10/12/26 Discussion School Board Meeting

The Portage Township Schools board meeting on October 12, 2026, included several procurement and budget actions. The board unanimously approved Varigy as the qualified provider for a Portage High School rooftop solar project following review of September RFP responses. The contract amount is $1,711,310, including five years of monitoring; the project carries a stated 20-year guaranteed energy savings of $1,457,946 and may qualify for up to $264,690 in federal incentives. The board also approved Change Order No. 3 for the Ellsworth Middle School project; the transcript does not provide the change order amount. It authorized advertising for waste removal and recycling bids, noting that district policy requires bidding for purchases over $150,000 and that Waste Management is the current provider. No waste-services vendor was selected at this meeting.

The board approved the 2027 budget resolution, 2027 capital projects plan, 2027 bus replacement plan, and a 2027 transfer resolution authorizing a transfer from the Education Fund to the Operations Fund. The transfer was described as about $6.2 million and less than 11% of the applicable amount. The stated maximum property-tax levy in the budget discussion was $15,763,218. The board also approved a Portage High School Natural Helpers overnight field trip; each of two annual retreats costs approximately $10,000, with fundraising and scholarships discussed as ways to support participation. No procurement decisions arose from the elementary assessment presentation; the superintendent also reported that employee insurance options were being reviewed, with a committee recommendation expected later.