Southgate board approves student trips, DECA funding and equipment purchases; E‑Rate projects cleared
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Summary
At its March 24 meeting the Southgate Community School District board approved seven action items including a seventh‑grade Cedar Point trip, $679 to finish a DECA trip to nationals, food‑service equipment purchases, and USAC E‑Rate technology upgrades; no public commenters addressed the board.
The Southgate Community School District board approved a package of routine and instructional requests at its March 24 regular meeting, including student travel, conference support and district equipment purchases.
Chair opened the meeting and the board first approved the agenda and consent items (03/10/2026 minutes and an HR update) by voice vote. No members of the public spoke during the public comment period.
Staff presented action items that the board approved later in the meeting. A request to allow seventh‑grade students from Davidson to visit Cedar Point on May 27 was described as tied to middle‑school physical science standards: staff said students will design and build roller‑coaster models after the trip. The board moved and approved the trip without further amendment.
Mark Hanson, CT director and assistant principal at South Anderson High School, asked the board to provide $679 to make up the remaining cost for two DECA students who qualified for a national conference in Georgia; Hanson said the DECA account holds $3,000. Board members debated whether the district should provide a larger buffer for student activity accounts; one board member whose child is on the trip excused themself from that portion of the discussion. The motion passed with five yes votes and one abstention.
The board also approved a food‑service equipment purchase for multiple schools — reach‑in freezers, an open air merchandiser, a combi oven and upgrades to serving lines and sinks — not to exceed $178,060. District staff said the purchase will come from the food service fund and that the low bidder, Stafford Smith, included removal of existing equipment and a typical three‑year compressor warranty.
Amy Mitchell, the district director of technology, briefed the board on USAC E‑Rate projects including fiber runs to athletic facilities, UPS replacement for the district server room and firewall support. Mitchell said the combined cost of the projects is about $96,006.63, with a district share of roughly $27,017 (mostly for the firewall warranty). The board approved the E‑Rate projects; Mitchell said most eligible costs will be reimbursed through USAC.
The meeting concluded with approvals of multiple capital projects (see “Votes at a glance”). The board adjourned after final procedural motions.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (minutes and HR update): approved (voice vote). - Action 1 — Seventh‑grade Cedar Point field trip: approved (voice vote). - Action 2 — DECA International Conference (district support of $679 for two students): approved, 5 yes, 1 abstention. - Action 3 — Food service equipment purchase (not to exceed $178,060): approved (voice vote). - Action 4 — USAC E‑Rate projects (fiber, UPS, firewall — total about $96,006.63; district share ≈ $27,017): approved (voice vote). - Action 5 — Davidson Middle Academy roof project (award recommendation to Bloom Roofing; total not to exceed $741,965): approved (voice vote). - Action 6 — Grogan Elementary parking lot renovation (award recommendation to Best Asphalt; total not to exceed $622,500): approved (voice vote). - Action 7 — Davidson Middle School field and track renovations (award recommendation to Braun Construction; total not to exceed $3,542,386): approved (voice vote).
What it means The approvals include district operational expenses (food service equipment and IT infrastructure) and several capital projects scheduled for summer work. Board discussion included routine contract and warranty checks, timing considerations for summer projects and a review of how the district supports student activity accounts.
Quote highlights “...we have $3,000 in their DECA account, and we are looking for the remaining $679 to be approved to pay for the rest of this trip by the district,” Mark Hanson said as he requested support for two students advancing to nationals.
“We do have, it obviously, these come, this purchase has come out of the food service fund, and we do have an excess fund balance,” Mr. Rodriguez said while presenting the food‑service equipment request.
Next steps District staff will finalize contract terms with recommended vendors and proceed with procurement and scheduling; some capital work is timed to be completed over the summer. No follow‑up hearing date was announced at the meeting.
