OP_050417

opprairie.com News
the orland park prairie | May 4, 2017 | 5
Consolidated High School D230 Board of Education
Public hearing to precede $4.5 million bond issue
Meredith Dobes
Freelance Reporter
Consolidated High
School District 230 declared
its intent to issue
$4.5 million in working
cash fund bonds for the
purposes of capital projects,
following a unanimous
vote at its Thursday,
April 27 regular meeting.
A public hearing is required
prior to the district
selling the bonds and is
scheduled for May 30.
The $4.5 million would
be borrowed over five years
and used for projects the
district, through its Building
and Finance Committee,
has identified as requiring
completion, so as not to
later pay more money by
deferring maintenance.
Tony Serratore, board
member and chairman of
the Building and Finance
Committee, said the issuance
of these bonds now,
as the district is retiring
its 2007B and 2008 Series
bonds this year, will net
in an approximately $126
savings for taxpayers.
The district earmarked
nine projects that would be
entirely or partially completed
with use of the bond
funds: upgrades to the Andrew
High School freight
elevator for $102,533;
flooring replacement at
Sandburg and Stagg high
schools for $494,369; resurfacing
for the Andrew
tennis court for $145,232;
carpeting replacement
for all schools for $2.21
million; upgrades to the
Stagg building elevator
for $369,216; information
technology projects
throughout the district,
including a wireless upgrade,
cabling upgrades,
internal fiber-optic upgrades
and copier replacements,
for $1.12 million;
replacement of Sandburg’s
chiller for $105,361; recoating
of membrane roofs
at all schools for $1.58
million; and additional informational
technology
improvements throughout
the district, including to
generators, video security,
fiber connections, digital
signage and copiers for
$728,673.
Projects are scheduled
for fiscal years 2018
through 2020.
Board President Rick
Nogal said the identification
and prioritization of
capital projects in need of
completion is part of the
district’s goal-setting, and
it would end up costing
the district more money if
it did not go through this
process.
Round It Up
A recap of action from the Thursday, April 27 meeting of the
D230 School Board.
• The School Board voted unanimously to approve a
physical education and aquatic supply bid for a list of
10 vendors for $34,156.12 for the 2017-2018 school
year.
• The School Board reinstalled and swore in members
Sue Dalton, Melissa Gracias, Tony Serratore and Kate
Murphy-Peterson, following the final results of the April
4 Consolidated Election.
• The School Board voted unanimously to reinstall
Rick Nogal as board president, Gracias as board
vice president and Dalton as board secretary. Nogal
reappointed board members to continue serving on
their current committees.
Curriculum update
Director of Curriculum
and Instruction Stacey Gonzales
gave board members
an update on ways teachers
in the district have been
working toward using innovative
practices in teaching
and grading.
She said students have
been using technology and
also using educational spaces
in innovative ways to
learn and practice concepts.
She said through use of
flexible spaces, group work,
creative use of space and
blended learning environments,
students are able to
work toward being creative,
creators, collaborators and
critical thinkers.
Future goals for curriculum
in the district include
expanding blended learning,
increasing dual credit
opportunities, reviewing
curriculum and increasing
opportunities for English
language-learners, she said.
Information technology
upgrades
The School Board voted
unanimously to approve the
purchase of an additional
internet service provider,
for expanded bandwidth,
and wide area network fiber.
Chief Technology Officer
John Connolly explained
that the district runs out of
bandwidth every day and
requires more. He and his
team were able to find a
price for a second provider
that is half the cost of its
current contract with Comcast,
he said.
The contract approved
was for three years for
$68,850 — $34,425 after an
E-Rate rebate — with First
Communications.
The district also worked
with the Village of Orland
Park to minimize its costs
installing its own network
fiber to connect its buildings,
Connolly said.
Since roadwork is already
being done on LaGrange
Road, it installed conduit
for network fiber, cutting
those costs for the district.
The network fiber contract
was with G4S for
$646,208 — $323,104 after
an E-Rate rebate.
Awards and recognition
Superintendent James
Gay recognized student/
board representatives Joel
John, of Sandburg; Kevin
Gallagher, of Andrew; and
Bassel Shanab, of Stagg; for
their service to the School
Board during the 2017-2018
school year, following their
final reports to the board at
the April 27 meeting.
The three students provided
updates of news,
achievements and activities
happening at their schools
to the School Board at each
of its regular meetings during
the school year.
Gay told the students
that they represented their
schools with pride.
Principals from all three
schools also recognized
their senior Student Advisory
Committee members for
their service to the district,
and their work providing
feedback to Gay and other
administrators throughout
their high school careers.
“They share exactly their
feelings with me,” Gay said.
“They are very proud of
their schools and also very
competitive.”
Sandburg student Sophia
Jablonski, who was
named girls bowling state
champion in the Illinois
High School Association’s
Wheelchair Division, received
a standing ovation at
the meeting for her achievement.
Additionally, members
of the Sandburg SuperfanZ
Student Section were honored
for being named state
champions, as was Andrew
student Troy Murphy, for
being crowned 3-point state
basketball champion.
From May 1
Police searching for man, woman who robbed store at gunpoint
Bill Jones, Editor
Orland Park police are
searching for a man and
a woman who allegedly
robbed a sporting goods
store at gunpoint this past
weekend.
Officers responded at 5:35
p.m. Sunday, April 30, to
a retail theft call at Dick’s
Sporting Goods, 1 Orland
Park Place, according to a
press release issued Monday,
May 1, by the Orland Park
Police Department.
A man and woman were
spotted by a female employee
as they were heading toward
the exit of the store with their
arms full of clothing items
that had not been purchased,
police said. The employee
reportedly approached them
and offered to take the items
to the register.
At that time, the man
pulled a handgun from his
waistband and pointed it at
the employee, as he and the
woman left the store with
some stolen clothing, police
said. They reportedly entered
a maroon Pontiac and
fled the scene.
The man was described as
black, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds,
with a neatly trimmed beard,
and either a gap in his front
teeth or chipped front teeth.
The woman was described
as black, 5-foot-10 and 285
pounds.
Anyone with more information
about the individuals
is asked to contact Orland
Park Police at (708) 349-4111.
For more on this and other
Breaking News, visit OPPrai
rie.com.