School Board acts on several financial items and bids

The Decorah Community School board approved several bids and expenditure items Monday night:

• They accepted a bid from Story Kenworthy for file cabinets and teacher stations in the amount of $36,173.  These were specific items that were able to be removed from the main high school renovation furniture contract with School Specialty, and saved the district about $3,000.

• An asbestos abatement bid for main floor areas of the high school in the amount of $22,798 from AAA Budget Environmental (Waterloo) was accepted. It was almost $12,000 lower than other bidders.

• The Board approved a lighting retrofit project for John Cline. The cost of $49,900 will be reduced with a rebate of $8,660 from Alliant Energy. The remaining cost will be paid via energy savings over the next 7 years, so there is no direct cost to the district.

• The Board also approved a cooperative food purchasing agreement with the Iowa Association for Educational Purchasing. Last year a similar agreement saved the district about $27,000.

In other activity the Board participated in a 20 minute, Powerpoint training session related to the Iowa Open Meetings Law. The timing is coincidental related to recent concerns expressed about hospital board closed meetings. This topic of "Board Table Tools" is the second in a series of educational offerings via the Iowa Association of School Boards. Board President Melanie Tietz said she thought the board had been very conscientious in regard to the law.