Board approves curriculum changes, multiple second-high school trade awards and several district purchase authorizations

Bennington Public Schools’ board on Dec. 8 approved a set of motions that advance curriculum, construction and operational plans ahead of the district’s second high school opening.

The board approved three curriculum proposals the district prioritized for 2026–27: adding additional coaches to expand participation, launching boys tennis now that courts are complete, and converting a dean-of-students role to an assistant principal position to broaden candidate pools and support transition to a second high school. Administration said one line-item on proposal materials listed $47,000 as an illustrative per-program cost and that the district would allocate $74,620 toward these curriculum proposals in the '26–'27 budget. The motion to accept the curriculum committee’s recommendations passed on a roll-call vote with no recorded dissents.

On the second high school project the board approved awards for several trade packages. Administration reported the pre-bid estimate for the scopes before the board was $9,680,955; recommended awards totaled $9,548,970, roughly $132,000 under that estimate. The board approved awards recommended by the administration, including Marsh Creek Construction (interior plywood; $1,632,103), 82 AM Concrete ($3,048,932), Alpha Land Surveying ($121,900), Northwest Steel ($2,216,865), Couture Paint (waterproofing; $433,100) and Bear Services (termite control; $21,070), plus several packages assigned to Housing Construction for access/hoisting and material handling as presented. Administration said Hausman is reviewing all bids to ensure apples-to-apples comparisons before subsequent approvals for remaining bid scopes.

The board also authorized the administration to purchase used buses or vans up to $150,000 (to be paid from depreciation funds). District leaders said the fleet is aging and that prior online-auction opportunities were missed because the normal approval timeline could not keep pace with auction timing; the authorization is intended to allow staff the flexibility to act quickly on suitable used-vehicle opportunities while continuing committee oversight.

Separately, the board approved opportunistic early technology purchases at a cost of roughly $315,000 for Chromebooks (for incoming 6th and 9th graders), some staff MacBook devices, and K–2 touch-screen Chromebooks with licensing. Administration reported the same purchases later in the year would cost about $431,000 and that buying now saves the district an estimated $116,000.

Finally, the board approved a 3-year mechanical service agreement with Saris for inspection and service of district HVAC equipment. The contract was presented with year‑1 pricing of $68,969, a year‑3 price of $70,969, a fixed labor rate of $125.75 per hour and a $25 trip charge; the motion limited the annual cost to not exceed $70,969 and passed by roll call.

All motions listed above were put by motion, seconded, and recorded as approved by roll‑call vote. The board also approved the consent agenda, one early graduation request and concluded administrative reports. An executive session was proposed to discuss collective bargaining and staff negotiations at the meeting’s end.

What’s next: Hausman and administration continue review of remaining second-high school bid scopes; boundary/demographic work and mascot/color recommendations were described as upcoming community-facing steps; further action on procurement and construction packages is expected at subsequent meetings.