An hour long NCOE Unit 3 School District Board meeting Wednesday revealed summer projects planned. The board also accepted bids on diesel and gasoline, and sold a technology asset valued at $380,000.
Before all that, board members got an update from school administrators including a lengthy discussion on the transition to a new grading system which will replace letter grades with a standards-based approach for K-5th. While traditional grading based on a percentage uses criteria that aren’t always clear in a final grade including behavior and extra credit, the new ratings will be given per standard and are expected to better let students, their parents/guardians, and teachers themselves know if students are genuinely absorbing the material. It was also noted that through Accelerated Reader, students in the district have completed nearly 8,000 books so far this school year.
In new business, projects expected to be completed beginning on spring break and continuing through the summer are abatement. That bid was awarded to Alloy Group out of St. Louis. The company specializes in demolition and abatement. Projects for the high school this summer include a freshly renovated science lab, HVAC system to be installed in the East/West wing, a renovation of the office and vestibule for security, new main entrance exterior doors, exterior and interior wayfair signage, and an all new phone, clock, bell, paging, and intercom system. At the grade school leaders expect to get an updated vestibule and office entry for better security. Bids came in under what had been anticipated with Zeller Construction winning the bid for projects save for the new phone/intercom system. The board was prepared for an estimate of around $2.4 million. Zeller will be the contractor with a winning bid of $1,399,700. Superintendent Matt Vollman said the school was prepared for a phone/intercom bid to come in at as much as $434,000, a bid was accepted with a cost of $319,500.
Before recessing into executive session, the board also accepted fuel bids from SynEnergy at a 12 month fixed cost of $2.4581 for gasoline and $2.8377 for diesel. The board also agreed to let bids for trash pick up as they’re no longer under contract with Bulldog and another vendor inquired.
Following executive session, it was announced Cayce Baysinger will be hired as high school assistant softball coach. Also employed will be Mindy Staley as an aide and Amanda Bridgewater as a special education teacher. The board also accepted a retirement letter from Wanda South as building secretary effective in August.