Cape school board OKs $546K in bids for computers, concrete

The Cape Girardeau School Board on Tuesday approved three bids, totaling more than $546,000, to update some of the district's desktop computers, replace student laptop computers at Central Junior High School and begin exterior concrete work at Blanchard, Clippard and Franklin elementary schools.

The board approved a $91,074 bid from World Wide Technology for 111 computers and monitors. Alma Schrader and Clippard each will receive 40 computers for teachers and staff, and 31 will be used at the junior high school teaching lab.

The computers being replaced will be reused in areas such as building security and access control, point-of-sale stations and elementary student stations, district officials said.

A $166,500 bid from Ricoh USA for 375 Dell laptops also was approved by the board. Most of the computers will go to seventh-grade students at the junior high school, and a few will be kept in the library for loaners and spares while damaged devices are being repaired, officials said.

The junior high school had twice as many reports of breakage because of mistreatment by younger students. Superintendent Jim Welker said the new laptops are more durable and will cut down on the number of repairs needed.

The laptops being replaced will be used by fifth- and sixth-graders and as library loaners, spares and testing stations.

As part of the 2015 bond issue, the board approved a $288,800 bid from Nip Kelley Construction for exterior concrete work at Blanchard, Clippard and Franklin elementary schools.

Neil Glass, assistant superintendent of administrative services, said the projects will help with vehicular traffic at Franklin and Clippard, as well as accessibility for the disabled at Blanchard.

The projects include improved parking at Franklin, an added driveway at Clippard and a ramp meeting ADA requirements at Blanchard. Construction will begin as soon as possible, Glass said, but he does not expect the projects to be completed by the start of school.

"There will be a little bit of inconvenience there," he said.

After the June retirement of Sherry Copeland, the district's former assistant superintendent of academic services, the board Tuesday designated Christa Turner, interim director of academic services, to serve as coordinator of the assessment, or testing, program.

And as part of an annual designation by the board, Deena Ring, director of special services, was appointed to serve as Title IX (prohibiting sexual discrimination), Section 504 (part of a federal law that establishes educational rights for children with disabilities) and Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the 2015-2016 school year.

She also will serve as the coordinator of the Education for the Homeless Children, Youth, Migrants and English Language Learners programs, as well as the educational liaison for children in foster care.

The board also appointed Kyle McDonald and Welker to serve on the city of Cape Girardeau's tax-increment financing commission.

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