Oconee County board approves technology purchases, votes to enter executive session

The Oconee County Board of Education on Feb. 10 approved two vendor contracts for computer equipment and unanimously voted to adjourn into executive session to discuss personnel matters.

The board approved a bid from Verticon for $198,596 for HP ProBook laptop computers; the presentation’s stated quantity of the laptops was unclear in the meeting record. The board also awarded a contract to ByteSpeed for $88,245 to purchase 111 desktop computers. Both awards were presented to the board in an earlier meeting and were ratified on Feb. 10 by unanimous votes (5-0).

Dr. Branch introduced the action items and told the board the two items had been presented by Mr. McCullers at a prior meeting. Board members voted on each award with no recorded opposition. The meeting record shows the laptop award described in the presentation as “$198,596 for 2 62 HP ProBook, laptop computers”; the transcript audio made the quantity unclear, so the board’s recorded approval refers to the dollar amounts and vendor names as presented.

After approving the purchases, the board moved to adjourn into executive session. A motion read into the record said the board would “adjourn to executive session to discuss or deliberate upon personnel matters as described on the affidavit to be attached to the minutes.” That motion also passed 5-0.

Votes at a glance • Verticon — $198,596 for HP ProBook laptops (quantity unclear in the record). Vote: 5-0, approved. • ByteSpeed — $88,245 for 111 desktop computers. Vote: 5-0, approved. • Motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel matters (affidavit to be attached to minutes). Vote: 5-0, approved.

The minutes for the meeting will record the vendors, amounts and the executive-session affidavit attached to the minutes; the board did not provide additional details in open session about the timeline for equipment delivery or which schools and staff will receive the devices.