Board recommends bus sales, digital‑ad partnership, Zonar contract update and Chromebook purchases to full board

The committee moved multiple operational items to the full board for consideration after staff presentations and questions.

Buses: An unidentified presenter reviewed prior attempts to sell surplus buses and proposed lowering the municipal bid asking price to $10,000 per unit after receiving no offers at higher prices. Inventory counts on the record varied — staff said 30 buses as of April 2024, later referenced 25, then corrected to 29 — and the presenter described vehicle ages (circa 2018–2019), heavy mileage from mountainous routes and resale challenges tied to propane fuel and maintenance requirements.

Digital scoreboard ad partnership: Speaker 4 proposed selling ad space on the district’s digital scoreboards under multi‑year agreements as a revenue source (the district currently receives no revenue from the boards). Board members questioned contract length and exit clauses; Speaker 4 said the initial proposal contemplates a 10‑year commitment and that legal counsel (Chris Brown was named on the record) would review the agreement before the board acts.

Zonar procurement and CHA invoices: Staff said Zonar, the district’s transportation software, has been in use and Ameris was asked to secure an updated contract; the presenters noted some services were provided prior to a signed contract and that payment would be handled consistent with procurement review. CHA invoices for property and facilities were listed as routine monthly items.

Chromebooks: Mr. Borash presented an early procurement request for student Chromebooks (grades 1, 5 and 9) and said the straight purchase is budgeted and about $23,000 less than originally estimated. He urged purchasing ahead of manufacturer price increases (Lenovo cited a 10% increase on March 1 and another 10% on June 1), noting that delaying the purchase could materially increase costs on the order of tens of thousands of dollars against the current estimate (~$737,000).

Staff device refresh: The staff device proposal would move many staff to Chromebook Plus devices, which Mr. Borash said could generate roughly $45,000–$50,000 in savings compared with prior Apple purchases; board members asked about projected lifespans and replacement cycles.

Ready to Learn grant: Speaker 6 said the board must pass a recognition resolution to accept an $11,100,000 Ready to Learn grant and listed the intended purposes recorded in the application (mitigate tax increases, supplement homestead/farmstead calculations, and other enumerated uses).

Motions and votes: The committee voted by voice to recommend the bus sale price and the power‑ad partnership to the full board. It then voted by voice to move forward a package including George’s assessment form, the tax‑equity supplement resolution, Zonar procurement, CHA invoices, and the Chromebooks for students and staff.

Next procedural step: Staff will present finalized contracts and the grant resolution at the upcoming full board meeting for formal approval.