took issue with the additional spending afterward here. Smile politely had the dates and links for the upcoming groundbreaking ceremonies at Central and Centennial schools here.
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In a unanimous vote Monday night, Champaign school board members signed off on $10,098,090 more in renovations to 105-year-old Edison Middle School, bringing the total project expense to a little more than $25 million.
The board's action came 28 months after district taxpayers approved a six-school, two-field, $183.4 million referendum that included $15 million for Edison. But the plan put before voters didn't include fixes to some of the building's most glaring shortcomings, Unit 4's project management team pointed out last month, which led the board to take a second look at Edison.
The result: a project that now includes heating and electrical updates, sprinklers for fire protection and plumbing updates in addition to the original list of work (a new cafeteria, expansion of the gym and classroom renovations, among other things)...
The school board also approved two other budget increases for referendum projects:
— $997,041 for South Side Elementary, to cover bid overages, hazardous materials abatement, playground equipment and a change in bus drop-off areas that board members say will make the school more accessible...
— "Not to exceed" $45,187 for Spalding Park, the new home of Champaign Central Maroons baseball, to pay for a "batter's eye" screen — a dark outfield backdrop to help hitters better see the ball.
The News-Gazette also had coverage of the Teachers Union gains in the last contract negotiations on compensated home visits:
Champaign teachers union rolling out plans for newly compensated home visitsFull article with additional information on the issues surrounding home visits here.
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[Union President Jen White] said the union had at least a "couple different versions" of home-visit ideas before the two sides came to an agreement.
The new contract pays on-schedule staffers who make such visits "the extra-duty rate" for up to 21 hours of work, or adds up to three days of personal leave for every seven hours of visits...
In the works right now are training plans and guideline documents that will help interested staffers know how and why they might want to conduct a home visit, White said. Later this spring, White said some union members will "run the training by some parent groups and community stakeholders to see what they think."
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It's important to note, White said, that the process won't be teachers just showing up on parents' doorsteps. If anything, it will look similar to home visits already being conducted by another group of educators in the district: those at the Champaign Early Childhood Center.
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