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Finance committee eyes smartboards and a stage‑lighting project as top non‑lapsing priorities
Summary
The finance committee reviewed the non‑lapsing report and discussed using carryover funds to buy seven interactive whiteboards for $28,000 and to pursue a stage‑lighting upgrade, potentially offset by a DRIP grant of roughly $58,024; members agreed to launch an RFP and to vote on formal commitments in a regular meeting.
The North Stonington finance committee reviewed its non‑lapsing report, agreed to move forward with purchasing seven interactive whiteboards and to begin procurement for a stage‑lighting upgrade pending final pricing.
Kathy, who presented the financials, said the district began the year with $498,120 in carryover and that current figures leave a working uncommitted balance that staff estimate will be at least $150,000 once year‑end invoices and closeouts are processed. "We started the year at 498,120," Kathy said when summarizing the carryover and committed items.
Members pressed staff about many individual budget lines that appeared to show unspent funds. Several board members urged staff to follow up with building principals to confirm whether items teachers requested are still needed or should be repurposed. One member noted that small, unused amounts across many lines can quickly add up to significant available funds.
Troy provided detail on the District Repair and Improvement Program (DRIP) grant, which the committee discussed as a potential offset for the stage‑lighting project. "It's, um, $58,024.14, I believe," Troy said when asked about the grant amount for year one and noted the grant is described as multi‑year though the exact term was not known.
The committee discussed recent contractor quotes for a full stage‑lighting job in the $110,000–$130,000 range. Members noted the purchasing policy requires sealed bids and at least three definitive proposals for a project of that scale. The committee settled on a two‑step approach: (1) authorize staff to run an RFP for the stage‑lighting work in a regular meeting; and (2) reserve the right to vote later to commit funds once final pricing and grant offsets are verified. Several members said they supported immediately approving the $28,000 for interactive whiteboards because that purchase had been presented to voters during the budget process.
Committee members asked staff to produce exact pricing, additional vendor quotes, and a clear breakdown of which items in the current packet are truly uncommitted versus already encumbered. The board plans to take formal votes on any fund commitments in upcoming regular meetings after RFP results and the final year‑end closeout are available.
