CCISD looking ahead to new transportation center
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
CCISD is looking ahead to the future with the planned construction of a new transportation facility. The current facility known as “the bus barn” on South 5th Street no longer meets the needs of the department, according to the agenda item for tonight’s school board meeting.
The district owns approximately 35 acres of land along Summers Road, and recommends using 15-18 acres of this land to build a new transportation facility.
At tonight’s meeting, the board will make a decision on approving the competitive sealed proposal as the method for securing a contractor which will provide the best value to the district for the project, along with authorizing superintendent Joe Burns to negotiate contracts with the selected vendor.
The re-roofing projects at Martin Walker Elementary, Copperas Cove Junior High, as well as Copperas Cove High School have been completed, and the district is requesting a decision on accepting the contractor’s work and making the final payment of $90,433.41 on the project.
Several budgeted items exceeding $25,000 are also up for approval by the board tonight, including funds for RCSS DBA: Tammy Roen, in the amount of $50,000 for certified occupational therapy assistant services for the 2016-2017 school year; $70,000 for Margo Pace, for physical therapy services for the 2016-2017 school year; $87,184 for Dell, for the replacement schedule purchases of 120 student and 24 library laptops in addition to four carts; $415,318.80 for Voice Over Internet Protocol system hardware from CenturyLink; $242,653.75 for district wide VOIP system switches purchase from GovConnection; two trucks for the maintenance department in the amount of $48,986.70; three new school buses at a total cost of $271,056.
The board is also being asked to accept the certification of unopposed candidates and approve an order canceling the Nov. 8 trustee election, with only the incumbents, Mike Wilburn, Joan Manning and Doug Cook having filed to run for office.
The board will also consider and take action on appointing June Crawford as an additional investment officer for CCISD, as well as making a decision about joining the PACE Purchasing Cooperative for Region 20.
Another agenda item is that of approving changes to out-of-district transfer fees for students, with the proposed changes being made to reflect half-day fees for prekindergarten students with the change to half-day prekindergarten in the 2013-2014 school year. For active duty military and CCISD employees, there would be no transfer fee. For the half-day prekindergarten program, there would be a transfer fee of $500 for the first child, $250 for the second child, and no fee for subsequent children. At the K-12 levels, the fee is $1,000 for the first child, $500 for the second child, $250.00 for the third child, and no fee for subsequent children.
The athletics department will be getting new covered batting cages for the baseball and softball teams, and CCISD administration is seeking the school board’s approval for using a job order contractor from Buy Board and authorizing superintendent Joe Burns to negotiate contracts with the contractor who provides the best value to the district.
For recognitions at tonight’s meeting, the district is saying farewell to Becky Battreal, counselor at Crossroads High School, who is retiring with 27 years of service, 23 of those years with CCISD, as well as Tami Martin, who is retiring with 27 years of service as secretary to the director of student services.
The Sonic Drive-In on Clear Creek will be recognized for its book drive for Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux Voiture 266 for its donation of school supplies to Hettie Halstead Elementary. Those who supported CCISD’s annual Convocation will be recognized, to include GymKix; Self-Defense America; S.M.I.L.E.; Pride of Cove Band and Color Guard; Narrator: Kelsey Dane; CCISD Teachers of the Year Nancy Zimmer-Clark and Angela Murphy; CCHS DECA; JROTC; CCHS cheerleaders; and CCISD athletics department to include volleyball, boys and girls soccer, wrestling, tennis, swimming, girls and boys basketball, weightlifting, soccer, golf; and the Martin Walker Honor Choir.
The meeting begins at 6:30 this evening at the CCISD administration board room, located at 703 W. Ave. D.