ROCHELLE — The future and finances were the unofficial themes of the Rochelle Township High School Board’s monthly meeting Tuesday night.  The meeting was moved back a day from its normal meeting date because Presidents Day was Monday, and there was no school.
Principal Chris Lewis announced that the last day of school for this year’s senior class will be May 22 with graduation practice to be held on Friday, May 24, and graduation at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.
Because the school has lost six days of school due to inclement weather, Lewis said that other students will be attending class the same day as graduation practice.
Students in ninth, tenth and eleventh grade, Lewis added, will take final exams later this year, on May 28, 29 and 30.
It was also announced that summer school will be held from June 3 until July 12 with the exception of July 4, which is Independence Day.
In a new development this year, Lewis also said that SATs will be conducted differently this year with ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students all taking them on the same day. In the past, eleventh grade students took the test in the spring and the ninth and tenth graders in the fall.

Expenditures
In an unrelated matter, the school board also approved two major expenditures.
The first was for the purchase of several buses, including a 77-seat capacity, type D school bus from Central States Bus Sale,  Inc. for $65, 618, which includes a trade in value of their current bus for $36,000.
The board also agreed to lease six 2020 77-seat capacity, type D school buses for $125,820, as well as one 2020 66-seat capacity, type D school bus, for $22,968, one 48-seat capacity, type D school bus for $25,877, all from Central sales, and one 2019 19-seat capacity mini bus from Midwest Transit Equipment for $29,376.
“These are the same type of buses we’ve purchased before,” Superintendent Jason Harper informed the board, adding that the drivers and maintenance are familiar and comfortable with them.
The board also accepted the bid of $320,000 from Rockford Structures to renovate the school district’s shared district business office. Harper said it was the lowest of five bids, which were opened earlier this month and was $41,000 less than originally expected.
The work is expected to be completed by late May or early June.
In another matter, the board approved the hiring of Kelly Kersten as a shared office business  assistant and Blake Shelton as a maintenance custodian.
The board also adopted a resolution regarding feeder school support.