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Finance committee approves dark-room removal bid, ag barn design and Stellar program lease; special-education reimbursement may increase
Summary
The Board's finance committee moved to award three contracts and approve a new rental for the Stellar program; the agricultural barn will be paid from an ASTE grant and the district expects a higher excess-cost special-education reimbursement pending state filings and timing.
The Southington Board of Education's finance committee reported March 24 that it moved forward on several facilities and program decisions, awarding construction and design work and approving a new rental site for the Stellar program.
Committee chair Carson said the board voted to award a bid to convert a former high-school dark room into usable classroom space, to Acorn Builders Inc. of Vernon, Conn., for $43,600. "We no longer use that as a dark room...the need for a dark room is no longer there," Carson said.
The committee also awarded bid 20205-6 for schematic design and material costs for a new agricultural science barn to Barn Pros Nationwide Inc. (Monroe, WA) for $180,645. Carson said the barn project will be funded entirely from the ASTE (Agriscience and Technology Education) grant funds and is not part of the district operating budget.
On the Stellar program — a community-based program the district operates — the committee recommended approving a rental at 48 North Main Street at $34,800 annually plus utilities for up to a five-year term with an option to renew. Committee members asked staff to obtain cost estimates for any site improvements before finalizing terms. "Mr. Romano met Mrs. Aresco and Ms. Cahill over at the site today, and they walked up with the engineer. They're going to put a plan together and they will bring it back to us," administration said.
Carson also provided an update on state special-education funding. He said the state legislature allocated an additional $41.42 million to education, and the district currently anticipates its excess-cost special-education grant reimbursement could be reimbursed at 75.8% rather than the 62% reported in January. Assistant or committee members cautioned that the final district reimbursement rate depends on districts' March 1 filings and the state’s final calculation; funds that were expected to be distributed in April may not be released to districts until late June, according to one county finance association briefing given to board staff.
All motions reported by the committee were approved by voice vote during the meeting. Board members indicated administration will return with site-improvement cost estimates and final lease terms for Stellar before any tenant improvements proceed.
