Latest news with #Birdsley
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sterling schools to finish up third phase of high school's $13.8M HVAC project this summer
May 23—STERLING — Now that school is out, Sterling Public Schools will work over the summer to finish several projects in the district's three-year facility plan. Among the work is the third and final phase of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Sterling High School using federal COVID-19 relief funds, interior door replacement at both SHS and Challand Middle School, and health and life safety work at both schools. Other projects include sidewalk replacement and parking lot seal coating at several schools. The district also is looking a few years down the road at Jefferson and Franklin schools' needs and the creation of safety vestibules that will enhance security. Sterling High School SHS is finishing the third and final phase in remodeling the school's HVAC system. Work on this phase began last summer. The original 1948 steam boiler, which Sterling Schools' Superintendent Tad Everett called "extremely inefficient and very costly," is being replaced with a more efficient electrical system. The third phase was finalized and approved by the school board in December 2023, with an estimated cost of $2.5 million. However, SPS Director of Finance Matt Birdsley said the final bid came in at $4.45 million. Before the pandemic, the cost for all three phases was projected at $9.72 million. That number has since grown to $13.8 million. "With a project this in-depth, we knew there would be some additional costs," Birdsley said. "The increase in cost is due to the increased cost of the equipment post-COVID, as well as the unknown expenditures that pop up when you open up walls and ceilings that had been enclosed since the building was originally built." Birdsley said SPS used the $4.8 million it received from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund to pay for the first two phases. The federal government gave ESSER funds to schools across the country to improve ventilation in their buildings to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The remaining HVAC project costs were covered using a combination of Health and Life Safety bonds, working cash bonds, Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax funds, local sales tax revenue and the Illinois State Board of Education's School Maintenance Project Grant. SHS also will replace several interior doors this summer. They need to be brought up to date under new state fire codes, which became apparent after the school was flagged during a health and life safety survey that detected several doors would not stay latched. The same work will be done at CMS next summer. Bidding for the project went up Jan. 29, and was awarded to Gehrke Construction. The cost for replacing doors at both schools will be $593,500, using HLS and capital funds. Revenue for these two funds comes from the Life Safety Levy and Sales Tax. SPS also plans to spend $34,600 on several health and life safety survey priority A items at SHS and CMS, including smoke detectors and emergency lights, using HLS funds. Birdsley said the administration will recommend Wednesday, May 28, that the school board approve an asbestos abatement bid for two classrooms at SHS for a total of $40,500 and one alternate bid for an additional classroom for $7,400. "The floor tiles in these classrooms are in poor condition and need to be removed," Birdsley said. "If approved, this work would be completed in summer 2025. Funds for this would come from sales tax revenue." Challand Middle School SPS replaced nine wooden classroom doors at CMS last summer. This summer, it needs to spend $16,500 in sales tax revenue to replace an additional 10 doors. "We also elected to paint the common areas at Challand as it has been 10-plus years since any painting had been done on the inside," Birdsley said. "The cost for this is $38,000 and will be funded by sales tax revenue. This includes all of the hallways and stairwells at CMS." The school is getting a new track facility that will be completed over the next several summers. The first phase, which began last summer, created an all-weather track and track and field areas, including long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault areas. Birdsley said the new track was used for team practices this spring, and the second phase is projected to add portable bleachers for spectators and a building that will be used for concessions, restrooms and storage. He said SPS is currently working on its facility plan for 2026-2028, which will include the CMS track's second phase as part of its draft plan, but no decisions have been made. Other summer 2025 projects Sections of sidewalks will be replaced at SHS and Franklin and Lincoln elementary schools at a cost of $32,700, using sales tax revenue. Parking lot seal coating will be done at Washington, Lincoln, Franklin and Jefferson elementary schools, as well as at the SPS warehouse, for $46,368, paid for with sales tax revenue. SHS's Roscoe Eades Stadium will undergo masonry and brick maintenance. The project is part of annual maintenance to the stadium's exterior and includes tuck pointing and sealing exterior brick. The work will cost $48,000 and be paid for by sales tax revenue. Lights will be replaced at the field house. Birdsley said the current light fixtures are outdated and the bulbs will no longer be available for purchase in Illinois. The work will cost $25,170 using sales tax revenue. Future projects "We are anticipating including Jefferson and Franklin renovations in our 2026-2028 facility plan and work on those two buildings would begin in summer 2026," Birdsley said. "This work would be similar to our other remodels and would include a secured entrance vestibule, office renovation, student restroom renovation, replacing flooring, new lights, fresh paint, new lockers, and playground enhancements, among other items." The projects will take multiple summers to complete and, based on the costs from remodeling Washington and Lincoln elementary schools, are estimated to cost millions.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'When it happened, it was bedlam. They were so happy.'
Apr. 23—URBANA — In the fall of 2022, two Urbana High School freshmen approached biology teacher Jeff Birdsley with an idea: They wanted to enter the Science Olympiad. And they wanted Birdsley as their coach. Birdsley's initial response: "What's that?' Because it wasn't a thing when I was a student." They explained it, and Birdsely said, "No." He had plenty on his plate already, with teaching and coaching Urbana's swim teams. "I just didn't have time." But within a few weeks, Birdsley stepped down from the boys' swim program, freeing up time for Science Olympiad. Good thing. After failing to qualify for the state finals the first year in 2023, Urbana finished 13th in '24. That set up one of the best finishes ever by an Urbana High School team in any activity: a second-place finish on April 12. Lisle High School won the competition. "We had a goal this year to place top five at state, thought that was realistic," Birdsley said. "The second-place finish was unexpected. Kind of a roller-coaster. When it happened, it was bedlam. They were so happy. The camaraderie was so fantastic." Urbana had six gold medalists in their events: * Colin Guth and Elliot Anderson, wind power. * Elliot Anderson and Natalie Pociask, helicopter. * Natalie Pociask and JJ Lee, materials science. * JJ Lee and Colin Guth, robot tour. * Cecelia Birdsley and Sydney Goeddel, entomology. Urbana's additional state medalists included: * Neha Bhargava and Mia Schroeder, optics. * Mia Schroeder and Natalie Pociask, forensics. * Cecelia Birdsley and Sydney Goeddel, bungee drop. The late-afternoon awards ceremony was held at historic Huff Hall. "It's just great for the culture at Urbana High School," Birdsley said, "Many thanks to my athletic director (Steve Waller) and principal (Jesse Guzman) for supporting us through this. They obviously know the value of having extra-curriculars." The second-place trophy will be going into the case at Urbana High School. And the final step to No. 1 seems like a good bet in 2026. Most of the team returns, including the core group of 11 freshmen who got the ball rolling back in '22. "I tell the kids, 'You absolutely have a chance to win a state championship next year,'" Birdsley said. Urbana competes in Division IA. Schools are seeded. Among the schools in Urbana's division were Palatine, Barrington, Urbana University High, Champaign Central and Centennial. Uni High finished fourth, and St. Thomas More finished in eighth place. "That marks the first time Urbana has ever come out ahead of Uni in the Science Olympiad," Birdsley said. "The kids were just as proud of that as the second-place finish." The stage The Science Olympiad is an annual state competition held on the University of Illinois campus. Teams of 15 students compete in 23 events. Every branch of science and engineering is represented: creating towers, bridges, helicopters, planes and ping-pong cannons on the building side. Most of the events are test-taking in various science disciplines. Fans and coaches were allowed to watch the building events. But the tests are students-only. To reach state, schools advance from a local competition. Urbana was at Parkland College this year, where it finished second and earned a spot in the state finals. Uni High won the local competition. It is a lot of work for the students. Nights and weekends. "Many, many, many hours of studying and preparing," Birdsley said. "They go home and make themselves experts on insects or build the best ping-pong air cannon that they could possibly build." The Urbana team had meetings before and after school, talking about goals. Looking ahead, the team will reconvene in September. A list of events for the 2026 Olympiad will be announced and the Tigers will start preparation. "I try to get kids into something they are going to get passionate about," Birdsley said. Background check Urbana had a Science Olympiad program in the 1990s and early 2000s. There are several regional trophies at the high school, but no state trophies. Until now. The school celebrated the accomplishments, with daily announcements the following week. Birdsley carried the trophy around the school. Birdsley has been a teacher at Urbana High School since 2020. He and his wife, Becky Fuller, who is on the UI faculty, have lived in Urbana for 20 years. Their son Sam is an Urbana High School graduate. Their daughter Cecelia has been a member of Science Olympiad from the start and is also an Urbana swimmer. This year, fellow Urbana High School biology teacher Alex Riley, a UI graduate, joined the team as a co-coach. His first year at the school was in 2023. "This was Alex's year to learn how Science Olympiad works and how to coach it," Birdsley said. "I'm still learning how to coach it." Birdsley and Riley welcome any student interested in participating.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Possible federal funding freeze casts uncertain future for Sauk Valley schools
Feb. 8—STERLING — Sauk Valley schools are facing an uncertain future after a chain of events involving a Trump administration memo freezing the dispersal of federal funding later briefly was paused by the courts. Here is a snapshot of how those events could affect schools in the Sauk Valley area: Sterling Public Schools SPS Director of Finance Matt Birdsley said it currently is unclear which federal programs the freeze could affect. "If it were to impact every federal program with no exclusions, it would impact our Title program, national breakfast and lunch program, and IDEA funding to support special education," Birdsley said. Birdsley said SPS has been allocated $1.2 million in Title I funding. Schools where at least 40% of students are classified as low-income qualify to receive Title I money, which can be used to fund additional teachers, tutors and after-school programs. He said SPS also receives $178,543 in Title II funds, which it uses to provide additional reading and math instructional support to at-risk students in grades K-5. If that funding was eliminated, Birdsley said SPS would have to adjust its budget and reallocate funds to maintain those programs. Rock Falls Rock Falls Township High School District 301 Superintendent Ron McCord said that on average, Title funds supplement 3% to 5% of the school's total operating fund revenue. He said that for fiscal 2025, Title I basic program improvements cost $304,747 and include: * Summer school stipends * Supplemental tech and instructional aides * Supplemental classroom supplies and materials for English language arts and math * Stipends for and social-emotional supports provided by the Student Assistance Program counselor, school counselors and social worker * General school improvement initiatives and professional development for staff * Homeless aid assistance * Dual-credit assistance RFHS plans to use $25,449 in fiscal 2025 Title II funds for teacher training and recruitment, including: * English language arts salary assistance to reduce class size * A new teacher mentoring program McCord said RFHS also plans to use $20,589 in Title IV funds on student support and academic enrichment, including providing hot spots for low-income students, Advanced Placement exam fees and a school safety stipend for its school resource officer. "If these federal funds were not available, programs would be dropped or need to be paid for with local and/or state funding," McCord said. Rock Falls Elementary School District 13 Superintendent Dan Arickx said federal funding for education, including Title I and Title II grants, is not currently affected and remains exempt. However, if that funding were to disappear, several significant changes could occur, such as increased school meal prices, larger classroom sizes and potential staff cuts. "We're talking about a couple million dollars being cut out of a $12 million budget," Arickx said. "You can't cut one-sixth of the budget without reducing the number of staff. The other problem would be that because of school law, to remove those people you have to notify them by April 15. If you do it after that date, then you have to keep them the next year, and you're going to have to spend a ton of money out of your reserves." Arickx said that despite the district having built up its reserve funding over the past 15 years, such a move would be "drastic." Despite the day-to-day confusion many schools are facing across the nation, Arickx said District 13 is not panicking. "There's no real indicators that we are going to be losing any Title or IDEA grant money because those aren't approved by the president, they're approved by Congress," Arickx said. "It would take a lot of work to get rid of those programs."
