NEWBERRY — From January to June of this year the Newberry County School District has spent $16,572.56 with minority businesses registered with the South Carolina Division of Small and Minority Business Contracting and Certification.

Susan Dowd, chief financial officer with the District, said that they have had a couple of the same vendors they typically have within this report.

The District spent $2,375.60 with Crossroads Environmental and $14,196.96 with Lorrick Office Products, for a total of $16,572.56. This makes up one percent of the total vendor expenditures for the five month period.

“The goal is 10 percent, but it is a goal and we typically do not reach that goal, but it is there in our guidelines,” Dowd said. “I think there are only 640 minority businesses registered, so there is not a large pool to choose from, but we do our best, we attend trade shows and try to find out who they are and things of that nature.”

In other business, Dowd presented the emergency procurements for July 2016 to June 2017 and the sole source procurements from July 2016 to June 2017. Emergency procurements exist when there is an immediate threat to public health, welfare, critical economy and efficiency, or safety under emergency conditions. Sole Source procurement exists when there is only one source available for the required supply or service.

The District spent $126,733.81 for emergency procurements during the last fiscal year. A few of the highlights from these procurements included $12,348 to Duncan LLC, $5,758.74 to Cook and Boardman and $3,900 to Lominick Painting.

For sole source procurements, the District spent $20,924.59 during the last fiscal year. Purchases included $4,000 to Kenneth Rawls, $5445.23 to Presentation System South and $3,313.90 to Robot Shop Inc.

Other business

• Boardmember Hugh Gray was recognized for reaching level two in the Boardmanship Institute training program, through the South Carolina School Board Association.

• The Board received project information on work being done on Newberry Elementary School and Little Mountain Elementary School. At NES the following work is being performed; selected new exterior windows, brick tuckpointing, concrete restoration, masonry cleaning, painting, floor finishes, plastic repair. At LME, brick waterproofing, brick tuckpointing, concrete repair, masonry cleaning, painting, roofing, plaster repair.

• Before the Aug. 28 Board Meeting, there will be a naming ceremony at 5:30 p.m. for the District Office, which is being re-named in Bennie Bennett’s honor.

Boardmember Hugh Gray (center) was recognized for reaching level two in the Boardmanship Institute training program. He is pictured with Superintendent Jim Suber and Boardmember Jody Hamm
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_DSC_0293.jpgBoardmember Hugh Gray (center) was recognized for reaching level two in the Boardmanship Institute training program. He is pictured with Superintendent Jim Suber and Boardmember Jody Hamm Andrew Wigger | The Newberry Observer

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@s24514.p831.sites.pressdns.com

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @ TheNBOnews.