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Board approves contracts, donations and personnel items; several surplus and calendar items cleared
Summary
At the Jan. 23 meeting the Watertown board approved multiple procurement contracts (Gato Flooring agreements), an MOU with the Children’s Home of Jefferson County, personnel actions, donations to school programs, disposal/sale of surplus equipment and a calendar amendment to account for a snow day.
The Watertown City School District Board of Education approved multiple resolutions and routine items during its Jan. 23 meeting.
Key procurement approvals included two Gato Flooring contracts: a Wiley School stair repair not to exceed $19,250 and restoration of the high school auditorium stage floor for $43,092. The board also approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Children’s Home of Jefferson County to station a coordinator at the high school; the MOU carries no charge to the district, board members were told.
Personnel actions approved included a list of resignations, retirements and appointments (instructional and noninstructional, substitutes, tutors and coaches) presented by Superintendent Dr. Larry Schmeagle. The board also approved the discontinuation of a probationary appointment effective Jan. 17 and an administrative-paid leave for a noninstructional employee effective Jan. 23 (personnel details were part of the personnel packet).
Donations approved at the meeting included: $300 from QuickMed Urgent Care to support a youth event; $50 from Movement Mortgage; an anonymous donation of weight-room equipment; 40 winter coats from the Watertown City Fire Department; $1,300 and $1,500 grants from the Northern New York Community Foundation’s Safe Schools endeavor for human-trafficking awareness and an early-childhood “Buddy Walk” project; and $1,000 for supplies for the food-for-families program. The board also accepted the transfer or disposal of outdated clinic vision and hearing machines, two decommissioned vehicles (a 2009 Thomas bus and a 2008 Ford truck with plow) and 21 obsolete copiers and printers.
Finally, the board retroactively amended the 2024–25 school calendar after a Jan. 21 snow day: Jan. 23 was designated a testing day for grades 9–12 and a regular instruction day for grades K–8.
Votes on these routine resolutions were taken during the meeting’s consent and action agenda; where roll-call tallies were not read aloud, motions carried with board assent. The district placed several building- and finance-related items on future agendas for additional review (including the transportation RFP for Feb. 4 and the capital project public hearing on Feb. 25).
