Board approves Fremont Stars sale, bleacher replacement and multiple purchase orders

At the Dec. 1 meeting, the Lincoln Board of Education acted on several facilities and procurement items recommended by the facilities committee.

The facilities committee had recommended selling Fremont Stars Elementary (101 North Pine Street) to Fremont Ford Inc. A motion to table the Fremont Ford item failed after discussion; the board then proceeded to a vote and the motion to accept the committee recommendation passed.

The board also approved removal and replacement of bleachers in the old gym at Southern Wayne High School and approved a two-year rate-lock agreement with Duke Energy to lock power rates for Goldsboro Middle School and Spring Creek Middle School; the Duke Energy agreement was approved "pending legal review," as the board attorney advised.

District staff presented several purchase orders including a $68,785 capital small-projects request to move an AC unit from the Fremont gym to Eastern Wayne High School and two transportation department POs (one for parts and one for an engine). A mistaken $175,000 supporting document was identified and removed from consideration before the board approved the corrected POs.

Board discussion included a question about moving district equipment from a property that had an active purchase bid; staff said conversations had occurred with the prospective buyer and the relocation was planned in coordination with the buyer.

The board approved other facilities items from the committee agenda (acreage-language retention in the Bridal Primary land purchase agreement, surplus maintenance items, and support-service POs) after the chair confirmed they had come out of committee and therefore did not require a second.