Waterbury Board of Education Workshop - October 1, 2026

The Waterbury Board of Education workshop on October 1, 2026, included operations and facilities updates with several procurement-related items. The district reported capital and facility work underway or planned, including Crosby and Wallace roof projects, Westside cooling, elevator installation at Driggs-Wilson (with the contract awaiting the mayor’s signature), IAQ and control upgrades, solar installation at Tinker, and improvements at Roberto Clemente. A bid for new gym curtains at eight elementary schools was going out, and a previously approved street sweeper was expected to be delivered the following week. The operations team also described a new local security-alarm vendor selected through an RFP, replacing Sonetrol; the new system eliminates reliance on phone lines and is expected to reduce repair and monitoring costs. No project costs or contract numbers were stated. The district is developing a facility-condition assessment to guide future capital priorities.

Food Services reported that the program moved from a $436,000 operating loss in fiscal year 2024–25 to a $186,000 gain the following year, citing freezer repairs and food-cost inflation as factors in the earlier deficit; a new food vendor is being used, and student surveys will inform future menu bidding. Transportation reported 118 routes and a driver shortage with additional Durham drivers expected; the district said it may assess damages under the bus contract after board approval if performance data supports doing so. The board also heard requests for no-cost agreements or grant-supported resources, including financial-literacy programming, access to UConn’s Robotics Institute, and flag-football equipment. A revised facilities-use process and digital application are being developed to apply updated policy and clarify which requests require board approval. No specific procurement vote or contract award was recorded in the transcript.