Board approves gym padding, debates cafeteria furniture and flooring funding at Sulphur Springs
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Summary
Board approved gym wall padding as an immediate safety item and debated funding sources and timing for cafeteria furniture and flooring at Sulphur Springs Elementary. Members discussed splitting costs between capital-outlay and maintenance lines and the need for county-commission approvals for major amendments.
The Washington County Board of Education approved immediate funding for wall padding at Sulphur Springs Elementary and engaged in extended budget discussion over cafeteria furniture and flooring during the December meeting.
District staff recommended purchasing gym wall padding ($10,162.90) and cafeteria furniture (about $65,917.91). Board members characterized the wall padding as a safety priority and moved to approve that item immediately. Flooring quotes for the cafeteria were incomplete and variably priced; staff indicated the flooring estimate was likely below $25,000 but requested additional quotes to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons.
Finance staff outlined two main budget sources for the purchases: a capital-outlay category (a $76,100 line was discussed) and a maintenance/general-fund category. Members discussed the feasibility of splitting the furniture cost between those categories to avoid over-depleting any single line. Finance staff cautioned that moving funds between major categories could require county-commission approval and might delay procurement.
After debate, the board approved the wall padding purchase and recorded a motion to approve the cafeteria furniture contingent on identifying a split funding approach (capital outlay and maintenance lines) and confirming available balances. Staff committed to providing outstanding purchase-order and outstanding-commitment details at the next meeting so the board could finalize funding without endangering maintenance reserves or vehicle-line needs.