Albany BOE approves pilot contract with Bullseye LLC after cost questions; one member dissents
Summary
The Albany City School District board approved a pilot contract with Bullseye LLC for an instructional leadership platform amid questions about pricing, rollout costs and alternatives; Board Member Ellen Krejci withheld support.
The Albany City School District Board of Education voted to adopt a pilot contract with Bullseye LLC for an instructional leadership and observation platform after a discussion about comparative costs and rollout plans.
Board President Bridal Chatur put the motion before the board, and Ms. Wilson moved the adoption. Administration described Bullseye as a customizable system that lets the district track instructional success criteria and analyze change over time; the administration said district-wide deployment could cost roughly $50,000 in later years while initial per-school pricing would decline with scale.
Board members pressed the administration for clearer long-term cost comparisons and asked whether the product would be available via BOCES or other cooperative purchasing arrangements that could affect pricing. A district official said some neighboring districts, including Schenectady, use Bullseye and that the vendor’s declining-cost structure would lower per-school fees if the district expands the pilot.
"It's not a sole source," an administrator said, "but it is a really good hamburger"—an analogy used to explain that competing products did not offer the same level of customization the district seeks.
Ellen Krejci said she had outstanding questions and withheld support. The motion passed with the board recorder stating the motion carried "everybody except Miss Krejci." The board did not record a full roll-call tally in the meeting transcript.
According to the administration, the pilot will be limited in year one and the district will return to the board with additional cost and rollout details before broader adoption. The vote followed routine-consent items and will be reflected in subsequent procurement paperwork and vendor contracts.
Next steps: administration will follow up on whether BOCES or other cooperative purchasing arrangements affect access and price, and provide clearer multi-year cost estimates to the board.

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