Mehlville School Board Says Farewell to Ocello, Approves Several Bids

Bids for a new copy service, flooring at Mehlville High and track resurfacing at Oakville High School were all unanimously approved at Thursday's board meeting. The board also heard member , pending the sale of his home in Oakville. 

Superintendent Terry Noble acknowledged Ocello’s service to the board.

“During this time, he has provided outstanding leadership and always asked tough questions. Our district has benefitted greatly from his keen business sense. I know everyone really appreciates his contribution in this area,” Noble said. “What I most appreciate about you is that I watched our staff come to appreciate the concern, care and compassion you have brought to the process. I have seen people react to you because you share concern for them. They aren’t just an employee. I hope we never lose that, and you deserve a great deal of credit for bringing that to our district.”

Facilities Manager Steve Habeck presented the board with bids on flooring and track resurfacing for the high schools. The board approved a bid for ICS Construction to replace the common room flooring at Mehlville High School for $7,365.49. They will replace the existing worn carpet from the lower common area and replace it with vinyl flooring due to stains, wear and the seams coming apart. Replacing it with vinyl will make cleaning transitions easier, with no wax on the carpet, Habeck said. 

The board also approved resurfacing the track at Oakville High School. Both high schools have all-weather rubberized track that must be replaced every five years. Habeck said replacing the track now, at its scheduled time, will prevent more damages and repairs in the future. Byrne and Jones Construction will resurface the track  for $61,871.

Chief Financial Officer Noel Knobloch discussed a new bid with IKON for copier and print centers across the district. The new bid would reduce costs by approximately $230,000 a year.

“That is not the final number—we could probably reduce that number a bit more as we get to final negotiations in the contract,” Knobloch said.

The bid was approved, followed by a discussion about how the district can reduce its paper usage. Knobloch said that paper usage begins at the classroom and curriculum requirements level, and the classroom-based information was different from building to building.

The board also set the 2011-2012 Board of Education calendar, noting that future amendments are possible.

Ocello closed the meeting, saying that it had truly been a great honor to work with the group.

“I am 99.9 percent sure this is my last board meeting,” he said. “I’ve never worked with a group of people so committed to a singular cause. Even though you can’t please everyone, it has been a thrill to work with you guys.”

Ocello then turned his thoughts to the new board members.

“When I began on the board, I always told myself I would do what’s right for my kid, and if I kept that in mind I knew I’d make good decisions for everyone else’s kids,” he said. “They only have one shot at an education, and that’s an awesome responsibility.”