SIDNEY — A nearly $1.3 million security upgrade for the buildings in the Sidney City School District was tabled Monday night until a special meeting planned for May 23 at 5 p.m. at the board office.
According to Treasurer Mike Watkins, the May 23 meeting will begin in executive session because the project includes sensitive security information which will need to be part of the discussion, so it qualifies for an executive session. The board will then reconvene to regular session and vote on the proposed project.
During Monday’s meeting Watkins said the project began 18 months ago when an estimate was received from Vartek Services on security upgrades on all the buildings. The district applied for state grants to help to offset the costs and received $100,000 each for Sidney High School and Sidney Middle School and $50,000 for each elementary school, for a total of $400,00.
When the project was put out for bid, the district discovered that the original estimate didn’t include everything needed for the upgrades. Two bids for the project were received with CJ Electric submitting the lowest bid at $1,294,852.
Watkins said there is no consistent door management in the district and the upgrade will make all buildings exactly the same.
“Nothing was put in the project that wan’t necessary,” said Watkins.
In other business, the board:
• Heard an update from Denny Morrison and Paige Barker on the Family & Community Engagement program
• Heard an update from Tom Clark and Mandi Croft on the Guys in Ties/Girls in Pearls programs.
• Approved a purchased service agreement with the Midwest Regional Education Service Center for the 2023-24 school year for school liaison services, $26,509.52; resident educator services, $875/$475; Academia coordinator services, $375; and open enrollment student services, $43,784.97.
• Approved the purchase of K-12 MD.CC curriculum, TeachTown, from Jugsaw Learning for the 2023-24 school year at a cost of $64,567.70 to be paid with ARP IDEA – Part B grant funds.
• Approved a sick leave incentive which includes no absences in a quarter, the person is eligible for $200; if the substitute cost for the quarter minus FMLA substitute cost is $35,000 or more, no incentive will be paid for the quarter; if any one quarter a member has two or more absences, they are not eligible for the incentive in any quarter.
• Approved the five-year forecast.
• Approved the purchase of an REI camera system for 20 buses and two vans from Rush Truck Centers at a cost of $98,609.03.
• Approved Midwest Maintenance to perform repairs for the damage caused to the high school building at an estimated cost of up to $55,00.
• Approved Trisco Systems to perform masonry repairs and restoration at Sidney High School in Phase III of the brick refurbishment plan at a cost of up to $31,927.
• Approved additional work by The Ohio Floor Company necessary to complete the replacement of the high school gym floor at a cost of $25,000.
• Approved the list of 240 students for graduation with the Class of 2023 from Sidney High School.
• Adopted new/revised policies for the district.
• Reappointed Jonathan Watkins to the Shelby County Libraries Board of Trustees.
• Heard the legislative report from board member Greg Dickman.
• Heard the Upper Valley Career Center report from board member Michele Lott.
The board’s next meeting will be Tuesday, June 20, at 6 p.m. at the board office.
