Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement And Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves Transact renewal, extends testing contractor and awards several grants
Summary
The Mississippi Board of Education approved a three-year renewal with Transact Communications, extended an emergency contract with Data Recognition Corporation to include science and history testing, and voted to award or modify multiple grants including pre-K, early learning increases and school nurse grants.
The Mississippi Board of Education approved several procurement and grant actions during its Aug. 4 meeting, voting to renew vendor services and to award or modify multiple grants across early childhood and K–12 programs.
MDE staff presented two contract items: a multi-year renewal with Transact Communications to provide data management and program reporting services for a 21st Century program, and an extension of an emergency contract with Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) to add science and history assessments. The emergency contract extension for DRC was described in the board packet as an extension "to include science and history"; the transcript lists an amount that appears in the packet but is garbled in the meeting audio/record (the materials in the packet should be consulted for the exact not-to-exceed figure). The board moved and voted to approve both the Transact renewal and the DRC contract modification.
On grants, MDE sought approval for multiple items under action 3: a competitive State Invested Pre-K (SIP) cohort award for five additional districts totaling $4,725,000 over three years; modifications to early learning calamity grants that raise payments to $3,500 per student and increase certain grant totals; a legislatively mandated $700,000 grant for a statewide class teacher program; a modification with Mississippi State for migrant services that increases that grant by $750,000 (to a total noted in the packet); and school nurse grant awards listed in the backup that the presenter described as totaling $15,000,300. MDE asked the board to vote on the set of grant items together; the board approved the package by voice vote.
Board members did not request substantive debate on the contracts or most grants during the meeting; motions were made and approved by voice vote. The board also approved routine consent items and moved the September board meeting from Sept. 26 to Sept. 17.
MDE staff told the board the full vendor and grant award details are available in the backup materials. Where numerical amounts in the meeting audio are unclear, reporters and stakeholders should consult the posted board packet for precise contract and grant figures.
