At the New Franklin Board of Education’s regular meeting on Tuesday, April 19, the board voted to purchase desperately-needed new buses for the district, and reorganized with the swearing-in of new members.

The board met on Tuesday, April 19 instead of Wednesday, April 20 in order to meet the requirement to swear in elected members within two weeks of the April 5 election. 

The school’s woodwind quartet performed for the board at the beginning of the meeting. The quartet is one of several groups from New Franklin high school headed to compete in the state music festival for small ensembles and soloists from April 28 to 30 at the University of Missouri campus in Columbia. 

Superintendent Brian Cordel reported to the board that $510,000 in ESSER III fund monies had been deposited in the school’s account. 

“Because we will probably be purchasing a couple of buses next year, we need to transfer money from Fund I to Fund IV to do that,” Cordel told the board. “We’re allowed to make a seven-percent transfer this year… which is about $180,000.”

The board unanimously voted to transfer $180,000 in ESSER funds from Fund I to Fund IV. 

The board also voted unanimously to renew the school district’s technology service contract with Jackie Starkey and her son for the 2022-23 school year. There were no changes to the contract. 

Cordel told the board that they had three responses to their request for bids for school buses. “We got a bid from U.S. Bus Sales out of Shawnee for $114,876. One from Central States Bus Sales in Fenton Missouri for $113,808, and Midwest Transit Equipment from Nixa, Missouri, which was the lowest at $112,854,” he reported. “They all matched the specs that we asked for.”

Eric Chaney, Building and Grounds Supervisor, added to Cordel’s statement. “They did match the specs, but not exactly on a couple,” he clarified. 

“There was one thing I forgot to add on to that: the storage box underneath,” used for transporting musical instruments, equipment, and coolers on school trips, “and that was about $800-$1,000 to add on to the buses. I think we should add them on both buses.”

Cordel and Chaney reminded the board that the school district has been awarded grants for $20,000 each for the purchase of two buses, for a total of $40,000.

The board voted unanimously to accept the bid from Midwest Transit Equipment for two buses with the addition of storage compartments for each bus.

After concluding unfinished business, the board members voted to adjourn the meeting to swear in new members. 

Travis Hundley, who was serving the last meeting of his term on the board after receiving 103 votes in the April 5 election, gave the lone “nay” vote to accept the election results, to the amusement of fellow board members. Kara Schnell, who won re-election for another term, abstained.

Hundley served 18 years on the board of education, from 2004 to 2022, and was board president from 2011 to 2021.

Cordel presented a plaque to commemorate Hundley’s service to the board, and his term concluded amid wide smiles and loud applause from his peers.

“We appreciate all the service you did for New Franklin R-I school district,” Cordel told Hundley. “He’s the one that hired me,” he added to laughter from the board. “So I appreciate that.”

After the swearing-in of Schnell, who received 145 votes in the April 5 election, and Kevin Beaman, who received 148 votes, the members nominated and elected officers.

The board unanimously voted to re-elect Chitwood to the role of president. Sam Hackman was elected to be vice president. The board elected Kirk Wilmsmeyer to the role of treasurer. 

After reorganizing, the board addressed new business. They approved the summer school program for 2022. They voted to sell surplus property held by the district. And they unanimously voted to grant $4,000 to the high school band for the purchase of uniforms, which the school has not had for several years. 

The New Franklin BOE regularly meets on the third Wednesday of each month at the high school. The next meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18. Meetings are open and the public is invited.