Taylor School District approves a series of contracts and technology renewals totaling several hundred thousand dollars

The Taylor School District board on Aug. 7 adopted a slate of procurement approvals and renewals covering facilities, transportation, food-services and educational-technology contracts.

Facilities: The board accepted a single bid from Expert Heating & Cooling to replace a rooftop applied-air makeup unit at the Career Center South for $101,350. The same vendor received the award for a Carrier app controller and combined space temperature/CO2 sensor install at Hoover Middle School at $3,599 per room with a board amendment limiting the purchase to "not to exceed 12 rooms." Both motions passed 5–0.

Transportation and food services: The board awarded a tires-and-support contract for the district bus garage to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in an amount quoted at $61,187.50 (annual estimate) and approved a milk-and-dairy contract with Prairie Farms for $217,000. Food-service staff reported last year’s service volumes and said milk costs would be charged to the food-service fund.

Technology and curriculum: The board approved technology renewals paid from grant funds: Nearpod Vocabulary ($63,464), DiscoveryEd Mystery Science ($29,950) and Edmentum ($32,143.50). The board also approved a ReadyMath/I-Ready classroom curriculum purchase with materials and software not to exceed $118,397.06; staff said professional-development costs of $61,600 will be funded from Title II (the meeting transcript contains a later transcription error listing $6,161,600, which staff had not asserted in their presentation).

Fiscal and risk services: Taylor & Morgan was approved to perform the district audit for a base fee of $35,000, and the board accepted a Gallagher Bassett renewal for workers' compensation administrative support with a base cost of $38,556.

All procurement and renewal motions were carried by the board without recorded dissent; votes were recorded as 5–0 on each advertised action where a vote was taken.