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Board approves multiple contracts and purchases, including data sharing and capital replacements
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Summary
The Stow‑Munroe Falls board approved a set of contracts and purchases including a no‑cost data‑sharing agreement with Summit Education Initiative, EMIS shared services with Neonet, E‑rate hardware replacements through Neonat, Dell laptops for 7–8 STEM, a plasma cutter for a high school program, roof work and authorization for utility procurement and bus bidding through the Ohio Schools Council.
The Stow‑Munroe Falls City School District board approved a series of routine and capital contracts during its March meeting, covering data‑sharing agreements, technology upgrades, program purchases and cooperative procurement actions.
Data and administrative services: Trustees approved a no‑cost data‑sharing agreement with Summit Education Initiative (SEI) to provide longitudinal ‘‘cradle‑to‑career’’ data analyses that the district can use for strategic planning and program evaluation. Dr. Gould said SEI will work on project‑specific requests (for example, analyzing outcomes for students identified as gifted) and stressed that specific projects will define the exact data sets used. The board also approved an EMIS shared‑services arrangement with Neonet to manage required state reporting processes (the district noted this service supports funding and state reporting requirements).
Technology and capital: The board authorized an E‑rate‑eligible Neonat contract to replace end‑of‑life network switches in several buildings; district staff explained the project represents roughly 50% of a multi‑year replacement plan and that federal E‑rate funding will cover half of the quoted hardware costs while the district will pay the remaining 50%. Technology staff said they will provide a formal risk assessment for remaining buildings that will run on end‑of‑life equipment without current security patches. The board also approved a purchase of Dell laptops for the seventh‑ and eighth‑grade STEM program.
Career and program purchases: The board approved a $30,000 gift allocation for the IMPE program that will fund materials and equipment, including a plasma cutter quoted through Lincoln Electric, and accepted an agreement with Goodwill to place students in vocational services as needed.
Facilities and procurement: Trustees approved roof work under the Ohio Schools Council contract and authorized the council to negotiate electricity purchases on the district’s behalf to seek more favorable utility rates. The board also passed a resolution authorizing the Ohio Schools Council to advertise and receive bus bids for upcoming bus purchases; that resolution does not obligate the district to purchase vehicles but allows cooperative bidding.
Audit and financial operations: The board approved a two‑year contract with Rhea & Associates to prepare the comprehensive annual financial report (GAAP statements) and to help the district catch up on delayed audit filings for prior fiscal years. Treasurer Hammond said the district has been working with the state auditor to finalize prior year work and that the external contract will help expedite the process.
Most items were approved by roll call with unanimous or near‑unanimous support. Trustees asked clarifying questions about what data is shared with SEI (existing district assessment and MAP data, not new assessments), assurances about vendor privacy and compliance with state law, and timelines for technology replacement to take place over the summer.
The board’s approvals enable staff to move forward with project procurement and to begin communication with families and stakeholders where purchases will affect programming or data collection.
