Saltillo ISD
Saltillo ISD is adding a new school bus and roof to their gymnasium among other items discussed, per the Sept. 26 regular meeting of the school board.
The meeting opened at 6 p.m. for visitors and public forum, of which there were none. The board then proceeded to a public hearing on SISD’s 2018-2019 financial integrity rating from the state of Texas, which Principal Superintendent David Stickels reported Saltillo had received a grade of passing with 100%.
Stickles delivered the district reports, informing the board that 280 children were enrolled in the district for school year 2019-2020.
The board unanimously approved their previous meeting minutes for Aug. 27, as well as the September financial report and bill payment for the month of September.
The board furthermore unanimously approved the transfer application of a student from the Pickton Pine Forest area who had previously attended Saltillo ISD. The board unanimously approved a journal voucher for Gamez and Potts Concrete in the amount of $2,892.
Saltillo ISD is one of the entities that is able to nominate candidates to the Franklin County Appraisal District. Saltillo ISD enters three votes out of a total of 5,000 votes. Board member Chad Neal stated he might like to continue casting all three votes for the same person, which is the same way SISD had done vote casting the year previous. Board members agreed and unanimously cast all three votes for Franklin County Judge Scott Lee.
The board then discussed adding a new bus to their fleet. According to Stickels, the seats will have seat belts in them, and the hood of the bus is black for the purpose of “reflection for the driver” and “to keep [the hood] from fading.”
Board member Brian Beadle asked whether the school could purchase a bus without seat belts or air conditioning to save money. Stickles answered that they would need to hold a public forum to do so.
Beadle also enquired if there were any “off-road options” for buses concerning “country roads.” Stickles informed the board that the bus they had priced had the best suspension system for rural roads. SISD had most recently put 9,000 miles in one year on their newest bus only by using it for school pickups, Stickles said.
The board unanimously approved the purchase of a 48-seat school bus for the cost of $92,123. Stickles told the board he hoped the district would receive the bus by February or March 2020. The board intends it to replace an older route bus.
The board also heard two proposals for retrofitting or replacement of the SISD gymnasium roof. Triple Crown of Sulphur Springs and Parsons Roofing of Dallas made proposals about PVC roofing material called DuraLast. The board elected the bid from Parsons for a retrofit at a total cost of $70,000. SISD is not yet sure when the project will begin or be completed, Stickles told the News-Telegram.