Aurora board approves bleacher renovation, school bus purchase

The Aurora School Board approved a bid by Caroll Seating Company to replace bleachers at the district’s middle school on the south side of the middle school gym. The company made the low bid for the project, $54,672. The other bid for the project came from Heartland Seating at $56,550.
In addition to replacing the bleachers on the south side of the school gymnasium, the company will also remove the bleachers from the school’s mezzanine section.
“Before the high school moved to the current 305 W. Prospect location, the additional bleachers were needed,” said Dr. Billy Redus, superintendent of schools. “Now that the junior high occupies the building, crowds are not as large. It will also allow school personnel to supervise activities happening on the mezzanine level while still being able to watch students participating on the gym floor below. The board believed it was fiscally responsible to only replace what was needed and used.” The board also approved a bid by Destiny Church to purchase a 2002 Freightliner 77 school bus from the district. Destiny Church’s bid of $1,500 was the high bid for the bus. Other bids were: Bruce Burnett, $1,251; Austin Mooneyham, $1,234.56 and Carl Geyer, $1,051.
In other business, the board also voted to join in the Monett Regional Behavior Support Cooperative Agreement. Redus said the cooperative would provide educational services most districts cannot afford on their own.
“The purpose of the Monett Regional Behavior Support Center will be to provide direct special education services that would be too difficult and costly for single-member districts,” he said. “There are other consortiums in southwest Missouri which provide similar services. By housing the center in Monett, travel will be reduced making use of the services more convenient.”