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Board approves bond, school furnishings, curriculum guide and administrator contracts
Summary
DeWitt Public Schools’ Board of Education on March 10 approved a package of actions including a bond issuance resolution, purchases for school furnishings and equipment, asbestos abatement and extensions of administrators’ contracts.
DeWitt Public Schools’ Board of Education on March 10 approved a series of board actions including a resolution to authorize issuance of funds for bond projects, furnishings purchases for Shady Road Elementary and DeWitt Middle School, audiovisual equipment for the bond project, asbestos abatement work and administrative contract extensions.
The board approved the consent agenda first — minutes, treasurer’s report, bills for February 2025 and an out-of-state overnight student trip to the High School Business Professionals of America state conference in Grand Rapids — before taking action items. Superintendent Kevin Robidek described the bond sale action as the final step in a process that began in November and said the resolution would allow staff to finalize the sale.
Specific award recommendations approved by the board as presented were: $79,436.01 for furnishings at Shady Road Elementary; $620,000.28 for furnishings for DeWitt Middle School (phase 2); $128,815 for bond-related presentation systems and associated equipment with Moss; and a $34,920 award to Green for Life for summer asbestos abatement tied to the 2021 building and site capital project. The board also approved the 2025-26 DeWitt Middle School curriculum guide and authorized the superintendent to execute extensions for principals and administrators for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years, with contracts to be executed by June 30, 2025.
Board members moved and supported each motion in turn and the board chair called for voice votes: for each item the board responded “Aye” and the chair declared the motion carried. The transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies for the action items.
Superintendent Robidek offered brief clarifying remarks during the meeting on the bond resolution: “Just, we started this process back in November. There's an initial resolution that was passed by the board. ... so it's just taking that last step and that resolution approved so we can finalize the sale.”
Board members did not provide detailed vote counts in the meeting record. Where dollar amounts or line-item breakdowns were read aloud (for example, the asbestos abatement award was read as a $34,920 total with a verbal breakdown for Shady Elementary and middle school phase 2), the meeting transcript includes slightly garbled spoken figures; the board packet or contract documents likely contain the authoritative, itemized figures.
The meeting moved from action items to public comment; speakers used public comment to press for greater transparency on bond project materials and the bond website as well as to raise concerns about a February 27 bus incident. Board members and staff discussed follow-up steps including more consistent notifications to families about transportation delays and plans to publish periodic bond updates online.
The board adjourned after a final motion to adjourn was moved and supported.
Ending: Several action items approved will proceed to contract execution or bidding as described in board materials; the district said it will follow up with further communications about pool project timelines and bond-website updates.
