Grosse Ile Township Schools board approves $362,000 playground contract, authorizes transportation negotiations and sets sinking‑fund election

Grosse Ile Township Schools Board of Education members unanimously approved a set of action items at their meeting, including a recommended contract for a new elementary playground and authorization for the superintendent to negotiate a new transportation contract.

Administrators recommended awarding playground design and construction services to Loton and Associates LLC for a total of $362,000, including hard construction costs of $325,000 and a $37,000 contingency. The recommendation was described as pending final legal review, and the board voted to approve the bid as presented.

The board also authorized the superintendent to enter contract negotiations with Auxilio for student transportation services. Staff said the move follows discussion in a prior work session and could yield cost savings versus the current provider; the negotiation authorization directs staff to return a completed contract to the board for approval after legal review.

Other approved action items included a consent grouping that covered payment of bills for March 1–31, 2024 (transcript amount shown as $1,773,515) and the acceptance of district gifts, including a $400 donation to support the high‑school boys golf team. The board approved a resolution to place a sinking‑fund renewal proposition on a special election ballot on Aug. 6; administrators said the sinking fund renewal would support district capital needs.

The board approved a fiber‑optic maintenance bid to Amcom Telecommunications and noted approximately 40% reimbursement through E‑Rate for eligible costs; transcript text about the total dollar amount was unclear. The board also approved transportation contract negotiation authority, a fifth‑grade overnight environmental education field trip for 2024–25, a 2026 student trip to Korea through WorldStrides, and an overnight HOSA leadership trip to Houston for June 23–30, 2024 (estimated per‑student cost presented as $250).

Superintendent Dr. Carter closed the meeting by congratulating students who qualified for regional and international competitions and by noting that construction fences are going up at the new Grosse Ile Elementary; he said construction updates and a QR code with timelines are being posted on the district website for neighborhood outreach.

Actions recorded in the meeting were presented as motions and carried; the transcript records standard vote language ("all in favor ... motion carries") but does not include individual roll‑call tallies in the public record provided.