November Board of Education Work Session (11/5/2026)

At the November 5, 2026 Jackson County School System Board of Education work session, staff presented two purchases for consideration at the board’s upcoming Monday meeting; no procurement approval vote is recorded in the transcript. The transportation director recommended purchasing five Thomas school buses for $817,500, to be paid from SPLOST funds. The quoted bids were $163,500 per bus from Thomas, $173,000 from IC, and $174,199 from Bluebird. Staff also requested consideration of network switches and related equipment for the new Pre-K–12 campus and additions at East Middle and East Elementary, funded through SPLOST and bond expenditures; no amount was stated. The district reported a record SPLOST deposit of $1,553,501 and an October fund balance of $15,306,540.

Staff provided progress updates on the Pre-K–12 campus, East Elementary and East Middle additions, and a completed North Jackson Elementary playground renovation; no construction contract awards were presented. Empower reported receiving an $81,000 state CTAE grant for planned welding-lab updates. Other discussion covered the district’s literacy plan, enrollment and staffing data, and school programs. The board also continued its review of policies D through F, but no policy changes or procurement-related votes were identified.