The Snyder ISD board of trustees Thursday night agreed to hire a new accounting firm to conduct the district’s audit and approved a new contract with Aramark for food service.
With little discussion, the board unanimously approved the contract with Rodgers & Company to conduct the audit for fiscal year 2017 for $24,750.
The district had used Terry & King CPAs since 2007, but in March, the board voted on a split vote to allow new superintendent Dr. Eddie Bland to recommend a firm.
Bland recommended Rodgers & Company, the firm that currently audits Bridgeport ISD, Bland’s current district.
Aramark’s new contract begins July 1. The company has been the food service provider for the district since 1994.
Deputy Superintendent Dr. Randy Burks said the district is pleased with Aramark and the contract guarantees a profit for the district.
Superintendent Jim Kirkland said very few districts make money from food service and most have to supplement cafeteria budgets from general funds.
If the district went to a closed high school campus, outside vendors would be able to serve food in the cafeteria because there is not a non-compete clause in the contract.
If the campus is closed, Aramark could send out a request for proposals and if local vendors met the regulations, they could be able to serve in the cafeteria if an agreement is approved.
The board approved out-of-state travel for student Alanna Hurt and a sponsor to attend the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Birmingham, Ala. in June, voted to spend $69,571 to replace the carpet in all classrooms and the library in Snyder Intermediate School, approved the second reading of a local policy update concerning matters such as expense reimbursement and compulsory attendance and approved spending up to $39,136 to build a cover for activity buses.
The board also approved the district’s plan for improving test scores at Snyder Junior High School, which remains an improvement required campus.
Kirkland reminded the board that the district is one of nine school districts in the state that is currently under the accredited warning notice by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and has been assigned and pays for a monitor.
“We appealed this ruling but were turned down by TEA,” said Kirkland.
Trustees also were updated on the district’s behavior management program and current construction projects.
Following a closed session of just more than 30 minutes, trustees approved hiring Bruce Sooter as a math teacher and coach at the junior high school and Cheyenne Cook as an English teacher at the high school.
The board also approved the contract of Vickie Crawford, whose name had inadvertently been left off the term contract extension list.