Board approves 2025–26 food bids, kitchen equipment purchase and Interlocal agreements; OKs list of property to sell

The Board of Education of District 15 on May 12 approved multiple procurement and partnership items for the 2025–26 school year, including food-service vendor contracts, a $35,400 kitchen equipment purchase, two Interlocal Cooperation Act agreements with Educational Service Unit (ESU) 5 and a district property disposition list.

Why it matters: The decisions set vendor relationships and routine operational spending for food service and school technology and alternative education support for the coming year, and clear surplus or obsolete equipment for sale.

The board approved the consent agenda at the start of the meeting, removing one item (8.1) from the action portion before voting to adopt the remainder. The consent agenda included minutes, accounts payable, budgetary receipts and expenditures for April 2025, committee minutes and a set of hiring approvals and policy third readings. The board recorded the absentee excusals contained in the consent motion. The transcript does not provide a roll-call tally for the consent vote; the chair announced that the motion passed.

Votes at a glance (formal actions taken)

- Bread bid (2025–26): The board approved awarding the bread bid to Bimbo Bakery / Sara Lee. Motion moved by a board member (not named in the transcript) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Specific vote tally not provided in the record.)

- Milk bid (2025–26): The board approved Highland Dairy Foods as the milk vendor for 2025–26 after receiving only one formal bid and a separate company decline letter noting cost concerns. Motion moved by a board member (not named) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Vote tally not specified.)

- Purchase of new kettle pot for Beatrice High School: The board approved purchasing a replacement kettle pot from Buhler Fixture Company for $35,400. The administration reported repeated repair attempts had failed and the purchase will come from the cafeteria fund. Motion moved by a board member (not named) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Vote tally not specified.)

- Interlocal Cooperation Act agreement — technology coordinator with ESU 5 (2025–26): The board approved continuing the interlocal agreement with ESU 5 for a technology coordinator and related services (hardware repair and implementation support). The administration said the district has used ESU 5 services since about 2019 and described recent support for camera and display panel installation. Motion moved by a board member (not named) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Vote tally not specified.)

- Interlocal Cooperation Act agreement — alternative education program with ESU 5 (2025–26): The board approved the interlocal agreement to provide an off-campus alternative education placement administered by ESU 5. Under the arrangement described by administration, the district pays for the coordinator while ESU 5 covers building, maintenance, cleaning, utilities and sponsorship; the district receives 10 student slots at the alternative program. Motion moved by a board member (not named) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Vote tally not specified.)

- Approval of property to sell (per transcript reference to policy "3 30 90"): The board approved a list of surplus or unused property to be sold. Items described by administration include an aerator, cedar (equipment), six to seven HVAC units, approximately 50–60 orange lockers, a pallet of pavers and two 2008 12‑passenger vans (the vans will not be sold immediately and may be retained for alternate district uses until a final decision). Motion moved by a board member (not named) and seconded by Charles. Outcome: approved. (Vote tally not specified.)

Administration and budget context provided during the meeting

- Treasurer's/budget snapshot: The district reported April general fund payroll of $1,820,281.63 and bills of $617,688.76, for total April expenditures of $2,437,969. Revenue for April was reported as $2,495,134. The district reported it is two-thirds through the budget cycle (listed as 66.64%) and had spent 62.67% of the budget, giving a reported surplus of 3.97% through April. The administration cautioned that June through August typically include large purchases and that the surplus may be needed for those year‑end and summer expenditures.

- Purchase funding note: The new kettle pot purchase was identified as coming from the cafeteria fund.

Meeting procedure and voting details

The transcript records motions followed by the chair’s request for votes and the announcement "motion passes" for each item, but it does not record individual board member roll-call votes or exact yea/nay tallies for the motions listed above. Where the transcript names seconder "Charles," that name is recorded; most motions show an unnamed board member making the motion in the meeting record.

What the record does not specify

The meeting transcript does not include formal roll-call vote tallies or named aye/nay votes for the motions listed above. The record also does not provide the full text for the removed consent item 8.1. Any specific contract or vendor terms beyond the award and price noted above were not provided in the meeting transcript.