EAST CENTRAL ISD staff presented several operational items to the board, including proposed updates to procurement thresholds, recommendations for materials-testing and commissioning vendors, and preliminary plans for a bus maintenance and parking facility.

Staff said the district will propose a policy amendment to align the district’s asset-control and procurement thresholds with the Office of Management and Budget guidance that governs federal funds. Staff described an existing asset-control threshold of $5,000 for federally purchased items and said the amendment would update district policy to match the federal standard; staff did not state the final threshold figure in the transcript excerpts provided. Staff also discussed a proposed increase in the procurement approval threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 before items would be brought to the board for approval.

On instructional and construction oversight, staff recommended specific materials-testing providers and said commissioning is required for projects to verify systems operate as designed. Mr. Thomas described materials testing as a process to verify structural soundness, contractor credentials and that materials and assemblies meet specifications. Staff said a recommended provider has met qualifications and offered competitive pricing and that the district has used the provider previously.

Staff also reported that the district had completed a land purchase of 14 acres for a proposed bus facility and presented site and floor plans. The proposal described a secure perimeter fence with controlled access, two entrances and a single exit to the facility, a fueling station, a covered automated bus wash and parking planned to grow from an initial 120 spaces to 150 for buses. The maintenance building was described as having eight service bays and administrative offices; staff said the site plan includes room for future expansion and additional employee parking.

On instructional materials policy, staff said the district is not adopting the referenced SLAC model for library and instructional materials and instead plans to continue under the district’s innovation pathway. Staff said the district’s DEIC (District Educational Improvement Committee) reviewed the approach and voted unanimously to meet the district-of-innovation requirements; staff proposed adding a policy-review subcommittee of the board to review flagged titles and return recommendations. The transcript does not record a subsequent formal board vote on that recommendation.

Staff noted that the district is currently not receiving certain ADA funds for a project and that, for those cases, the district would submit a waiver request to the appropriate state agency (transcript references “TDA”/“DEA” in different lines) to request authorization. Staff framed these waivers as case-by-case requests and said each would require agency approval.

The transcript excerpts provided record staff recommendations, internal committee approval, and planning details but do not show formal board votes or final approvals on the procurement threshold change, vendor selections or the bus facility. Several items were presented for board consideration and scheduled for future action.