East Penn board approves routine items, fields questions about roof-contract surcharge

The East Penn School District Board of School Directors approved a series of routine agenda items at its Jan. 22 meeting and reviewed details of a proposed roof contract bid.

In roll call votes, the board approved the Jan. 8, 2024 minutes and carried motions on a personnel item, Business Operations items A–C taken together, and educational conference/curriculum requests. The roll-call record showed nine ayes from board members Ms. Bowman, Mr. Fileggi, Ms. Ford, Mr. Jankowski, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Klotz, Mr. Smith, Dr. Whitney and Dr. Levinson for each of those motions.

During discussion of business operations, Dr. Whitney asked administration to explain what he characterized as large line items in the roof contract bid documents: he said the packet showed "a total of around almost 300 ks" allocated for difficult-access or fall-protection work and a separate multiplier for work in a metro or urban area on what he described verbally as a "1.4 $1,000,000 job." Administration responded that many of those items come through the Keystone purchasing agreement administered by the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit Consortium and that vendors bidding under that cooperative typically include standardized line items for fall protection, insurance and other requirements.

Administration explained the consortium prepares specifications, vets bidders for insurance and bonding, and provides standard line-item pricing that participating bidders use; the board did not vote on a specific contract amount during the meeting.

The board also approved curriculum conference participation and other routine items and adjourned after announcing an earlier executive session about personnel and safety and security. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 12, 2024, at 7:30 p.m.