Williamston board approves $613,000 contract to replace middle- and most high-school lockers

The Williamston Community Schools Board of Education voted to award a contract to Trumbull Group to replace all lockers at Williamston Middle School and most lockers at Williamston High School, with a total cost not to exceed $613,000 funded from the district—s 2024 bond.

The board moved and approved the contract during its March meeting after facilities staff explained the bidding and contractor-selection process. "We went out to bid... we were able to get 3 bidders for this project," a staff member summarized, and said the district checks contractors— safety and financial responsibility before recommendation.

Board members discussed scope and design: middle-school lockers will be single-stack and deeper to accommodate Chromebooks, while most high-school lockers will be double-stacked. Facilities staff said the work will remove some lockers in specific corridors and add benches in one area to better match usage patterns. "One of the issues we have is students trying to jam their Chromebook in there... now they'll actually be able to take their Chromebook, and it should slide in lengthwise," a staff member said.

Board members asked about locker dimensions and safety; staff said middle lockers would be about 15 inches wide in the central sections. The project also was described as an aesthetic upgrade for the high school interior.

The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all recorded members voting in favor: Nancy (yes), Dave (yes), Sarah (yes), Heather (yes) and Deb (yes). The contract will proceed under the 2024 bond fund.

Funding source and basic scope were stated at the meeting; the timeline for installation and exact manufacturer/specifications were not specified during the discussion and will be part of contract administration and subsequent project scheduling.