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Whittier committee approves ventilation contract, Whitsons extension and routine finance items
Summary
At its March 11 meeting the Whittier Regional Vocational School Committee awarded a $92,000 ventilation contract funded by a Mass Skills grant, extended the Whitsons food-service contract for one year with a 4.2% fee adjustment, approved routine finance reports, heard school updates, and scheduled a special meeting to review business-manager candidates.
The Whittier Regional Vocational School Committee on March 11 approved several contract and finance items and received routine school and budget reports.
The administration reported that Hall Sheet Metal Works was the lowest responsible bidder for a ventilation upgrade in the metal fabrication shop and was awarded the contract for $92,000; the project is funded by a Mass Skills capital grant and will not come from district operating funds. Business manager Ms. Cosmos delivered the announcement.
The committee also approved an amendment and one-year extension to its Whitsons Food Service Management contract (year four under the existing five-year RFP framework). The amendment sets a management fee of $13,308 and an administrative fee of $61,993, reflecting a 4.2% increase tied to the Consumer Price Index. During discussion a committee member asked whether the district negotiated below the maximum CPI adjustment; administration responded that contract increases typically track the index and the contractual language sets the allowable maximum.
The business manager presented a four-month variance analysis showing the budget generally on track. She noted salary-line variances largely resulted from updated longevity-rate calculations (about $61,000) and that a separate tuition-reimbursement line of $33,905 was being tracked to monitor a $70,000 cap on professional-development-related reimbursements. The administration reported that the Massachusetts Department of Revenue certified the district’s excess-and-deficiency balance for 2026 at $1,315,658, which the business manager said would help bolster the district’s stabilization fund.
Assistant Principal/Assistant Superintendent Mr. Leganis gave school updates including spring-sports schedules (teams starting March 16), a winter-sports banquet on March 12, SkillsUSA participation, a diaper drive with dates mentioned during the report, Saturday makeup school starting March 28 for students with 10+ absences, prom on the 27th and graduation on the 29th as presented, and English MCAS testing for sophomores on March 24–25. He singled out freshman wrestler Olivia Leone as a state champion.
The committee scheduled a special School Committee meeting for Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. to review business-manager candidates. At the end of the meeting the committee voted to enter executive session under M.G.L. chapter 30A, section 21 to conduct contract negotiations with the superintendent and said it would return only to adjourn.
All motions reported in this roundup were approved by roll-call vote of the members present.
