Edwardsburg board awards $419K PA-system contract to Forte after competitive review

The Edwardsburg Public Schools board voted to award a district-wide public-address (PA) system contract to Forte after reviewing two bids.

Presenter Jared Chisinski told the board the district received two bids: Forte (quoted in the meeting as $419,026.45) and Hy Tech ($516,111). Chisinski recommended accepting Forte’s bid, and noted Forte is on a state-vetted contract so the district did not issue a local RFP. In the meeting the recommendation line also appears as $419,026.25; the transcript contains this small discrepancy between the quoted and recommended amounts.

Board members asked whether selecting the lower-priced vendor risked missing equipment or services; Chisinski responded that Forte’s state contract includes full scope and contingency coverage for additional materials at no extra cost, while the other vendor listed add-on charges for items such as additional speakers or wiring.

Because of the contract cost, the board moved to take a roll-call vote. Individual board members responded 'Yes' in the roll call and the chair announced the motion had passed. Names spoken explicitly during the roll call included Natalie, Kevin and Dustin; the board chair also spoke for themselves. The board chair announced "Now it has passed." The motion was recorded in the meeting as approved.

Chisinski estimated installation could begin as early as March and primary buildings would be operational after spring break. The contract covers PA installations across district buildings (excluding the administrative building and 'the church' referenced in the presentation) and includes speakers for playfields and press boxes.