I hope everyone and their families are doing well.

I wanted to notify the department that there are new positions posted on AppliTrack.

Assistant Manager – 12 mos (non DUTU)
Dispatcher – 10 mos (DUTU)
Vehicle Technology Assistant – 10 mos (non DUTU)

We are filling 2 Assistant Manager positions, 2 Dispatcher positions, and 1 Vehicle Tech Assistant. If you are interested in any of these positions, please click the link below to be directed to the District’s online application platform. The applications will be pulled and reviewed over the next 10 business days, so please complete this process at your earliest convenience.

https://www.applitrack.com/u46/onlineapp/default.aspx…

Additionally, we are extending our Summer Work Sign Up until 5/1/2020. We will be posting our summer pick times the following week, beginning May 4th. Below is the link to the form to fill out for summer work.

https://forms.gle/N3DhHqkR7U6h2dQLA

Please stay safe and healthy, and please ensure to continue to practice physical distancing and wearing personal protective equipment if you must go out into the public

Take care and talk soon.

Beth Lapa
Assistant Director
School District U-46 Transportation
847.888.5095 ext. 7020
elizabethlapa@u-46.org

Let’s begin with working days….As Tony Sanders shared in his message on April 3rd, DUTU employees will be paid for their primary position during the time the Governor has ordered the shelter in place, which is currently through April 30th. During this time, DUTU members should be available to assist when called, complete assigned GCN tutorials and be back up for food and/or chromebook distribution if contacted by these respective departments.
Also, there are a number of free online training classes out there to participate in. Please be on the lookout for an email from Carin inviting you to attend some of these training opportunities.

That brings me to a very important topic, if you cannot access your district email, PLEASE email the help desk at helpdesk@u-46.org for assistance. There are daily emails sent from Tony Sanders and other departments that contain essential information for you during this time. Your district email will be the only form of communication that will be used by the Transportation Department.

Moving on to permits and refresher courses…All refresher classes are canceled. Once we are able to reschedule the classes we will communicate this with you. The drivers that have their permit expiring the month of April and May will be contacted this week by Carin and she will discuss the renewal process with you. Please reference Carin’s email that was sent today, April 6th, for more information.

Additionally, we currently have 2 forms that have been created for the DUTU team to access. They are both simple sign up forms. One was sent out on March 24th to sign up for extra work that may become available through our district’s closure. The second form is to sign up if you are interested in summer work. It is the second link below. Both these forms will be posted on the DUTU Facebook page as well.

Link for Extra Work Sign Up: https://forms.gle/Ksou8nqLvMWVPJ9m9

Link for Summer School Interest: https://forms.gle/QDfprgBURWMqZ7Py6

Lastly, paychecks…if you see a line on your paystub that states DPD DUTU, that stands for District Paid Days. This is the code that Payroll created to populate DUTU hours and payout during the district’s closing.

Please stay safe and healthy. Updates will be provided when available.

Thank you,

Beth Lapa
Assistant Director
School District U-46 Transportation
847.888.5095 ext. 7020
elizabethlapa@u-46.org

Administrators and 12-month non-union support staff (gray area)
ETA members and long-term substitute teachers;
ESSO members;
DUSA members;
DUEA members, including paraprofessionals (general education, special education, library), home school liaisons, sign language interpreters, and piano accompanists;
DUTU members;
SEIU members
Dean’s Assistants
Noon-Hour Supervisors
Part-time Hall Monitors

If you are a regularly scheduled employee but you do not see your particular group on this list, you will still be paid for your primary role. Expect further guidance from your supervisor regarding your duties during remote learning.

All my best,
Tony

Dear DUTU Colleagues:

Last night U-46 and DUTU leadership collaborated on the work expectation for Region 63 Education Support Professionals during the current Stay at Home Order, below is our joint agreement. Please let me know if you have additional questions. Be safe and healthy out there!

REGION 63 EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS
All members will work remotely, to the best of the individual’s ability, with any exceptions being noted below within each group. Members will be paid as normal upon our return from Spring Break on Monday, March 30. Monday will not be a student attendance day, rather an inservice (virtual) for all teachers.

Members do not need to punch in or punch out unless physically working at a U-46 building.

The following applies for the time period of Tuesday, March 31 through April 7 or until such time as the Governor ends the Stay at Home Order. Salaries and benefits will continue to be paid.

In the event the Governor lifts the stay at home order, but keeps schools closed, employees may be called to assist in getting the district departments and all schools ready for when schools reopen.

Duties to be performed remotely by group are as follows:

DUTU
Be available to assist when called.
Do GCN and/or other professional growth or online offerings (IEA/NEA has no cost PD).
Back up for food distribution if contacted by Food and Nutrition Services.

Best,

Ann
—
Ann H. Chan
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
847-888-5000 ext.4071
847-888-7188 fax

Administrators and 12-month non-union support staff (gray area)
ETA members and long-term substitute teachers;
ESSO members;
DUEA members, including paraprofessionals (general education, special education, library), home school liaisons, sign language interpreters, and piano accompanists;
DUTU members;
SEIU members
Dean’s Assistants
Noon-Hour Supervisors
Part-time Hall Monitors

If you are a regularly scheduled employee but you do not see your particular group on this list, you will still be paid for your primary role. Expect further guidance from your supervisor regarding your duties during remote learning.
All my best,
Tony

I’m sure most of you are ready to get back to work. Set the alarm. Lay the clothes out. Lunch made. The daily routine you’ve developed Monday thru Friday. I don’t have any additional information to provide that you don’t already know. To the staff that have children at home, this is an especially difficult time for everyone in the home. Hang in there. We’ll be together soon!

I’ve been working with the Regional Office of Education, ROE in Geneva and I can share with you the upcoming (2) hour Refresher classes scheduled for Tuesday, March 31st, Thursday, April 2nd and Saturday, April 4th have been canceled. The other Refresher classes are being discussed for their continuance. Once a decision has been made, I’ll reach out via email and Heather Weiss will post on the DUTU website. I’ve asked if it’s possible to have an online course similar to our GCN training, although it currently isn’t available, the ROE is researching the idea.

Regarding your CDL permit: The Secretary of State is providing an additional 30 day grace period to have the physical and paperwork completed. For the team members who will need to renew your permit during the month of April and May, Advocate Sherman Immediate Care on Royal Blvd is the only location performing the annual physicals at this time; but in order to not expose yourself to others needlessly, I’m asking you to wait to take your physical.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Stay well!

Carin BjornSafety & Operations Manager, Transportation
School District U-46
500 Shales Parkway
Elgin, IL 60120
(847) 888-5095, x7315

To begin with, take a deep breath…..remaining calm and keeping an open mind through this uncertain time is crucial.

I know you all have questions, concerns, fears and want some answers, and Jeff and I are doing our best to provide those answers to you and any other updates that we have. Please understand though, there are a lot of answers we do not have, because ultimately the District as a whole does not have the answers either. This is new territory for everyone….

With that said, there ARE communication emails being sent out every night by Tony Sanders to staff and families of U-46. These emails are also being posted on the DUTU Facebook page by Heather Weiss, as well as on the u-46.org\COVID website. This website was created to keep the U-46 communities up to date with announcements from the District as well as provide resources for families in need in our surrounding communities.

Things have also changed here at Base since our last message. As of today, the mechanics will no longer be reporting to work. They will only be called upon for repairs needed on warehouse vehicles distributing food and/or Chromebooks to our campuses. Jeff and I will also be primarily working remotely, performing limited building checks throughout the days to come. So this means that the building and the lot are closed until further notice.

Now let’s talk about the student at Independence who tested positive for COVID-19….this student was NOT a bus rider. However, that is the extent of details that Jeff and I have. The confidentiality of this student and their family is important, so no other information is being released to us. I understand this may not resolve the fear you have around the fact that a student has the virus, but please know, this will be the first of many cases within our U-46 community and all we can do is practice what the CDC is recommending. Please visit their website at CDC.gov for how to protect you and your family from the spread of the virus and the symptoms to look out for if you are feeling ill.

Let’s move on to an update of the 2 Hr Refresher course. Carin Bjorn is currently working with the ROE on this matter and will communicate to the team when she has solid answers. But please do not worry about this, there will be a plan to accommodate.

Also, if you are looking to get your physical done during this time, the Advocate location at 2320 Royal Blvd is open daily and the location you want to visit for your physical. The other 2 Advocate locations are being used to treat the sick.

Lastly, as of now, there has been no additional communication on extending our District’s closing. We will ensure to update the team promptly if that changes.

Jeff and I will continue to update the team, at least weekly, on the information being provided to us. Please take care and be safe. Thank you.