The Fayette Board of Education met in a special meeting on Wednesday, July 19, to address a few items left over from June’s marathon meeting. The school board does not typically hold a meeting in July but needed to reconvene to approve purchases, including security cameras and a new air-conditioner.

Five of the seven board members present gave unanimous approval to purchase a new air conditioner for the elementary/middle school kitchen. The roughly 10-year-old unit currently heating and cooling the kitchen has been a problem for some time, and the district elected to replace the unit. 

“It shouldn’t be a problem, but it is,” Superintendent Brent Doolin told the board. “The last people to work on are tired of it.”

Doolin said the last repair bill totaled around $3,000, and the unit is still not working correctly.

The board approved the low bid in the amount of $38,500 for a new system from Fayette company Show-Me Ductless, which was recommended by district maintenance staff.

The board also approved a bid from Tiger Security in Columbia for door access, fire alarms, security, and cameras. 

“They’re the only ones who would do all four,” Doolin said.

A bid from Midwest Electronics included all new cameras. Tiger Security, which was recommended, will use the district’s current cameras. Doolin said he wants the fire alarms upgraded first, as the district currently deals with frequent false alarms.

The Fayette Athletic Boosters asked the district to cover a portion of the cost to install larger mats along the baseline walls of the high school basketball court. The wall between the gym and the cafeteria will have six-foot-tall mats from sideline to sideline. The other end will have two feet, six inches tall mats along the wall below the stage. Both will feature the Falcons’ mascot.

The boosters initially planned to update the old mats. But adding width to both did not increase the cost dramatically. The club will pay $5,000 of the purchase and asked the district to cover the final $885. The board gave unanimous approval. 

The final expenditure approved Wednesday was the purchase of seven new line boards and teacher desktops. Often referred to as “smart boards,” they serve as interactive chalkboards inside classrooms. The district plans to purchase seven new boards each year. 

The cost for the new boards from CDW totaled $10,617.90, and they will be installed by district staff.

The school board meets regularly at 6:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month except for July at the high school library. Meetings are open, agendas are published in advance, and the public is invited.