SAUGUS — Schools will be getting some new technology and vehicles soon.
In the most recent School Committee meeting, members voted on budget entry No.10 which included the purchasing of various items for the school system. The motion ended up passing unanimously.
The committee was looking to approve the purchase of $168,000 worth of smart TVs, interactive panels and desktops for teachers. During discussion surrounding the proposal, Superintendent of Schools Dr. David DeRuosi also noticed that included in this package would be purchases of iPads and additional Chromebooks.
Also, Saugus is looking to purchase a $30,000 Ford F-250 pickup truck and budgeted $73,358 for two student activity vans as well as $32,923 for a snow-removal vehicle.
Chair Tom Whittredge noted that in the past this would have been something that the committee could only dream of doing, but now it has become a reality.
“This is stuff that, when you run for School Committee, you hope to get,” he said. “And we’re kind of getting everything in this one package, because we made some smart decisions as far as COVID went.”
During the discussion, committee member Arthur Grabowski questioned the need for the pickup truck, which DeRuosi addressed by noting that there have been discussions for several years regarding the purchase of a utility vehicle for the district.
“It will make the work of moving products in the district easier,” DeRuosi said. “A truck is easier to load than a van. I know that trying to bring the district’s vehicle up to code has been on my watchlist.”
DeRuosi also noted that the committee had tried to bring in new vehicles in the past, and we’re hoping to foster a partnership with a local garage for maintenance. The superintendent added that the student vans are so outdated that it would cost less to buy new ones compared to updating the vehicles they already have.
With schools hoping to return to some sense of normalcy in the upcoming school year, DeRuosi said that the committee won’t have the money to make these improvements next year.
“So, again, (we’re) trying to be proactive, trying to set a district up for the next 5-10 years,” he said. “Now’s the time to move. Now’s the time to make these purchases.”
