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After debate, Connetquot trustees suspend warm‑ups from athletic uniform bid to save funds
Summary
Trustees questioned parts of a $33,505 athletic uniform bid and agreed to remove warm‑ups for the year; administration will revise the bid sheet and hold the savings pending further review and possible transfer.
Trustees at the Connetquot Central School District board meeting deliberated a long athletic uniform bid and reached a compromise to suspend purchase of warm‑ups this year amid district budget concerns.
Mallory, introduced to the board as the district athletic representative for the presentation, explained the district follows a five‑year cycle for uniforms and that certain items—such as swimwear and baseball hats—are sanitary or annual replacements. The full bid package returned to the board at roughly $33,505. “If we approve this tonight, you are approving the bid that went out and came back so we can get a good, fair, low price for the uniforms,” Mallory said.
Several trustees questioned whether warm‑ups and other nonessential items were an appropriate purchase while the district operates with a large deficit. “I just personally can't see myself approving warm‑ups,” one trustee said, adding the district should prioritize staffing and essential services. Trustees also raised equity and logo concerns tied to the ongoing mascot/logo situation.
Administration offered a middle ground: remove the warm‑ups from this year's purchases, revise the bid sheet to show the net total without warm‑ups, and hold the unspent amount in the uniforms supply code until the board decides final disposition. Mallory said he would provide a revised cost sheet showing the savings and, if necessary, process a transfer during the fiscal year so the board could see that the funds were not spent.
Board members agreed that some sports (wrestling, swim, cheer) have more justification for warm‑ups than others; they asked for a one‑year suspension to save money while preserving essential items. The board then approved the consent agenda with that item revised and directed administration to circulate the updated bid information to trustees.
The action leaves open a future decision about whether warm‑ups will be purchased later and asks administration to report back with a revised bid and a ledger showing the unspent funds.
