School board approves $347,060 Chromebook purchase and a slew of CTE and facilities equipment bids
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The Minooka CHSD 111 board approved a $347,060 purchase of 740 touchscreen Chromebooks (financed over four years) and awarded multiple CTE and facilities equipment bids, while directing reissuance of South Campus weight-room bids to tighten specifications.
The Minooka CHSD 111 Board of Education voted to purchase 740 Livono touchscreen Chromebooks for a total of $347,060 and approved financing from American Capital of $94,329 per year over four years, the board’s chair announced during the Feb. month meeting.
Board members also approved a group of career- and technical-education (CTE) and facilities equipment contracts and purchases after staff presented the recommended low bidders. Awards included Minooka Grain and Lumber ($4,935), Grizzly Industrial ($45,919), and ShopBot ($60,221) for wood-shop equipment; Grizzly Industrial ($15,031) and WeldStar ($69,996) for metal fabrication and welding; Grizzly Industrial ($5,616) and Dominica Grain and Lumber ($16,737) for the construction lab; and Manuka Grain and Lumber ($9,974) and Automotive Specialist ($70,154) for the auto shop. The board also approved a $60,031 fire-science package, a $105,895 wellness-room award to Direct Fitness and field-house awards to Aluminum Athletic Equipment ($66,694) and BSN ($18,579).
Moderator (Speaker 3) introduced the Chromebook motion as a purchase intended to provide devices for the class of 2030; Administrator (Speaker 4) earlier described the total program cost and said the expense would be broken out across students’ four years. The motion for the Chromebook purchase was moved, seconded and approved by roll-call vote.
On the South Campus weight room, staff recommended rejecting all bids and republishing the solicitation with tightened specifications to attract additional vendors and improve price and quality. The board approved the rejection and republishing motion on a roll-call vote.
Votes at a glance - Vivi proposal (device management): $1,625 first-year prorated; annual $16,250 thereafter — Approved (roll call). - Chromebooks: 740 devices, $347,060 total; financing $94,329/year over 4 years — Approved (roll call). - Wood-shop awards: Minooka Grain and Lumber ($4,935), Grizzly Industrial ($45,919), ShopBot ($60,221) — Approved (roll call). - Metal fabrication & welding: Grizzly Industrial ($15,031), WeldStar ($69,996) — Approved (roll call). - Construction lab: Grizzly Industrial ($5,616), Dominica Grain and Lumber ($16,737) — Approved (roll call). - Auto shop: Manuka Grain and Lumber ($9,974), Automotive Specialist ($70,154) — Approved (roll call). - Fire science: $60,031 — Approved (roll call). - Wellness room: Direct Fitness ($105,895) — Approved (roll call). - Field house equipment: Aluminum Athletic Equipment ($66,694), BSN ($18,579) — Approved (roll call). - South Campus weight room: all bids rejected; solicitation to be republished — Approved (roll call).
What it means The approved purchases and awards fund ongoing CTE programs and improvements to student facilities and are expected to equip new and expanding instructional spaces across central and South campuses. The Chromebook purchase aims to provide devices for incoming classes and is financed over four years to spread cost. The board directed staff to refine specifications and reissue the weight-room bid to increase competition and quality.
Provenance: Discussion and votes on technology procurement and contract awards began with the Vivi/chromebook motions and continued through multiple award motions later in the meeting (topic began SEG 495 and concluded SEG 736).