Board approves amended NASA BOCES instrument purchase, trims trombone order to cut cost

The Mineola Board of Education on Sept. 18 approved a five‑year agreement with Nassau BOCES for musical instruments and related services and voted to amend the purchase after rising costs made the original plan unaffordable.

The resolution authorized the district to enter a contract with Nassau BOCES’s regional information center for 403 musical instruments under Education Law §1954 (as referenced in the meeting) and set a not‑to‑exceed price. Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagel told the board that tariffs had increased costs and the district eliminated 10 trombones from the purchase to lower the total cost to $108,009.37 and 57¢.

Why it matters: the purchase is part of a multi‑year refresh cycle the district uses to amortize instrument purchases over five years, rather than rely on rentals. The superintendent said the program reduces rental needs and associated costs to families and creates an in‑house repair cycle overseen by staff (identified in the meeting as the instrument coordinator).

Discussion and action: after a brief amendment motion to reduce the purchase amount and remove 10 trombones, the board voted “Aye” and the resolution passed. The superintendent noted the district is in roughly its fifth year of the refresh cycle and that the purchase will reduce rental costs charged to parents.

Implementation notes: Nagel said instrument repair and management will increase staff workload and named a staff member who will oversee repairs. The contract was described as subject to approval by the commissioner as required under Education Law. The board did not provide a detailed roll call vote in the publicly read minutes.

Ending: the board approved the amended purchase and directed the superintendent to finalize contract details and proceed subject to the commissioner’s approval.