Board approves multiple contracts: vocational upgrades, cybersecurity pilot, meal software and EMS certification

The New Britain Board of Education on Sept. 2 approved a slate of procurement and program contracts covering career-technical upgrades, cybersecurity, cameras and lunch management software.

Approved items included purchase orders for Snap-on Industrial and Tekton (auto mechanic shop upgrades), a purchase for OmniData LLC and Coquina Labs Inc. tied to a cybersecurity pilot program (noting an E-Rate pilot covered approximately 85% of the cost), and a renewal of the Ava camera cloud subscription for the 2025–26 school year. The board also approved a contract with Parkland School Solutions for Mosaic lunch-management software, paid from the district's food-service fund.

Nut graf: The approvals are part of routine procurement to modernize career-technical education facilities, enhance district cybersecurity and ensure compliance and reporting in the lunch program.

Board members noted the auto shop upgrades will modernize hands-on learning and allow students to work with emerging vehicle technologies; one board member asked whether mechanics would work on EVs in the future and staff replied the program is preparing for that. On the cybersecurity pilot, staff said an E-Rate pilot program covers the majority of the cost. On the lunch software, staff said the software handles meal counts, point-of-sale ID scanning and reporting required by auditors.

Ending: All listed items were approved by voice vote with no substantive amendments recorded; staff said they will proceed with vendor onboarding and implementation according to funding sources and program timelines.