Board approves facilities projects, contracts and a property sale; several items carried by voice vote

The Harrison County Schools Board of Education voted March 17 to approve a package of facilities projects, vendor contracts and a property sale that the board said will support upcoming school moves, building security work and district operations.

The quickest votes included contingency funding for Lincoln Middle School’s gym floor and a larger gym refinishing contract for other schools. The board approved $13,160 from the district contingency fund to cover one-half of a quoted $26,320 refinishing cost for Lincoln Middle School’s gym floor; the school had saved the other half. Separately the board approved a broader refinishing and repair contract with R H Huffman in the amount of $70,085 for additional gym work referenced on the agenda.

Board members also approved a purchase order to Central Van and Storage for moving and removal services not to exceed $255,021.50 to relocate several schools, and a recommendation to sell the former Norwood Elementary School to Magnus Cadence Properties LLC for a contract price of $291,000 (the contract price includes a buyer’s premium the agenda listed as $26,500 payable to the auction firm). The board approved donating a decommissioned school bus to the Stonewall Fire Department for first-responder training.

Other contract actions approved included a second renewal to Precision Properties for grass cutting in specified feeder areas not to exceed $125,000 and a renewal to Evergreen Lawn Care for Bridgeport, Clarksburg and South Harrison areas not to exceed $220,000. The board also approved entering a contract with Frontier Communications for wide-area network services, listing an initial 1-gigabit service at approximately $309 per month on the vendor bid sheet supplied with the agenda.

Personnel and administrative items voted by the board included routine consent items, approval of an out-of-state travel/study request, and the superintendent’s personnel recommendation to terminate an employee (Theresa S. Southern, effective March 17, 2025) as listed on the agenda. The board entered and returned from an executive session for personnel matters during the meeting; a volunteer baseball coach appointment was pulled for later consideration.

No roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript; items were carried by voice vote with “aye” recorded and no recorded opposition for those motions noted on the record.

Votes at a glance - Lincoln Middle School gym floor (contingency): approved; requested amount $13,160 (half of $26,320). - Gym refinishing and repair (R H Huffman): approved; contract amount $70,085. - Moving and removal services (Central Van and Storage): approved; not to exceed $255,021.50. - Sale of Norwood Elementary School to Magnus Cadence Properties LLC: approved; contract price $291,000 (buyer’s premium $26,500 paid to auction firm). - Donation of decommissioned school bus to Stonewall Fire Department: approved. - Precision Properties grass-cutting renewal: approved; not to exceed $125,000. - Evergreen Lawn Care grass-cutting renewal: approved; not to exceed $220,000. - Frontier Communications wide-area network contract (1 Gbps noted on bid): approved; agenda shows ~$309/month for 1 Gbps service. - Out-of-state travel/study request: approved. - Personnel recommendations (as presented, with one volunteer baseball coach appointment pulled): approved; one termination approved (Theresa S. Southern, effective 03/17/2025).

What board members said and next steps Board members asked routine procurement questions (for example, why a particular mover was selected and whether other vendors had capacity). District staff said Central Van and Storage was on the state contract list and that other firms lacked the equipment, personnel and insurance to handle the scope. The superintendent and staff said they would continue inventory and coordination work to simplify teacher and classroom moves and would make surplus or reusable items available to other schools before auctioning.

The actions taken fund immediate needs tied to moves and project timelines; several construction and bid items discussed in the superintendent’s report will return to the board for contracting and scheduling decisions.

Sources: meeting agenda and board discussion transcripts.