Big ticket items approved by Greater Nanticoke Area School Board

Apr. 11—NANTICOKE — At Thursday's monthly meeting the Greater Nanticoke Area School Board approved major renovation work in several buildings at a total topping $1.5 million.

The biggest single expense comes with the approval of Lobar Associates to replace the roof in the academic wing of the high school at a cost of $1.06 million. Lobar also got a contract to replace high school carpeting and office carpeting for $222,308, and a contract to paint the high school auditorium at a cost of $73,784.

All Lobar contracts are through the Keystone Purchasing Network, a national cooperative purchasing program. According to its website, the Network follows state bidding requirements in soliciting bids to "save school districts and other public agencies time and money by soliciting bids and leveraging demand."

The board approved Miller Construction for the installation of a wood athletic floor in the elementary gym and for refinishing and repainting the high school gym floor at a total cost of $187,560. That work is being purchased through the state CoStars system, which allows districts to piggy back on arrangements and pricing already negotiated by the state.

Rock Street Music was contracted to upgrade the high school gym public address system at a cost of $11,522.

And Degler Whiting will provide door safety padding for the High School and Elementary Center gyms at a cost of $9,785, also through CoStars.

The board took steps for additional upgrades by authorizing the director of buildings and grounds to seek quotes for auditorium improvements through the Keystone Purchasing Network for painting, seating, carpeting and lighting and electrical upgrades.

In academics, the board renewed a contract with Discovery Education Experience for this school year and 2024-25 at a cost of $8,801, and approved the use of remaining federal COVID-19 relief grant money this summer to provide a Summer Skills Camp in reading and math for kindergarten through fifth grade, a free high school Summer Credit Recovery program for grades 9-12, and an Extended School year program for students who showed learning loss during the pandemic.

The board also:

—Corrected the spelling of two names from the March 14 meeting agenda to Jamie Hagenbach and Destiniann Mears.

—Accepted the resignations of English teacher Johnathan Evancho, crossing guard Megan Spillers and cleaner Angela Millikin.

—Appointed Michelle Granoski as cleaner.

—Approved the purchase from School Specialty of one Opengate Metal Detector and six hand-held rechargeable metal detectors at a cost of $23,044. They are being bought through the Keystone Purchasing Network.

—Approved the purchase of four mobile heated cabinets at a cost of $12,857, and accepted a proposal from Zodiac Pinteractive for window graphics in the High School cafeteria at a cost of $4,904.

Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112