Salem School Board approves $359,894.68 copier lease; total cost cited as $407,716.40

The Salem School Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to approve a tax-exempt lease to replace district copiers, selecting Ricoh as the low bidder and authorizing financing through MST Government Leasing LLC.

Board members approved a motion that set a principal not to exceed $359,894.68 and an interest rate of 5.19% per year, with the motion citing a total expenditure over the lease period of $407,716.40. The board also approved a separate motion authorizing the superintendent to execute the lease and related contracts with Specialized Purchasing Consultants, Inc., by a 5-0 vote.

Board members and staff said the district currently operates about 112 printing and copying units and the proposed lease would reduce that number to 111. Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Debbie Payne told the board the recommendation followed a competitive process run through Specialized Purchasing Consultants (SPC), which aggregates bids for districts across Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. Payne said Ricoh — the district’s incumbent vendor — returned the lowest bid based on the district’s historical print volumes.

Payne said the contract is a four-year schedule and that the district expects a fixed annual payment for budgeting purposes. She described two budget lines tied to the arrangement: one for the equipment lease (fixed) and one for maintenance and supplies (variable depending on usage). The bid includes a more expensive “production” copier used at Salem High School for large-format printing and course catalogs.

Board discussion focused on clarifying the amounts and timeline. Vice Chair Bernard Campbell asked whether the motion language reflected the principal only or the full financing; staff confirmed the $359,894.68 figure is the principal and interest will be paid over the life of the agreement. Payne also told the board the district’s current lease finishes with a final payment in August 2025 and that the new lease payments would begin in 2026 under the district materials, while the motion specifically referenced interest through Aug. 1, 2029.

Campbell moved the initial lease approval; the motion passed 5-0. He then moved the authorization for the superintendent to execute the lease and related documents; that motion also passed 5-0.

The board’s materials show an amortization schedule and per-copy pricing; Payne said the bid’s per-copy prices are lower than current rates and that a modest annual adjustment tied to CPI is possible during the five-year pricing window that was included in the proposal documents.

The board will now proceed with the financing and contract execution steps authorized in the vote.