Meeting Summary and Briefs: Lincoln-Way District 210 Board of Education for February 19, 2026

Lincoln-Way District 210 Board of Education Meeting | February 19, 2026

NEW LENOX – The Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Board of Education met on Thursday, February 19, 2026, to conduct routine business, review financial reports, and approve significant contracts and infrastructure upgrades.

In addition to ratifying a new three-year contract for support staff and approving a $479,000 wireless network refresh (see full stories), the Board handled several other items of business. The meeting opened with the approval of a consent agenda that included personnel reports and bill payments totaling over $4.2 million.

News Briefs:

Foundation Gifts $30,000 to High Schools:
The Board formally accepted donations totaling $30,000 from the Aileen S. Andrew Foundation. According to gift letters dated January 7, 2026, the Foundation provided separate checks of $10,000 each to Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, and Lincoln-Way West. The funds are restricted gifts designated for “various school-related functions and extracurricular activities.”

Out-of-State Travel Approved:
The Board approved three out-of-state travel requests for music programs. The Lincoln-Way Marching Band will travel to St. Louis, MO, from October 23-25, 2026, and to Indianapolis, IN, from November 13-15, 2026, for competitions. Additionally, the Lincoln-Way West Jazz Band was approved to travel to Kalamazoo, MI, from March 7-8, 2026, to participate in the Western Michigan University Jazz Festival.

2026-2027 Board Meeting Schedule:
The Board reviewed a draft of the meeting schedule for the 2026-2027 school year. Assistant Superintendent Michael Duback noted adjustments were made to avoid conflicts with the “Triple I” conference in November and to align the April meeting with the post-election seating of new board members. The proposed schedule lists meetings on August 20, September 17, October 15, November 12, December 17, January 21, February 18, March 18, April 29, May 20, and June 17. The schedule will be brought back for final approval next month.

Bills and Invoices Approved:
The Board approved the presentation of invoices for the period of January 16, 2026, through February 19, 2026, totaling $4,258,751.49. The payment includes $2,535,285.48 from the Educational Fund and $903,459.13 from the Operations & Maintenance Fund. During discussion, Board members clarified expenses regarding GSF (custodial services) and Life Safety architectural costs.

FOIA Requests:
The district received several Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in January and February. Requests included inquiries from “SmartProcure” for purchasing records, “databranch.com” for fleet management software contracts, and an individual requesting records on dollar thresholds for purchasing authority. The district denied the request regarding purchasing thresholds, noting no such document existed.