The Clay County Board of Education authorized staff to request bids for four categories of purchases: non-ethanol gasoline, diesel, motor oil and antifreeze; propane fuel; dust mops and mats; and a new telephone system at Hermitage Springs School.

Board members said annual bids for fuel and supplies are routine. The telephone system request was prompted by repeated issues at Hermitage Springs and by limited cellular reception in that area, which a board member described as a potential safety concern.

"We've had some issues as an old system, at the Hermit Spring School... if it happened again, they didn't know that, they could get it fixed... I think that's something that, first and foremost, could be a safety concern," a board member said during the discussion.

The board approved a motion to request bids for all four categories by voice vote.

Next steps: staff will advertise the bid requests and return recommendations to the board for award evaluation.