U‑46 board reviews AVID elective alignment and proposed world‑language adoptions, with associated costs

District staff brought two curriculum proposals to the board: an aligned AVID elective for secondary grades and a package of world‑language materials to support honors and AP pathways.

Beth McKinney, coordinator of instructional programs and post‑secondary success, proposed districtwide alignment for AVID 7–8 and AVID 1–4 to reduce variability across schools and strengthen vertical skill progression. Administration said weeks‑at‑a‑glance materials are included with the district’s AVID membership; quoted costs for memberships across 15 middle and high schools were $74,760, and estimated professional‑learning costs for up to six staff per secondary school totaled $61,650 for 2026–27. Administration recommended approval and authorization for district staff to execute related documents; implementation would begin with teacher training this summer.

Separately, Jacob Van De Martel and Celia Banks presented proposed adoptions for honors Spanish 4, AP French, AP Spanish Language and heritage Spanish resources. Rationale: provide a clear pathway to AP courses and the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. Staff proposed a one‑year renewal for the AP Spanish text 'Temas' (Vista Higher Learning) while vendors update materials, bundled heritage resources for one year, and Wayside resources for AP French and honors Spanish 4. Professional learning costs for the rollout were estimated near $11,000. Vendor quotes presented included a Vista Higher Learning line item of about $90,005.89 for the AP Spanish and heritage bundle (one year) and Wayside quotes for other titles. Administration emphasized that the proposals align to district strategic plan goals on academic growth and readiness.

Board members asked clarifying questions about proficiency scale landing points, differences between honors and AP pacing, and how implementation and assessment data will be used to evaluate the adoptions. No final adoption votes were recorded at the meeting; staff said the materials and cost items were included in the 2026–27 budgets and asked for authorization to execute documents as presented.