Board reviews multiple staff purchase and contract recommendations including devices, printers, custodial extensions and bus routing software

The Shelby County Board of Education considered a package of staff recommendations for purchases, contract renewals and contract extensions across technology, custodial services, textbooks and transportation software. The items were presented individually by staff with funding sources and contract details.

Key items presented (recommendations and amounts as presented to the board):

- Apple devices for American Way Middle School: $205,329 (presentation listed $174,279 for 420 iPads and $31,050 for 450 Apple Pencils). Funding: state school improvement grant (SIG 2). - Hamilton High School devices and deployment: $188,690.60 (split $152,280.60 and $36,410). Funding: SIG 1 and SIG 2. - Panorama Education Inc. renewal for student perception surveys: $197,400 (renewal under RFP 092321FM; one renewal option remaining). Staff noted the survey supports teacher evaluation as part of qualitative measures; Dr. Tangston and Dr. Whitelaw said aggregate survey data can be requested and shared in non‑student‑identifiable form with principals and teachers; access for parents to individual student data was not available. - Perpetual Capital Holdings doing business as Novatech: $166,502.25 for 675 printers and toner for the Department of Exceptional Education (RFP 120224LP). - Tennessee Book Company contracts: $230,000 for digital textbook access (cited compliance with TCA 49‑6‑222, effective 07/01/2024) and $155,250 (three‑year total, $51,750 per year) for textbook inventory management (RFP 011725LB). - University of Virginia Partnership for Leaders in Education: $37,500 for professional learning and $65,000 (presented as $66,000) for executive summer leadership support for CSI schools and one district leader. - Custodial contract extensions: Hess (custodial services for 38 facilities) $4,025,438.92; Parkwho LLC (22 facilities, Zone 1 including Caldwell Guthrie) $2,019,713.22; ServiceMaster Clean SPE LLC (22 facilities, Zone 1) $1,893,026.30. Each extension was presented as covering July 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2025. - Education Logistics Inc.: $205,133.37 for bus routing software and services (one‑year option exercised); staff said the system adds a parent portal for bus tracking and that complaints have been low this year. - Safeware Inc.: $487,980 for a training simulator. - Bolton High School roof contract amendment (B4 Plied Inc.): end date extended to 12/30/2025 with no change in cost.

What board members asked and staff responses: Board members asked about parental access to Panorama survey results and whether the district can share aggregate results with parents; Dr. Tangston and Dr. Whitelaw said aggregate non‑identifiable data could be requested and shared with principals and teachers and that staff will explore how to provide appropriate parent‑facing reports. On bus routing software, staff said the parent portal enables bus tracking and reported that complaints have been minimal this year; the board asked staff to bring complaint‑tracking data to a committee or work session.

Votes and procedure: Each item was presented as a recommendation for approval. The provided transcript does not record roll‑call votes for each individual contract in the excerpt; staff presentation language used the phrase "Board chair recommends that the Shelby County Board of Education approve" for each item.

Ending: Staff asked to return to the board with follow‑up information where requested (complaint tracking on bus routing, Panorama data access) and the board proceeded to other business items.