Without any discussion, Batavia’s Board of Education unanimously approved a slew of consent items Tuesday evening, including spending more than $400,000 to purchase disinfection devices as one way to combat COVID-19.
The bid of $416,250 from Enviro-mist was a recommendation from the city school’s Building and Grounds Committee, Board President Alice Benedict said.
“They are the ones who did the investigating, and asked the questions,” she said to The Batavian after the meeting at Batavia High School. “We decided it was something the school district needed.”
After district members conducted research about how to deal with increasing cases of COVID-19, Building and Grounds committee members were given the green light to pursue some type of disinfection equipment, she said.
The funding for these devices will come from the federal American Relief Act, which was doled out to school districts for various virus-related solutions. The board agreed that Enviro-mist came in with the best bid for air purification and disinfection devices, at $1,665 each for 250 disinfection units, or $416,250. The units purify the air at one unit per 900 square feet, Benedict said.
The company website touts specialized consultation services that include:
- Effective and Safe Re-Opening and Return to Work Plans.
- Preventive and/or Corrective Disinfecting.
- Portable or In-Duct Air Purification Systems with knowledge of how best to work with air flow.
- Micro-Barriers for extended protection of high-touch surfaces.
- Air Quality Scans, Testing and Monitoring.
- Industry’s best Air Purifying Equipment Rental for events or gatherings.
- Post Covid Protocols that prepare for the next superbug, flu, allergy or outbreak.
Other consent items included seven resignations of music, special education and English as a Second Language teachers, teacher aides and a financial records clerk; many appointments of assorted positions, from probationary social worker to clerk typists; and Memorandums of Agreements with Batavia Teachers’ Association, TRIO Upward Bound College Prep Program, Attica Central School District for 6:1:1 services, and with the business administrator, executive director of staff development and operations, and executive director of curriculum and instruction. ( The Batavian will update details as they become available.)
It's that time of year when school boards begin to think about expenses and revenues. In lieu of the past Budget Ambassador program fulfilled by volunteer district residents, board members have signed on to meet for at least three public budget sessions, Benedict said. A lack of interested volunteers rendered the former ambassador group defunct, she said. Board members will conduct Zoom budget meetings so that anyone may attend and ask questions.
The budget meetings are set for 6 p.m. on March 1, 8 and 15 in the Superintendent’s Conference Room 49 of the district office, 260 State St. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 17 in the BHS library 260 State St.
