Board approves several construction contracts, student discipline actions and a three‑year internal audit agreement; central warehouse listing agent selected

The Marion County School Board took a string of formal votes at its Jan. 14 meeting on construction and procurement items, student discipline matters and vendor contracts. Below is a concise summary of the actions the board approved on the record during the televised meeting.

Why it matters: The decisions move forward capital repairs at multiple schools, formalize a three‑year internal audit engagement the district will use to meet state requirements, resolve multiple student discipline cases with specific educational placements, and start the process to sell the district’s central warehouse property.

Votes at a glance (key items taken from the meeting record)

- Internal auditing services contract (RSM) — approved - What: Three‑year contract to provide internal audit services required by Florida law; estimated total expenditure $675,000 (FY24‑25: $245,000; FY25‑26: $215,000; FY26‑27: $215,000). Scope includes program and functional audits across the district. - Discussion: Board members praised the firm’s thoroughness and also asked staff to review consultant/attorney fee policy language; one board member raised concern about hourly consultant rates and asked for a policy review. - Outcome: Motion to utilize the piggyback contract was approved; board asked staff to return with policy options for consultant/attorney fees.

- Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) authorizations for capital projects — approved - Vanguard High School roof replacement (project 24‑127): GMP approved to replace multiple building roofs (buildings 1, 8, 14, 16, 17 and 19); work includes full removal and replacement on some roofs, mechanical work to access curbs, and manufacturer warranty. Construction scheduled to start March 4 with substantial completion June 10. - Westport High School brick/flashings remediation (project 24‑111): GMP approved for masonry repairs and flashing replacement to address water intrusion; phased work scheduled to start Feb. 10 with substantial completion May 2. - Discussion: Facilities staff explained technical scope and code‑driven curb/insulation work. Board approved both items.

- Construction manager contract amendments / tax‑saving owner purchase orders (informational and approved items) - The board received informational items noting amendments to several construction manager guaranteed maximum prices that allow owner direct purchase and estimated sales tax savings on specific projects (savings cited in packet and on record). These were presented as informational approvals per superintendent authority and were recorded in the meeting packet.

- Central Warehouse listing agent selection — joint listing agreement approved - What: The board selected a joint listing proposal submitted by two local brokerages (joint Wietjens & Boyd/Aaron Frill listing as negotiated by counsel) and authorized outside counsel and the board chair to finalize listing agreement terms. - Key terms discussed: commission structure, buyer‑broker split, protections for previously interested bidders; the board amended language in negotiation to limit commission exposure for previously known bidders and asked counsel to finalize final terms. - Outcome: Listing agent selection approved on the record; authority given to counsel and chair to complete final redlines.

- Student discipline / expulsions — multiple decisions recorded - What: The board voted on expulsions for several students (identified in the district packet by JD numbers). For most cases the board approved expulsions with educational services; in at least one contested case (JD25‑117) the board tabled consideration to an off‑air portion of the meeting after a board member recused herself because of a personal connection. - Example action (on the record): Motion to approve expulsions for JD25‑116, JD25‑119E, JD25‑121E, JD25‑133, JD25‑137, JD25‑139, JD25‑144E with services for the remainder of the 2024‑25 school year and the first and second quarters of 2025‑26 — motion carried on the record. - Clarifying process: For several cases the board amended recommendation language to provide off‑campus virtual learning services (Edgenuity) rather than no services; district staff said families would be contacted and enrolled to begin virtual instruction promptly. - Outcome: Multiple expulsions approved with specified services; one case (JD25‑117) tabled for off‑air discussion following a board member recusal.

- Consent and routine minutes approvals — approved - The board approved the meeting agenda, multiple sets of minutes from November and December 2024, and the consent agenda items listed as C12.1 through C21.1 per the recommendation on the record. (Multiple motions carried on the record; the clerk recorded that motions passed.)

What the board directed staff to do next

- Facilities to proceed with contracted work and return required change orders or reporting to the next board meeting per superintendent authority (per policy 6345 for change orders under specified thresholds). - Staff to enroll expelled students approved for off‑campus virtual services (Edgenuity) and to notify families the next day when applicable. - Legal and administrative staff to finalize the central warehouse listing agreement per board direction and to execute closing documents for other approved real‑estate items as needed. - Staff and legal counsel to prepare materials for a board work session to review consultant and attorney fee policy language after questions surfaced during the internal audit contract discussion.

Quotations (selected)

“We have to employ an internal auditor,” explained Ms. Bostonellis of business services, describing statutory obligations and the recommended three‑year contract to meet state requirements.

“If there's documentation in our records that indicate that they've paid a rate that is different than the fee schedule historically, and they've never paid our fee schedule, then they get to keep paying that until we adopt a new fee schedule,” said Dr. Allison Campbell during the facility fee discussion — language the board later used as a basis for preserving documented historical nonprofit rates.

Meeting evidence and how to find it

The decisions above are recorded in the Jan. 14 meeting audio and the board packet. Staff indicated contract amounts and timelines in the public packet; the clerk noted approvals and votes on the public record.

If you are a party affected by a decision (a nonprofit that uses district facilities, a contractor with an approved GMP, or a parent or student involved in a discipline case), check the official board packet and the audio/video archive for the full motions and attachments.