Board presses Youth Guidance for itemized budget, questions 15% indirect cost

At the Student Achievement meeting, district staff presented a proposed FY27 renewal of Youth Guidance services (BAM/WOW). Board members focused questions on the contract’s budget assumptions: Miss Hannah asked whether the district was paying for operations in Chicago and asked for documentation showing staff are assigned to Waukegan and not Chicago. She also asked for an itemized listing of the 15% indirect cost and questioned a budget line described in the presentation as $288,419 for indirect costs.

A board member noted a roughly $1.2 million proposal earlier in the relationship’s expansion and asked how the district is ensuring value for taxpayer dollars; another board member estimated the program’s per‑student cost at approximately $2,000 when dividing the proposed expense by the number of students served. Youth Guidance representatives said the budget is a reimbursement grant and that "we invoice for this grant and we only invoice for services that have been rendered." They confirmed the 15% rate as the federal de minimis indirect rate and agreed to provide names of staff working in Waukegan and an itemized indirect-cost breakdown in writing.

Board members requested additional data about participant thresholds (how the vendor counts students who receive a one-time touch versus ongoing services), site staffing levels and whether funds are being paid for vacancies. Youth Guidance told the board that attendance is tracked weekly after a multi‑week orientation and that thresholds exist for counting participants; the board requested those thresholds in follow‑up materials.

No final vote on the renewal occurred. The superintendent and Youth Guidance agreed to supply requested documents in writing before the next substantive board consideration of the contract.