The Hamblen County Board of Education on its January 2026 agenda approved a set of purchase contracts and capital projects that include a $1,138,259 redesign of school nutrition serving lines and mobile fixtures, $47,528.72 for virtual-reality welding simulators, a $26,052.60 digital marquee for Lincoln Heights Elementary and a $23,500 Hillcrest Pre-K playground.

Board members moved and seconded each item and approved them by voice vote. The district listed the school nutrition redesign and mobile fixtures as a submission by Jennifer Buchanan; the CTE welding simulators were submitted under the CTE line and referenced as a purchase of $47,528.72. The digital marquee and playground were listed as capital projects submitted by Matt Drennan with the marquee to be purchased from Sign Executives and the playground from Elevate Play Collective.

The board approved several student trips tied to the purchasing/consent docket as well: Westview Spring Beta Club’s Washington, D.C., trip ($749 per student, self-pay) and a Union Heights elementary spring trip (81 people, $591 per person, self-pay). These trip approvals were recorded as part of the same consent/action sequence.

The board’s approval process was procedural: each line item was called, a motion made and seconded, and the board voiced approval. No roll-call tallies were read into the record; minutes show voice votes with the chair asking “all in favor, please say aye” and then stating “motion passes.”

What’s next: District staff will proceed with procurement and vendor arrangements for each approved item and schedule installations and deliveries according to contract timelines.