GENTRY -- The school board, on July 23, accepted the apparent low bid of Laxen Painting to paint the high school stadium field house and do general painting in a number of locations within district facilities but declined to accept bids for cement work at the schools.
Bids were received from Diamond D Construction and Nabholz Construction Services for cement work on various sidewalks, a bus parking pad and other minor concrete projects, with Diamond D Construction's bid for the cement work being $63,927 and Nabholz bidding the work at $186,196. Because Diamond D failed to submit insurance information, the company's bid was disqualified from consideration.
However, because of the wide difference in bid prices, school board members expressed concern that the bid specifications may not have been correctly understood by one or both bidding companies. The board rejected the bids for cement work and directed Randy Barrett, Gentry School District superintendent, to re-advertise the projects and allow new bids to be submitted.
The project included a visitor's side sidewalk and ramp to the new concession stand, a sidewalk to the playground area at the primary school, a visitors' bus parking pad, repair of the cement slab by Pioneer Stadium and other minor cement projects.
The school board did accept the bid of Nabholz to repair or replace the entry doors to the Gentry High School lobby at a bid price of $6,182. Nabholz was the only company to submit a bid for the door project.
In other business, the board approved a biennium budget for school year 2015-2016 of $17.6 million. The state requires the board to approve a biennium budget each year.
The board approved on its final reading a policy revision changing the salary schedule for classified employees (those not licensed to teach). The policy change gives classified personnel a 3 percent raise in the next school year and adds another step -- Step 22 -- to the salary schedule.
In May, the board also approved an across-the-board raise of $1,000 for teachers in the district. With the step increase, Barrett said the change would amount to about $1,500 more next year for returning teachers.
After an executive session on July 23, the board extended the teacher raise to Barrett as well.
After some discussion, the board approved entering into a five-year exclusive contract with the Coca Cola Company to provide soft drinks at school district facilities. Under the contract, Coca Cola would provide vending machines at school campuses and supply the high school concession stand. In return, the school would receive $1,500 annually plus other benefits, including donated product and promotional sporting gear.
Sales by the Pioneers Booster Club would be included under the contract.
The board approved the certified resignations of Kim Fougerousse from the IV-B Consortium, Tracey McCartney as fourth-grade teacher and Angie Howie as intermediate school art teacher. The board approved hiring Matt Wood to teach English at the high school and Sophia Barrett (not related to Randy Barrett) as a special education teacher in the intermediate school.
Numerous hour changes were made to the kitchen personnel schedule to help operate the lunch program in the black. The district had to add approximately $40,000 to fund the lunch program in the 2012-2013 school year, and Barrett estimated it would have to fund a similar amount in the 2013-2014 year.
Student disciplinary action tabled at an earlier meeting was brought back to the table with no action taken. The recommendation was suspension for the remainder of the current school year. But, with the current school year over, no action was required.
General News on 07/02/2014