Rick Patrick rick@greenepublishing.com
The Madison County Schools bus fleet will be adding two much needed buses in time for the upcoming school year, thanks to COVID-relief funds available to the district. During the regular meeting of the Madison County District School Board on Monday, June 20, the board members approved the bus purchase. The buses fall under a state-wide bid process, so it was not necessary for the district to seek separate bids. One bus is an 89-passenger bus with no lift system, with a price tag of $117,739. The other bus is a 47-passenger bus, equipped with a lift system to accommodate students with wheelchairs. The price on the second bus is $115,083. “We're hoping these buses will be delivered quicker than the last buses we ordered,” said Superintendent of Schools Shirley Joseph.
The board also approved an expenditure for the replacement of carpet at Pinetta Elementary School. The approved bid from Madison Flooring amounted to $34,875.
The board approved a proposal from Transfinder Software. This software provides the bus fleet with GPS navigation abilities, as well as helps monitor maintenance schedules, etc. The total cost for the system, including software, training, professional services and hosting services totals $19,645 for the first year of the three-year contract. The second year cost is $11,750 and the third year price is $12,338. “If we're going to be paying for this, we need to make sure we are using it,” said Board Member Frankie Carroll.
The board members approved raising the minimum wage for all school district employees to $15 per hour. This became effective on Friday, July 1. This is ahead of the required date of Saturday, Oct. 1. The board decision comes after the proposal was agreed upon in a Memorandum of Understanding between the district and the Madison County Education Association, signed on Tuesday, June 7.
During her monthly financial report to the board, District Chief Financial Officer Rose Raynak informed the board that the district had an unassigned fund balance of 8.5 percent.
The next meeting of the Madison County District School Board is scheduled to take place on Monday, July 18, at 6 p.m. The meeting will take place in the district office, located at 210 NE Duval Ave., in Madison.