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Bennington Public Schools board approves IT staffing split, van purchase, summer maintenance, easement and a 10-cent school-meal increase
Summary
The board approved a plan to split a system-administrator position (item 36) with an assumed personnel cost of $105,000, purchased a replacement district van, authorized summer maintenance projects including rooftop-HVAC and concrete work, approved a permanent water easement to Metropolitan Utilities District, accepted certificated contracts and okayed a 10-cent meal-price increase.
At its meeting, the Bennington Public Schools Board of Education voted on a slate of operational and budget items brought forward by district staff.
Staff proposed splitting the current system-administrator role into two specialized positions (network and systems) and identified the item as number 36, with an assumed personnel cost of $105,000. The board moved, recorded a roll-call vote in which named members voted in the affirmative, and approved the recommendation.
The board also approved the purchase of a replacement 15-passenger district van to replace a 2011 vehicle. District facilities staff said the purchase met federal equipment requirements and had been reviewed by the finance committee before coming to the board; the motion passed on a roll call.
Facilities staff outlined three summer maintenance priorities: replacement of remaining rooftop HVAC units (10 units) with secured bids totaling $206,164, carpet replacement bids at Pine Creek, and concrete repair/replacement across multiple sites. Staff requested $215,000 to cover concrete work this summer; the projects were described as part of the district's planned building-maintenance schedule and brought forward from the finance committee.
The board authorized a permanent water-main easement to Metropolitan Utilities District, Omaha, for 0.0893 acres along Greenwood Road to serve Morton Bridge and a potential elementary school site; staff said the strip is long and narrow and staff spoke with design consultants who confirmed no district construction was planned there. The board approved the easement after a recorded roll-call vote.
On personnel, staff presented three lists of certificated employees (administrative, probationary and certified teachers) and recommended contract approvals under Policy 40603; the board approved the contracts as presented.
Finally, staff recommended a 10-cent increase to lunch and breakfast prices as part of a multi-year plan to reduce an operating deficit in the school-food program. Staff said the program had run a roughly $72,000 deficit in a prior year and estimated a current-year deficit of about $5,000; the phased increases are intended to move the program toward break-even. The board voted to approve the 10-cent increase.
The meeting concluded with routine administrative items, including the scheduling of the next regular board meeting on May 11 at 6:00 p.m.
