Forest Hills updates on construction bidding, furniture purchases and transportation challenges; consent items approved

The Forest Hills Board of Education on Sept. 8 received multiple finance and operations updates covering capital projects, a furniture purchase for Pine Ridge, transportation staffing challenges and potential state funding changes that could affect school meals.

Finance director Dr. C.J. Muschak told the board the district's aquatic center project is out to bid with early interest from contractors; related athletics, turf and parking projects at multiple schools are scheduled for bidding this fall and could come back to the board for decisions this winter. Muschak said Northern Hills Middle School design will go to bid this fall and that the district expects eight or more major projects next summer.

As a finance item the board reviewed final furniture purchases for Pine Ridge Elementary. Muschak reported multiple purchasing cooperatives and four vendors are involved and the district will exceed $251,815 for final furniture to outfit classrooms, the media center, flexible learning spaces and offices; a property-tax reimbursement to Kent County of $28,398.08 was noted in the packet. That spending was part of the meeting's consent grouping, which the board approved by voice and roll-call vote earlier in the meeting.

The business office was recognized for earning the ASBO (Association of School Business Officials) Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for the seventh consecutive year, an item Muschak highlighted when summarizing the finance report.

Transportation and operating challenges drew substantial discussion. Superintendent Kirby described persistent driver shortages that the district and other districts face, noting the district is using short-term plan cancellations and borrowing staff time from offices and mechanics to fill routes. He said the district is considering operational responses used elsewhere: consolidated stop locations (neighborhood pick-up points rather than many curbside stops), revised school start times and shuttle models to reduce the number of routes. Kirby said these are not decisions yet but areas being considered and that intentional communications to families will precede any changes.

Kirby also warned that state-level budget decisions could affect free school meals. He said some proposals at the state level include drawing funds from the School Aid Fund for other priorities; if funding is not restored districts could be required to end the current no-cost meal programs after Sept. 30 and begin charging for meals starting Oct. 1. He urged the district to push families to complete free/reduced lunch paperwork, noting the district receives its first payments on a later schedule (the transcript cites an early-October payment date).

Operations director Corey Anderson gave the board a departmental highlight before the finance report. Anderson said the operations team maintains roughly 2,100,000 square feet of facilities, about 619 acres, and a workforce of about 80 staff (custodial, grounds, maintenance and office personnel). Anderson told the board the department completed 4,519 work orders in the past year and completed 10 playground projects across the district this summer; he also outlined district coordination on 23 (and closer to 36, when follow-up is included) furniture installations from four vendors across the district.

Board members also certified a voting delegate and alternate for the upcoming Michigan Association of School Boards leadership conference. The board certified CJ Michaud as the voting delegate with the meeting chair as alternate by voice vote.

Consent items (agenda items 4a1 through 4c1) were moved, seconded and approved by roll-call vote earlier in the meeting. The consent grouping included the Pine Ridge furniture item noted above.