Board passes consent agenda items, contracts and budget actions; camera system proposal clears first vote

The Scranton School District Board of Directors approved a slate of consent, budgetary and operational items at its March meeting, including bill payments and payroll, budget transfers, lease and repair authorizations, construction contracts and personnel actions.

Key outcomes at a glance

- Agenda and minutes: The board approved an amended agenda and approved previous meeting minutes (approval of minutes recorded as passed by roll call; tally noted in meeting record).

- Finance and payroll: The board approved a bill list showing $759,084.38 in payments (tally recorded; one abstention on a payment due to a disclosed lease relationship) and approved the payroll and exception bill lists covering payroll runs and other items with total amounts reported in the board packet (meeting roll calls recorded; tally recorded on the payroll item).

- Budget transfers: The board approved budget transfer requests, including an amended Scranton High School transfer increased from $15,750 to $25,500 to cover scoreboard replacement costs; the overall motion was recorded as passed and the administration will update attachments accordingly.

- Leases and repairs: The board authorized a lease for a rental chiller with Scranton Electric Heating and Cooling Services ($9,550 per month for eight months; $76,400) with a demobilization cap; approval was subject to administrative review.

- Site investigations and rebids: The board authorized CHA to proceed with a geotechnical investigation and design for slab repairs at Neil Armstrong Elementary not to exceed $20,000 and voted to reject and rebid a floor-installation contract at West Scranton Intermediate School due to insufficient competitive bids.

- Construction and security contracts: The board awarded a contract for West Scranton High stairwell fire doors (recommended award $289,000) and authorized the district to proceed with Ricotta phase 2 camera installation to Harris Technology Services; administrators provided a first-shift cost estimate of $3,188,312.13 with an alternative second-shift cost of approximately $3.0 million. Board members asked administrators to confirm whether previously approved intercom licenses and new intercom licenses on the camera proposal overlapped and requested a memo clarifying licensing across projects.

- Personnel and settlements: The personnel report and an employee workers' compensation settlement were approved (all hires contingent on background checks and clearances).

Many motions passed by roll call with recorded tallies in the meeting transcript; a selection of tallies and outcomes is listed below for reference. Where the meeting transcript did not record a named mover or seconder, the minutes show the motion was seconded and a roll call followed.

Votes (selected, tallies as recorded in meeting roll calls)

- Approval of prior minutes (9/09/24, 10/7/24, 11/4/24): motion passed (roll call: 8 yes, 1 no). - Bill payments ($759,084.38): motion passed (roll-call tally recorded in transcript: 6 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention). - Payroll/exception bill lists (total amounts reported in packet): motion passed (tally recorded: 7 yes, 1 no, 1 abstention). - Budget transfers (amended Scranton High attachment): motion passed (9 yes, 0 no). - Rental chiller lease authorization (total not-to-exceed $83,900 including demobilization): motion passed (9 yes, 0 no). - CHA geotechnical study for Neil Armstrong (not to exceed $20,000): motion passed (9 yes, 0 no). - Reject and rebid West Scranton Intermediate floor installation: motion passed (9 yes, 0 no). - Award West Scranton High stairwell fire doors ($289,000): motion passed (9 yes, 0 no). - Ricotta phase 2 camera installation (first-shift cost $3,188,312.13): motion passed (8 yes, 0 no; board requested follow-up on intercom license counts and the option to move cameras if facilities are reconfigured). - Personnel report: motion passed (8 yes, 0 no; one director absent for parts of the meeting). - Employee workers' compensation settlement: motion passed (8 yes, 0 no).

What happens next

Administrators will update attachments and documentation for budget transfers and circulate memos summarizing next steps. The solicitor and administration will provide a memo clarifying intercom licensing and whether previously approved construction work included intercom hardware or licenses so the board can reconcile differences before authorizing additional licenses or hardware purchases. Several items approved at this meeting require contract execution and administrative review before work begins.