NSB approves bus purchase, new scoreboard

By Staff, 06/21/17 11:17 AM

schools

ROSSTON – At its June meeting, Tuesday night, the Nevada School Board approved the purchase of a new trip bus.

The bus will cost $94,638 and be used primarily for trips. Nevada Superintendent Rick McAfee told the board the Nevada School District hasn’t bought a bus since consolidating with Stephens, and a trip bus was needed. The new bus will be bought from Thomas Bus Co. and have a Cummings diesel engine. The bus is designed to provide more leg room and, while being a full size bus, will seat 60 people. Stripped down, he said, the bus would cost $86,000. But with air conditioning and an engine with more horsepower, the cost increased to $94,638. The bus will come with a three-year, 50,000-mile warranty.

McAfee said because the company is on the state purchase list, bids weren’t necessary. A loan will be secured from the Bank of Prescott to purchase the bus. He added since the Bank of Prescott has increased the interest rate on the district’s account, the interest will make the annual payments.

In addition, he said, the Bank of Prescott wants to sponsor a new scoreboard for the gym. The new scoreboard will cost $17,126.27 and have the bank’s logo. McAfee told the board the district would need to enter into a 10-year agreement to pay it off, but, it wouldn’t cost the district anything if the bank’s board approves. He added, the agreement will be for five years, with five year’s contingent because the school board terms are five years long.

In other business, the board was informed Nevada Principal Michael Odom had taken a group of teachers to Hot Springs for professional development and will be taking another group to Nashville, TN for a Model School Conference later one. On Monday, the Future Business Leaders of America club will be winging its way to Anaheim, CA to compete in the nationals, and will be there a week.

McAfee said the gym looks different as the home bleachers have been removed. The new bleachers will arrive Friday and be installed by July 20.

He told the board there are new computers throughout the school, all with 27-inch curved monitors. New wi-fi is being added and, when it’s all installed, there will be 50 hotspots throughout the school so students can access their digital equipment wirelessly.

Financially, he said, the district is in good shape, though there has been some decrease, but the drop is well within reason based on what the district’s spent recently.

The board approved changes to the student handbook. The main change dealt with student medications, which will be kept at NHS.

The panel also approved contract addendums for teachers who worked extra duty and had unused leave time accrued.

The computers replaced by the new ones were removed from the district’s fixed assets. McAfee said any that were reusable would be refurbished and used in another lab, but most of those replaced were more than 10-years-old and can’t be upgraded.

The final act of business was to hire Melissa Qualls as a middle school math teacher, and Romerse Biddle to teach high school history. The district is looking to hire kindergarten and fifth grade teachers.

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