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District seeks emergency authority to replace obsolete fire alarm at school; superintendent to act under policy 7.13
Summary
District staff told the board a fire-alarm system at 'Joel's school' is obsolete and unrecoverable, and asked the board to declare an emergency purchase so the superintendent can expedite replacement; counsel advised the superintendent may act under policy 7.13 and return a tabulation for board ratification.
District facilities staff told the Levy County School Board that a school fire-alarm system has failed and that the original parts are obsolete, requiring a full or major-panel replacement. Mr. Toth, who presented the overview, said district technicians were unable to repair the system and a contractor informed the district the manufacturer no longer makes the required parts.
"The system is obsolete. They don't even make the parts for it that we need anymore," Mr. Toth said, describing attempts to obtain replacement parts and a contractor estimate that exceeded the district’s informal-bid threshold. He warned that following the full public-bid process could delay installation into March or April and said staff considered declaring an emergency expenditure to expedite repairs.
Board counsel advised the board that policy 7.13 allows the superintendent to act in emergencies and that any emergency action would be brought back to the board for ratification and a formal tabulation of bids. "The superintendent can act first, but then we'll bring back to the board for ratification what has been approved," counsel said (speaker 17). Board members pressed staff about vendor timelines and holiday delays; staff said they were soliciting additional quotes and would present a bid comparison and recommendation for review at the next meeting.
No dollar amounts were disclosed during the meeting. Staff described the next steps as (1) solicit at least two additional vendor proposals, (2) proceed with an emergency procurement or immediate vendor award under policy 7.13 if necessary for student safety, and (3) provide a formal bid tabulation to the board for ratification at the next meeting.
