Board approves IT contracts, emergency repairs, financial reports and personnel actions; moves to closed session

The DeSoto County School District board approved a series of motions on procurement, finance and personnel during the meeting. Most approvals were voice votes with no roll-call tallies recorded in the transcript; each motion passed after the chair called for "aye" and the minutes recorded "hearing none, that motion passes." The board also moved to consider a closed (executive) session to discuss student discipline, residency appeals, potential litigation and a potential contract.

Procurement and contracts: - Fortinet firewall services and support: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex (described in the packet) and authorized entering a contractual agreement for firewall services and support. - Network management and monitoring equipment and services: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex and authorized a contractual agreement for network management and monitoring services. - Network switches: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Business Communications and authorized entering a contractual agreement for network switches. - Wireless access points: The board accepted the lowest and best bid from Synergex and authorized entering a contractual agreement for wireless access points.

Emergency and vendor payments: - Emergency restoration at Moore Lake Elementary: The board approved an emergency purchase for Blue Sky Restoration to remove water and dehumidify a classroom at Moore Lake Elementary School, based on a plant maintenance packet. - Payment to vendor for Olive Branch High School instructional services: The board approved paying a vendor for services rendered prior to a purchase order after the principal provided documentation; the transcript does not specify the vendor name.

Finance and administrative approvals: - Approval of minutes: The board approved minutes from the March 3, 2025 board meeting. - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda (items a through d in the packet as presented). - Statement of revenues and expenditures for January 2025: The board approved the report; the transcript records general fund revenues through January at $184,893,342 (about 2% higher than FY24) and total fund revenues of $218,120,938 (about 4% higher than last year). General fund expenditures through January were $169,331,988. - Combined balance sheet and fund balance: The board approved the combined balance sheet for January 2025; the transcript records a general fund balance of $196,628,171 (up 10% from FY24). - Statement of cash flow and bank reconciliations for January 2025: The board approved the cash-flow statement and certified that all bank statements were reconciled with no exceptions.

Personnel and other administrative actions: - Personnel approvals: The board approved personnel changes presented in the packet, including adding new units at Oak Grove Elementary for 2025–26, reclassifying the supervisor of construction to manager of construction effective April 1, 2025, and adding two part-time student success adviser positions at Southaven High and DeSoto Central High (19.5 hours per week at $30 per hour each). The transcript also records provisional pay for a teacher at Lewisburg Mills School pending licensure from the Department of Education.

Executive session: - The board approved consideration of a closed session to discuss student discipline matters, a residency appeal, potential litigation and a potential contract. The chair said Mr. Chase would later inform the public whether the board entered executive session.

Most motions were moved and seconded by board members as noted in the transcript; votes were taken by voice and recorded as passing when no members voiced opposition. The transcript does not include roll-call vote counts or named yes/no votes for these items.