Wayne County student backs electronic marquees as board weighs $35,500 bid

The Wayne County School Board on an October meeting discussed replacing manual-change school marquee signs with electronic signs and heard a student testify that a digital sign would speed emergency notices and boost community engagement.

A board member told the board the district received three bids: Golden Rule Sign (about $79,005.42), Suntronics (about $35,500), and Denray Sign Company (amount unclear in the meeting transcript). The board was told the bids specify different pixel spacing: Golden Rule’s bid used a 15-millimeter spacing, Suntronics’ a 6-millimeter spacing and Denray’s a 10-millimeter spacing. Board members and the vendor explained a lower millimeter rating equals higher resolution; the Suntronics 6 mm display was described in the meeting as the highest-resolution option among the bids.

Logan Davis, introduced as a student, told the board an electronic sign is “the single most efficient way to communicate with every parent, student, and community member driving by our school.” He said a digital sign would allow staff to post immediate alerts for closings or weather delays and would reduce the manual effort required to update messages.

Board members discussed financing. A board member said Miss Heather had budgeted $156,000 across the two high schools and two middle schools for signs; when ISM leadership did not approve the signs, the board was advised the district could move the money within this year’s budget and thereby avoid certain salary costs in the next fiscal year. The transcript records discussion that the chosen vendor’s price included software and controls and that the schools would pay $35,500 per sign under the recommended bid.

Warranty and timing details were discussed: the vendor cited a roughly 4–6 week manufacturing and installation timeframe and, according to the transcript, a five-year parts warranty and one-year service for the Suntronics offer.

A board member made a motion on the floor to approve the recommendation accepting the $35,500 per-sign bid. The transcript records the motion but does not include a recorded roll-call or final outcome for that motion.

Details that were not clear in the transcript include the exact figure for Denray’s bid (the number in the packet was not clearly reported aloud) and a named mover/second or vote tally for the final motion on the Suntronics bid.