USD116 BOE Update: Dec. 19, 2023

The District's bus company, First Student, wants to submit an application for the EPA's "Clean School Bus Funding Program" on behalf of USD116. The goal of the program is to replace diesel school buses with zero-/low-emission buses. The program is a lottery selection and every school district in the U.S. can enter the lottery.

Electric School Buses:

• Environmental benefits - reduce carbon emissions
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Diesel prices are increasing

Overview:

USD has the potential to receive federal funding to pay for the buses, receive state funding for infrastructure upgrades and there are opportunities for Ameren incentives as well. The district can layer all of these incentives to find out if it's financially feasible to move forward with electric school buses if we are awarded the grant. There is no commitment, even if selected for the grant. If we receive the grant, the District would not proceed before consulting the Board.

Q: Who owns the current buses First Student drives?

A: First Student owns them

Q: Are you asking us (USD) to buy you (First Student) school buses?

A: When we buy new equipment, that's passed on through the rates. With the rebate, it's really the same process as if we were operating and purchasing outright.

Q: What is the benefit for the kids?

A: From a health standpoint, there are no emissions. As far as air conditioning and heating, you're going to have a draw of electricity for a/c -- so we can use that periodically.

Q: If we are awarded the grant and can buy buses, are there guarantees that these buses would not be used to service other districts?

A: There's no reason that couldn't be in the contract. We also have to have a charging port, so that limits where we can use them as well.

View the full presentation

The Co-Chairs of the Spanish Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC) gave feedback around the Spanish Dual Language Program.

If the Board votes for a single Dual Language school, the BPAC recommends the following:

1. School selection should be done from all elementary schools
2. The DL program should not become a tool to further segregate student by ethnicity/race/income. The DL single school should follow a magnet-like model where:

• It is open to monolingual (English) students from all of Urbana (all neighborhoods)
• It should aim to keep the ratio of 50/50 for Spanish/English speakers as it does now.

4. The BPAC feels that the DL program is failing all students (Spanish/English.) Implementation of the recommendations from the internal and CAL report, which should include clear metrics to measure academic and social integration improvement at regular intervals and publicly available.

5. Provide an actionable time-scale (~5 years) to evaluate improvement of the DL program that demonstrate better outcomes for EL students.

Q: What is the BPACs thoughts on which school would be best for a single DL school?

A: The reason we are not making a recommendation is because we don't have the information to make a recommendation. We are open to all possibilities. It's not just that we don't have enough information, we trust you (Board/Administration) to make the decision. You are the professionals, you are the elected officials.

Q: In the CAL report, it was very clear that the recommendation was that the best (DL) programs have a one-school model. What are the reasons families want to keep it the same (strand model)?

A: There is a fear of segregation in a one-school model. They want their kids to be integrated into the community.

Q: With the strand model, do we have it open to all USD students?

A: Yes, that has already happened, even with the strand model.

View the full presentation

13.2 Resolution Regarding the Estimated Amount Necessary to be Levied for the Year 2023 APPROVED

13.4 Approval of U.S. EPA’s 2023 Clean School Bus Rebate Program Application APPROVED

Dr. Ivory-Tatum's Superintendent Report is available here: December 19, 2023

Highlights:

• UHS Student, Max Kooper broke a 20-year school record for an 11 dive meet
• Congrats to UHS Teacher Olivia Grilo, who earned her National Board Certification
• Reminder: Winter Break is December 20-January 3. School resumes January 4 (K-12)