The Richland School District One Board of School Commissioners handled a series of formal actions at its March 26 meeting, approving personnel recommendations, contract awards and administrative requests in unanimous votes.
Key outcomes recorded by the board:
- Motion to enter executive session (personnel and legal matters) — moved by Commissioner Harris, seconded by Commissioner Meyers; carried unanimously (recorded as 7-0).
- HR hires: The administration recommended hiring Jamal Bar as assistant principal at Hayward Gibbs Middle School; the board approved the recommendation without dissent.
- Employee discipline: Administration recommended a two-day unpaid suspension for an employee referenced in executive session. Commissioner Harris moved to postpone action pending further investigation; the motion passed unanimously.
- Contracts and procurement (items 11.01–11.08): The board approved cooperative contracts for STEM lab equipment and furniture, new laptop computers, textbooks and publications, HVAC replacement at WG Sanders (Grace Theater), furniture consulting, temporary nursing staff services, Kronos software licensing, and summer-reading books. Commissioners asked questions about laptop distribution, theater accessibility for the HVAC project and nurse staffing levels before approving the slate.
- Operations: The board approved a letter of support for McIntyre JNGB’s land-acquisition effort (administration said the purchase would remove the parcel from the tax rolls and stated it would be at no cost to the district).
- Superintendent/Construction: The board authorized administration to negotiate and execute changes to the Vince Ford Early Learning Center construction contract, including potential temporary suspension to preserve resources and reduce cost to taxpayers.
Where specific tallies were recorded, the meeting transcript notes unanimous approval for motions (reported as 7-0). Several items were approved on voice votes after brief board discussion or staff responses to questions.
The board also set its next regular meeting for April 23, 2024, at the Stevenson Administration Building.