Board questions vendor transparency for Just Right Readers; staff says purchase is grant‑funded recurring material

The committee reviewed an item to approve purchase of Just Right Readers literacy packs. Vice Chair Kearney said she found online that a former district employee (Brandy Berry) is now vice president of the vendor and asked for transparency about working with vendors that employ former district staff.

Renko (speaker 11) said the purchase is a recurring materials buy tied to a grant program intended to build a birth-to-graduation literacy pipeline and that the item purchases packaged books that go home with students as part of parent-education programming. She described a board-book version of the materials for early-learning centers and explained the selection of two early-learning centers because they matriculate into identified feeder schools.

Board member Willie asked about grant continuity and whether other schools could benefit; Renko said some districts did not use all their funds, enabling the district to expand resources into additional schools and that specialists were trained to plan activities tied to the materials.

Separately, board members asked about an amendment to an existing NGT Consulting contract; Mr. Schneider explained schools opted to use Title I funds to purchase supports and the amendment adds roughly $50,000 to an existing contract paid by the schools. The board asked for contract paperwork and clarity about whether items are grant-funded or contractual purchases.

Ending: Staff agreed to bring back contract documents where relevant and to provide clearer disclosure when former employees work for vendors.