Berkeley County Schools OKs $390K+ in purchases, hears construction updates

Berkeley County Schools trustees approved three separate procurement items and received progress reports on several capital projects at the Nov. 4 board meeting.

Purchases approved

- Printers: The board approved the purchase of two commercial color printing presses for the district print shop at a contract price of $260,649.22. District staff said the current machines have reached the end of their usable life after heavy printing earlier this year (including distribution of literacy materials) and that the purchase includes installation, staff training and a per-copy maintenance agreement. A board member moved the motion and the board approved it.

- Water reclamation system (bus wash): Transportation staff recommended an above-ground water-reclamation system to capture and clean bus-wash water and reuse it for subsequent washes. The vendor recommended in the packet (SoBright/"Smart Earth" as presented) had an installed-system price of $123,980.42 and the presenter estimated the system could reclaim roughly 75 to 80 percent of wash water. The board approved the purchase. Staff said the enclosure/modification work needed to house the system would require additional site work; district staff described the immediate modification as likely under $100,000 but also referenced a larger figure during the discussion that the district said it would clarify in a follow-up.

- Playgrounds (grant-funded): Using private grant funding from the Steele Foundation, the board approved Bluegrass Recreation to install playground systems at Pikeside Learning Center ($85,961.25) and Marlow Elementary ($119,491.81), a combined purchase order of $205,453.02. Staff said the grants fully fund the purchases and that earlier cooperative purchasing helped secure favorable pricing.

Facilities update

Facilities staff briefed the board on progress at several active construction sites: Hedgesville Early Learning Academy (site work and utilities), Martinsburg High School (sprinkler installation progressing; other interior trades to follow), and Mackinridge Primary (underground plumbing, concrete slabs, and expected steel deliveries). At Mackinridge, the district said the site lacks sufficient municipal water pressure for fire suppression and that an on-site storage tank and pump (the district cited an estimate in the meeting of roughly $500,000 for a tank) will likely be required; officials said they are exploring funding options and will report back.

No dissenting votes were recorded on the procurement items discussed at the meeting; each was approved after motion and second.

The board also received a routine personnel report and later voted to enter executive session to discuss pending civil litigation (CC-334-2025-C-470) under West Virginia Code —6-4-9(o).