The Poplar Bluff R-I school board offered a contingent approval for construction for the Regional Work Force Development Teen Center, the plans for which were presented by the Boys and Girls Club of the Heartland.
The contingency involves the financing of the $10 million project, which is slated to begin this summer on the high school campus. Board member Ken Davis questioned the Boys and Girls Club’s financial plans for the project, including a proposed line of credit authorization from a local bank.
The open session item was tabled for discussion in closed session Thursday, during the regular monthly meeting. When the board returned, the item was approved contingent on the line of credit being formalized on official stationery letterhead with the specific bank officer’s authorization. All members voted to approve except Davis, who voted no.
Assistant Superintendent of Finance Charles Kinsey informed the board the district’s previous five-year strategic plan expires this year, so the time has come to begin the next plan.
Kinsey highlighted one goal of the expiring plan was to increase safety throughout the district’s schools, which involved installing metal detectors at every school, adding 98 security cameras throughout the district, and having buzz-in security doors at every school.
Kinsey also recommended a number of vendors for summer project bids, including Buffington Brothers for the middle school gymnasium HVAC replacement for $65,000, Summit Commercial Roofing for the roof repairs at Oak Grove Elementary for $26,170, Byrne & Jones for high school and junior high track resurfacing for a combined $212,000, and Robertson Asphalt for the junior high parking lot resurfacing for $402,206.10.
The middle school and Oak Grove projects will be paid with remaining ESSER III federal funds, while the other projects will come out of Fund 4 Reserves for capital improvements.
The board authorized Kinsey to try to resolve the projects that received no bids, which were the repairs to the high school gym floor and bleachers. Kinsey now has the authority to find a qualified vendor to undertake this work and bypassing any further bid processes.
In personnel recommendations, the board approved adding a paid position for assistant girls golf coach at the high school.
The district central office will be closed May 28-31 for recarpeting. The next board meeting will be Thursday, June 20, with the budget workshop beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed by the open session at 6 p.m.