Board approves cafeteria furniture, rejects EV bus project‑management contract

LANSING, Mich. — The Lansing Public School District Board of Education on Jan. 28 approved a purchase of cafeteria furniture for the new Patton‑Gillow pod and rejected an RFP recommendation to hire an external project manager for the district’s electric bus work.

Board action at a glance - Cafeteria furniture: The board approved a purchase of tables and seating for the Patton‑Gillow pod cafeteria. The motion to accept the purchase recommendation was made, seconded and approved by voice vote. - EV bus project management RFP: The board voted on a recommendation to award a contract for EV bus project management. A roll‑call was taken; the motion failed. Recorded votes available in the meeting audio indicate at least four members voting yes and at least two voting no; the clerk did not record a unanimous majority in favor and the recommendation was not adopted. - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda by voice vote; trustees also discussed one flagged item in the minutes for later correction after review of the recording.

Context: The EV bus RFP recommendation was circulated to potential bidders and consortiums; HR and procurement staff said they had solicited Michigan-based organizations and national vendors but did not receive a local vendor proposal during the posting window. Some trustees asked for a rebid or expanded outreach rather than approving the contract as presented.

What’s next: District staff said they can reissue or broaden the RFP and will bring any new recommendation back to the board for consideration.

Votes and procedure notes: The furniture purchase was approved in open session with no roll‑call tally recorded in the minutes. The EV bus RFP recommendation was decided by roll call; the meeting recording contains the roll‑call sequence that the clerk will include in the official minutes. The board also discussed a potential correction to previously drafted minutes and agreed to review the recording and amend adopted minutes at the next meeting if necessary.

Meeting details: The board met in regular session; the agenda included presentations and routine business. The superintendent noted the district had experienced internet and phone interruptions earlier in the day caused by an off‑campus utility incident; staff said services had been restored.