Saint Marys Area board approves fire-alarm replacement, renovation agreement, technology purchases and personnel actions

At its meeting, the Saint Marys Area School District Board of Education approved a series of facilities, technology and personnel actions, including a $384,500 contract to replace the fire-alarm system at South Saint Mary’s Elementary School and a facilities agreement to manage renovations to the district’s proposed ax shop and adjacent carpentry shop.

The board recommended approval of Ulster Park Electric to replace the South Saint Mary’s Elementary School fire alarm system for $384,500, to be funded with bond Series 2024 and supplemented by grant funds from PCCD. The board also approved a facilities agreement with KTH to produce drawings, manage an RFP and oversee the renovation project for the district’s proposed ax shop and the adjacent carpentry shop; that work was identified to be funded from bond Series 2024.

Board members also voted to retroactively approve change orders to be funded with bond Series 2024 that included a Dave Roman change order of $11,375.36 for a high‑school retaining wall and a $799.60 change order for lawn‑mowing equipment listed under Steve Lawnmower Sales and Service.

The board approved two technology procurements from Advanced Computer Solutions: a low bid for faculty Lenovo devices and the most qualified bid for student Chromebooks. The meeting record did not include purchase amounts for the technology items.

Under general school affairs, the board approved closing a high‑school HOSA student account and transferring the remaining balance to the SkillsUSA student account. The board also approved the listed personnel actions; the minutes state all employment recommendations are provisional for 30 days pending pre‑employment conditions and note that schedule hours for some hires are less than 29 hours per week.

Most motions were approved by voice vote with the chair calling for “Aye” and the minutes recording “motion carries.” The transcript does not provide individual roll‑call vote tallies for these actions.

Votes at a glance - Approve KTH agreement to prepare drawings, manage RFP and manage renovations to proposed ax shop and adjacent carpentry shop; funding: bond Series 2024. Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: not specified. - Approve Ulster Park Electric to replace South Saint Mary’s Elementary School fire alarm, $384,500; funding: bond Series 2024 and PCCD grant funds. Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Missus Skidler. - Retroactive approval of change orders funded with bond Series 2024 (Dave Roman: $11,375.36 for high‑school retaining wall; Steve Lawnmower Sales and Service: $799.60 for lawn mowing equipment). Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Missus Fish. - Approve low bid for faculty Lenovo devices from Advanced Computer Solutions. Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Mister Wunderly. - Approve most qualified bid for student Chromebook devices from Advanced Computer Solutions. Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Missus Disch. - Close HOSA student account and transfer remaining balance to SkillsUSA student account. Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Doctor (last name not specified in transcript). - Approve personnel actions as listed (employment provisional for 30 days pending pre‑employment conditions; several hires with scheduled hours under 29 per week). Outcome: approved (voice vote; motion carries). Mover: not specified. Second: Missus Bish.

Context and significance The largest single contract noted in the meeting record was the $384,500 fire‑alarm replacement at South Saint Mary’s Elementary School, described by staff as partially offset by PCCD grant funds (the transcript references “about $130,000” from PCCD but gives an imprecise figure). The facilities agreement with KTH is scoped to drawing production, RFP management and project oversight for vocational shop spaces; the board identified bond Series 2024 as the funding source. Several retroactive change orders were ratified under the same bond authorization. Technology purchases are intended to replace or augment faculty and student devices; specific dollar amounts for those purchases were not included in the transcript.

Administrative notes The approved personnel items are provisional pending standard pre‑employment checks; the board’s motion and the meeting minutes specify a 30‑day provisional period. The transcript records multiple voice votes with the chair or presiding member asking for “Aye” and then stating “Motion carries”; individual board members’ votes were not named in the transcript.

Forward look The board scheduled an additional executive session after adjournment to discuss a student‑discipline matter, personnel, and a contract settlement, per the meeting record.