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Board weighs summer bids for gym floor and automated scrubbers amid staffing shortfall
Summary
Oak Grove R-VI staff outlined two summer bids using bond funds: a replacement primary gym floor ($81,322 bid) and proposed purchase of autonomous floor scrubbers. The board debated timing, optics and staffing impacts; a motion to approve two scrubbers was made but no recorded vote appears in the transcript.
District staff presented two summer maintenance bids that require board approval because they exceed $50,000: a $81,322 cooperative bid to replace the primary school gym floor with a TeraFlex multipurpose surface, and a proposal to purchase autonomous scrubbers for large commons and hallway areas.
Staff said the TeraFlex flooring had been well received after installation in the elementary cafeteria/gym last year and that the new floor would be softer for younger children, durable, and less expensive than hardwood. The quoted bid for that primary gym floor replacement is $81,322.
Administrators described autonomous scrubbers as a labor-saving investment to address persistent custodial staffing shortages. Staff and a facilities representative described vendor demonstrations and an expected five‑year bumper‑to‑bumper warranty for the model being considered. Participants cited vendor pricing ranges during the discussion: staff referenced a German-made scrubber offered at roughly $77,000 and a less-expensive alternative at about $47,000; staff also said demo units could be available at a discount (roughly $15,000 off). The discussion included claims from staff that the devices could pay for themselves in roughly three years through reduced staffing costs and overtime, while some board members worried about public perception after a failed levy and recommended delaying discretionary purchases until after the August election.
A motion was made to approve purchase of two autonomous scrubbers. A recorded roll-call or voice vote on that motion does not appear in the provided transcript; the motion’s final disposition is not recorded. The record does show the board discussed buying two machines to cover middle- and high-school square footage and that staff recommended the purchase be funded from excess bond funds rather than general operating funds.
Board members raised several operational and fiscal questions, including whether the district could pilot one machine, whether existing scrubbers could be repaired to carry the district through the summer, whether demo units were available, and the risk that tariffs and supply shortages could raise prices. Staff said bond funds would be used for the purchases and argued that the purchase would avoid hiring difficult-to-fill custodial positions. One director emphasized that the existing heavy-duty restoration machines used for floor refinishing are different from the proposed robot scrubbers and that the robots would not replace restoration equipment.
District staff said they would return with formal contract documents and clarified that any purchase remains contingent on vendor availability and final board action.
