Bethel Park School District purchases maintenance software
Bethel Park School District will have a new way to keep track of scheduled maintenance and repair requests after the school board purchased a new software package at its meeting March 24.
The program from SchoolDude will have an initial cost of $7,725, which includes the annual subscription fee of $3,600 as well as start-up costs. The district is under contract with Aramark Corp. for the management of its maintenance department, and the Philadelphia-based company has its own tracking system. However, the school district may choose to let its contract expire, hire its own maintenance director and manage the department in-house, in an effort to save money.
Custodians are district employees and will continue to be so if the district makes this change.
“We want to keep our options open,” said Vicki Flotta, the district’s director of public relations.
In another matter, the board agreed to purchase five new surveillance cameras at the high school to thwart a recent rash of vandalism in the restrooms. No cameras will be placed inside the restrooms due to privacy concerns, but additional cameras will be installed in the hallway outside. Cost for the cameras is $4,372.
The board also tabled action on the purchase of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment from Trane Corp. for the renovation project at Washington Elementary School. The cost of over $500,000 was higher than anticipated, so school board members opted to wait to purchase the items. The district plans to renovate the school this summer.
The board renewed its contract with Fedele Insurance for property and workers compensation insurance at a cost of $30,000 for each of the next three years. Fedele is the district’s longtime insurance agent, and the insurance fees have remained stable for several years.