Board hears and advances wide slate of contracts, grants and MOUs covering graduations, IT, food service and early‑childhood programs

The Shelby County Board of Education reviewed a large set of staff action items covering event venues, enterprise IT support, food‑service equipment, maintenance contracts and multiple early‑childhood program agreements.

Highlights included a requested contract of $236,717.50 with Memphis Management Group to rent graduation space at the Cannon Center and Renaissance Convention Center; a proposed $494,682.21, three‑year Microsoft Unified Support contract (annual cost $164,894.07); and capital equipment approvals including about $415,976 for eight walk‑in freezer/coolers and $168,798.32 to replace four nutrition‑services truck engines. The board packet also listed a series of First 8 Memphis agreements for preschool direct services, wraparound supports and coaching totaling several million dollars across contracts (ratifications in the $1.3M, $5.0M and $259K ranges) and a $2,041,000 Porta‑Leaf Head Start contract to operate 13 classrooms.

Procurement and legal staff said the district had engaged the convention center on pricing and planned to explore master agreements to lock multiyear pricing. Multiple trustees, including Board Member…