Votes at a glance: Saline Area Schools board approves abatement contract, bus purchase and CARES grants; invites superintendent finalists

The Saline Area Schools Board of Education approved multiple administrative and procurement actions at its April 22 meeting, including an asbestos abatement contract, the purchase of two school buses, and distribution of CARES discretionary grants. The board also authorized interviews for a set of superintendent candidates and approved a modest travel reimbursement policy for out‑of‑state first‑round candidates.

Here are the actions the board approved, with key details and outcomes:

Asbestos abatement contract: The board voted to follow the recommendation of Nova Environmental, awarding bid #1 for asbestos abatement at Saline Middle School to Martin & Associates Environmental LLC for work scheduled to begin June 9. The contract amount was read into the record as $225,000.679 as submitted by Rex Clary, director of operations. The motion was moved and seconded during the meeting and approved by voice vote with no opposition.

School bus purchase: The board approved purchase of two IC 77 passenger buses (model year 2026) at a combined cost of $310,840 from Midwest Transit through the Michigan School Business Officials cooperative bus purchase program. Director of Operations Rex Clary explained the purchase is part of a vehicle replacement plan and will provide interim capacity until the district’s ordered electric buses arrive in late October or early November. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition.

CARES discretionary grants — Round 2: The board approved the second-round distribution of CARES discretionary funds totaling $88,500 as recommended by the district CARES advisory council. The approved breakdown was: Best Life Art/Festivals (dementia-friendly Saline group) — $12,000; Liberty Club transportation — $20,000; Liberty Theatre upgrade (community ed) — $20,000; Saline Park improvements (City of Saline Parks Commission) — $8,000; Saline Rec Center enhancements — $8,500; Saline High School wrestling room mats — $20,000. The advisory council’s recommendations followed standard grant-review criteria; the board voted to approve the distributions.

Approval of closed session minutes: The board approved closed session minutes for April 8, 2025 (attorney‑client privileged communication under section 8(h) of the Michigan Open Meetings Act). One board member abstained from that vote, citing absence from the earlier meeting; the remainder voted to approve.

Rescind of Policy 2264 (administrative note): The board voted to formally rescind policy 2264 after receiving notice that the model vendor had rescinded the posted version. The matter had been discussed in the policy committee and the board voted to rescind the policy as recommended.

Superintendent search — candidate interviews: As part of the district’s superintendent search process, the board used a consultant-led ranking exercise to identify finalists. The board voted to invite seven candidates for first‑round interviews. Interview nights were scheduled to begin the week of April 29, with a plan to start at 5:30 p.m. on one night and 6 p.m. on the other. The board also approved reimbursing coach‑class airfare for out‑of‑state first‑round candidates up to $1,000; other travel or lodging reimbursements would be considered later if candidates advance to a second round.

Consent agenda and routine items: The board approved a consent agenda of routine business items as printed, and moved other standard agenda items as part of the evening’s business.

What the board asked staff to do next: For each procurement and grant award the board directed staff to complete standard contracting and purchasing steps, confirm schedules (e.g., asbestos removal to start June 9), and provide any required follow-up reporting. The superintendent search consultant will notify candidates, handle scheduling and background checks, and distribute redacted resumes for the finalists once slots are confirmed.