Burke County board approves financial report, bus purchases, staffing and facility equipment
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Summary
The Burke County Board of Education accepted the January financial report, approved purchases of eight buses and maintenance vehicles, authorized two floating custodians and an autonomous floor scrubber, and accepted Early Head Start and summer feeding plans.
The Burke County Board of Education on Feb. 15 accepted routine financial reports and approved a set of capital and operations requests that district leaders said will meet near‑term needs and produce savings.
Finance director Miss Payton presented the January 2026 financial report, stating total revenues of $11,055,247 as of Jan. 31 and total expenditures of $44,256,556 for the period. She noted the district is about 58.33% through the fiscal year and reminded the board that a tentative budget will be presented in April with a final budget expected in June 2026.
The board approved several procurement and staffing requests. Trustees voted to purchase eight buses for the 2026–27 school year — six 72‑passenger propane buses, a special‑needs 72‑passenger bus with four wheelchair positions, and a minibus — and staff said buying surplus 2026 buses now could save about $100,000 compared with purchasing later. The six propane buses were quoted at about $178,847 each (total ~ $1,073,082 if purchased as presented).
Maintenance and transportation items approved included reallocating planned funds to buy an F‑450 and trailer (about $83,500) and an F‑250 for maintenance ($44,200). The board also authorized purchase of a generator quoted at $55,647.37; the estimated installation cost of about $48,000 was discussed and the board deferred final approval of installation details pending additional bids.
Operations staff requested two new floating custodian positions and an autonomous floor scrubber to reduce daytime custodial demands. The scrubber was described as a battery‑operated, LiDAR‑guided machine that docks and charges itself and does not capture images. Trustees approved the staffing and equipment request.
Other actions: the board approved a motion to implement a mandatory ACH/rapid pay card for remaining employees receiving paper checks effective July 1, 2026; accepted the Early Head Start monthly report (program enrollment, attendance, expenditures and an updated grant amount); approved the summer feeding schedule (June 10–July 15); and approved special‑education field trip requests.
An HR retention incentive packet and a Frontline applicant/onboarding subscription were discussed; the retention proposal was moved for further verification with Dr. Collins and the Frontline subscription was tabled for additional cost review.
At the meeting’s close the board moved into executive session to discuss personnel matters.
