Work session reviews dozens of recommended purchases, contracts and MOUs including SmartSense sensors and vehicle fleet replacement

During its March 15 work session the Shelby County Board of Education reviewed a large consent and staff-business packet that included recommended purchases, contract amendments, grant acceptances and memoranda of understanding. Staff presented the items for board consideration and answered member questions; no final roll‑call approvals for each item were recorded in the work session record.

Key recommended items presented (amounts and details as stated in the meeting): - Knowledge Tree Summer Learning Academy supplies: $425,060 (presentation recommended purchase). - Amendment to contract with Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (contract number read as 8238920242025): increase to $90,800 (original $75,600 plus $15,200), end date unchanged at 06/30/2025. - CCTE technology equipment: purchases to Avery Jones Educational Solutions — $239,100 (computer hardware) and Unistar Sparco Computers for deployment/asset tagging — $4,933.50. - Cosmetology and barbering equipment (CCTE): Kmart purchase for $134,427.97, purchased under the TIPS cooperative (TIPS number referenced as 230301). - MOU with Shelby County Government Pretrial Services to allow referrals of eligible preschool‑aged children of incarcerated parents to early‑childhood programs for enrollment consideration. - Goodwill Excel Center Mid-South: approval to open two new locations in ZIP codes 38108 and 38134 to replace two previously approved sites (board consent recommended). - Bottled water purchase: master distribution $132,090 for 11,700 cases at $5.10 per case (initial purchase $72,420 and $59,670 for remainder of year). - Grant from Community Foundation of Greater Memphis to Barris Chapel School: $24,959.40 for playground and athletics support. - Heartland School Solutions contract renewal for food management services: $227,205 (includes $184,500 for food management software and $42,705 for meal viewer digital suite). - SmartSense contract to purchase 905 sensors for food-temperature monitoring: total not-to-exceed $827,854; initial 3-year service term $538,192 with two additional 1-year options at $144,831 each (RFP MSCS 0110204ANW referenced). - Purchase of 14 vans and one utility truck for facilities maintenance: $847,495 from Helms Motor Company (presentation slide initially showed inconsistent figures; staff corrected to $847,495 during Q&A). - Chiller preventative maintenance contract (ChemTreat Inc.): $174,430 for one year with two one-year renewal options.

Board members asked for clarifications on several items: how many computers were out of warranty to justify the CCTE tech purchase, specific warranty/out-of-service counts for vehicles, slide inconsistencies in vehicle cost reporting (staff corrected the figure on the record), and details on the SmartSense purchase and its service terms. Where members asked for additional data, staff responded that they would provide the requested details before formal approval.

Because the work session is a preparatory meeting, most items were presented as recommendations for approval; formal votes on individual consent items were not recorded in the transcript excerpt of the work session.