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Portage board approves Neola policy updates, bus and Chromebook purchases, curriculum and student trips
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Summary
The Portage Township Schools Board approved multiple consent and action items, including Neola policy updates, purchases of four buses ($692,242) and Chromebooks ($546,155), FACS curriculum updates tied to a DOE pathway change, and several overnight student field trips. All motions passed by roll call.
The Portage Township Schools Board of Trustees approved a slate of consent and action items at its April 13 meeting, including policy updates, transportation and technology purchases, curriculum adjustments and overnight student travel.
Policy updates: The board completed second reading and approved the Neola policy revisions described by the administration; the updates covered student records, wellness, dress and appearance, nondiscrimination language, public hearings, student assessments and related bylaw cleanups. A policy committee member said the changes are primarily language cleanups intended to increase consistency and transparency.
Field trips: The board approved retroactive and upcoming overnight trips: a retroactive track-and-field trip to the indoor state finals (March 27–28), Portage High’s overnight trip to a journalism conference at Ball State University (April 23–24), and high‑school and middle‑school teams’ travel to the VEX World Robotics Championships in St. Louis (April 20–25). Chair noted team sizes for the robotics trip (nine high-school students and 10 middle-school students).
Procurement and curriculum approvals: The board approved a recommendation to purchase four conventional school buses (three 72-passenger, one 54-passenger) from Midwest Transit for a total of $692,242. The administration explained mechanics preferred this vendor and bus type.
The board also approved FACS curriculum purchases necessitated by a state Department of Education pathway change: course 7276 (fundamentals of human services) at $3,803.25 annually, and course 7278 (advanced counseling and mental health services) at $3,694.04, with the latter covered for the next six years.
Technology: The board approved an RFP award to Secure Tech Solutions for a Chromebook refresh and maintenance contract through the Central Indiana Education Service Center (April 16, 2026–March 31, 2027). The quoted total was $546,155, or $574.90 per device, and includes four‑year accidental-damage protection, asset tagging and deployment services.
Votes and procedure: Each motion was moved and seconded; roll calls recorded unanimous ‘Yes’ votes among trustees present for each item. The chair and clerk conducted roll call votes on each motion; specific trustee names used during roll calls included Trustee Smith, Trustee Vasquez, Trustee Maleta, Trustee Wilkie, Trustee Grama, Trustee Raman and Trustee Rainey at various votes.
The board then heard the superintendent’s report and adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for April 27 at Willow Creek Middle School.
