Granbury ISD reviews $115,719 contract to replace Oakwoods Elementary fire alarm panel; trustees press contractor exclusions and scheduling

Granbury ISD administration recommended replacing the fire alarm control panel at Oakwoods Elementary with a proposal priced at $115,719.66 from Firetrol Protective Systems under a BuyBoard contract.

District staff said the current panel was struck by lightning earlier this year and is outdated and difficult to service. The recommended replacement would move from a zone‑based system to one that pinpoints the precise activation location, the staff presentation said; the change was described as a code‑driven upgrade requested by the city fire marshal, Kevin Jones.

Trustees probed the proposal’s exclusions — such as sheetrock repair, painting or ceiling tile replacement — and were told those minor finish items would be handled by district staff and are expected to be minimal because most work would be overhead. Trustees also raised concerns about market volatility language in the vendor’s quote and asked that the purchase order terms clarify that the district not absorb unbounded material‑cost increases; administration said the district had included an 8% allowance for change orders in its planning.

Staff said the contractor will schedule the extensive work over the summer to avoid in‑school disruption; the vendor had provided a competing quote earlier in the process (approximately $189,585) and the Firetrol price represented a lower option. The meeting transcript records board discussion and a motion to approve work, and administration said purchase‑order terms should override the vendor's market‑volatility language. The transcript does not contain a numerical roll call of the vote on this item in the excerpt provided.