The Wethersfield School Board will be holding its first meeting next month in the new building on Tenney Street acquired by District 230 this fall.
Superintendent Dr. Andrew Brooks told the board at its January meeting that painting and remodeling of the facility has progressed well since the school district purchased the property and took possession Oct. 1 of last year. Even though work continues, he said they should be able to hold their monthly meeting there on Feb. 19.
In building-related matters, the board approved a $4,100 quote for concrete floor grinding from Crabtree Painting of Kewanee, and a separate quote from Crabtree Painting for $3,900 to paint a ceiling. Both are in the large, open room in the back half of the 10,000 square-foot building. Brooks said both were “great quotes” compared to other much higher estimates.
The board also approved a contract with Murphy Container Service for trash pickup at the Tenney Street building.
In other business, the board approved the bid from Midwest Transit for two gas-powered school buses.
The district asked companies to submit bids for two buses to replace a full-sized 71-passenger diesel-powered bus and a 60-passenger gas-powered bus equipped with a wheel chair lift. Bidders were asked to submit prices for three options — a three-year or five-year lease, full purchase price, or lease to purchase.
Four companies responded with the offers narrowed down to two, Midwest Transit and Central States.
The board compared and discussed the bids at length and decided to purchase both buses from Midwest on a five-year lease which will cost $51,049 in annual payments. The full-sized bus will be equipped with air conditioning front to back, something buses in the current fleet don’t have. The board consensus was that the additional feature was justified since athletic teams and students on field trips are now going farther in warmer weather. The new lift-equipped bus will have air conditioning in the front where the driver sits.
The board decided to sell the present chair lift bus, but keep the full-sized diesel bus, the only one left in the district’s fleet. The new buses will be delivered for the 2027-28 school year.
