McLean County Times

McLean County Unit School District 5 Board Finance Committee met Oct. 10.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Name                 Absent

Stan Gozur Present

Alex Williams Present

Dr. Kristen Weikle Present

Martin Hickman Present

Thomas Hoerr Present

OTHER UNIT 5 ATTENDEES

Joe Adelman

Monthly Financials

Presenter: Mr. Hoerr

Mr. Hoerr distributed the August financial statements to the Committee for review. He reported that there were no items of an extraordinary or unusual nature to report within the financials.

The Committee discussed the initial distribution of the County Facility Sales Tax (CFST) proceeds. While the estimated monthly generation was projected to be approximately $1 million, the District received approximately $1.2 million for the month of July, exceeding initial expectations.

In response to an inquiry from a Committee member regarding the insurance fund balance, Mr. Hoerr stated that the balance remains in a deficit position and has not seen improvement, but is currently holding steady.

Community Solar

Presenter: Mr. Hickman

The Committee was advised that the agreement, originally scheduled for presentation and review at the October Board of Education meeting, has been postponed and will now be presented at the November Board meeting. Mr. Hickman confirmed that the vetting process has involved key personnel, including himself, Mr. Joe Adelman (Executive Director of Operations), and Mr. Curt Richardson (District Legal Counsel).

The solar farm is anticipated to commence operations in early 2027, with the potential for an earlier online date. The projected savings over the 20-year term range from a conservative $3.675 million to an optimistic $5.187 million. Estimated first-year savings range from a conservative of $183,812 to an optimistic of $259,373. The optimistic estimates are based on a 4% annual increase in electricity cost.

Traversa Agreement

Presenter: Mr. Hickman

Mr. Hickman presented an overview of Traversa, a proposed new transportation routing software system. The District currently utilizes Tyler Versatrans, which requires the maintenance of a local server. Traversa is offered as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution and features direct integration with the Infinite Campus (IC) student information system. It was also noted that First Student has evaluated the platform, and is excited about the transition to Travera.

The proposal is to secure the purchase now for implementation and production use commencing with the 2026-2027 academic year. The system acquisition will also facilitate an update to the District's field trip request system.

Technology Department Vehicle Bid

Presenter: Mr. Hoerr

Mr. Hoerr reported on the bid opening for the Technology Department vehicles, which took place on Tuesday at 3:00 PM. Two bids were formally submitted following the distribution of the Invitation to Bid (ITB) documents to five prospective bidders. The submitted bids were competitive, with the lowest priced at $58,130.00 and the highest at $60,817.40.

The lowest bidder was unable to provide an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) for vehicle delivery and did not include undercoating in their submission. Conversely, the second bidder guaranteed delivery by November 15. Based on these factors, Administration determined that the $60,817.40 bid represented the lowest responsible bidder and will recommend the bid to the Board at the October Board Meeting next week.

Audit Update

Presenter: Mr. Hoerr

The Committee received an update that the financial audit is progressing satisfactorily. Administration is not aware of any prospective findings at this time. It is anticipated that the audit will be finalized in November and is scheduled for presentation at the November Board of Education meeting.

A potential complication exists with the single audit, where the auditors are awaiting the release of the final version of the federal compliance supplement from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). While this could potentially defer the audit beyond the November meeting, the auditors currently maintain a high degree of confidence that the overall completion timeline will not be impacted.

Public Comments

No members of the public were present for comment.

Adjournment & Next Meeting The meeting adjourned at 3:55 PM.

The next meeting is November 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM at the Unit Office.

https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/CustomMinutesForMeeting/1482?meeting=713153