Sterling, Rock Falls school boards will meet Wednesday

Sterling Public Schools and Rock Falls High School will each have regular board meetings on Wednesday.

Regular session for Sterling will be 7 p.m. at the high school library. Rock Falls begins at 7 p.m. at Room 137.

Sterling

The administration is asking the board to approve a one-year extension to its existing contract with First Student Inc. of Naperville for bus transportation.

The rate increase is 8.2%, mostly to account for the prescribed change in minimum wage.

In a schedule illustrating the increases, a regular morning and afternoon route for a single bus in 2023-24 will cost $295.57. That’s a $22.40 increase over the last school year.

Midday routes will cost $105.97 per bus, special education routes will cost $334.22, and special education route requiring use of the wheelchair lift will cost $365.36.

In another matter, the board will vote on approving an auditor for 2023, 2024 and 2025 for the district and Whiteside Regional Vocational Center. The district received four proposals and is recommending Lauterbach and Amen LLP.

The board will also be asked to approve the tentative amended budget for display and set a public hearing on it for June 28. According to the district, the amended budget shows anticipated revenues of nearly $67.2 million and expenditures of $65.3 million for the year ending June 30.

Rock Falls

The board’s academic spotlight will feature the nursing report by Darcy Feather and the student activity spotlight will be on National Honor Society’s Lori Kyger.

The board is expected to vote on a second reading of revisions to the student handbook and approve the resignation of English teacher Angela Duggins effective at the end of the school year.

The board will set meeting dates for 2023-24.

The district published its end of the year calendar, including a senior awards ceremony at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at the main gym, the teachers’ institute and awards breakfast at 8 a.m. May 26, and graduation ceremonies at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 28 at the main gym.