Meeting roundup

Community Consolidated District 181 Board

Among other business Monday, board members:

• approved a $6.1 million abatement of bond and interest funds for the 2021 tax levy year to reduce the debt service portion of the community’s tax bills. The move follows the board’s abatement strategy that any amount in fund balances over 50 percent of operating expenses should either be restricted for district approval and/or be abated.

• approved awarding contracts for summer projects totaling nearly $1.35 million, $304,000 of which will be done by district staff. Projects include $270,000 each for the Elm School and Monroe School playground upgrades and $195,000 to upgrade the bells and clocks at six of seven elementary schools.

• voted to increase the daily rate of substitute teacher pay from $100 to $150 and remove the bonus structure currently in place to be more competitive with surrounding districts. Long-term substitute teacher pay will also be increased to $225 per day from $173.85, and substitute instructional assistants’ pay was increased to $110 per day from $95. The changes would result in an esttimated $130,000 per school year.

• approved the calendars for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. The final 2022-23 calendar schedules winter break from Dec. 22 to Jan. 4, which was changed from an initial Dec. 19-30 break to align with the Hinsdale High School District 86 calendar. The last day of school also was changed in the final version from June 1, 2023, to June 2.