The Marion County School Board on Dec. 9 approved a slate of operational and personnel actions, including replacement vehicles for district operations, a suite of staffing and salary-schedule changes, a grant to launch an artificial intelligence program at South Marion High School, and multiple student expulsions.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Brewer recommended several consent and discussion items during the meeting held Tuesday evening. The board approved purchases of 13 maintenance vehicles under the Florida Sheriffs Association contract and a Ford F550 box truck for the central warehouse. The district also approved a Florida F650 refrigerated box truck for food and nutrition services. Board members noted those purchases are funded from capital projects and program budgets; the fleet purchases were approved unanimously.

Board actions included several student discipline votes. The board approved expulsions for multiple students with specified terms and, in some cases, off-campus virtual learning as an alternative. Motions to expel the named JD case numbers were made and seconded and carried by recorded votes.

On facilities, the board received reports on change orders for two construction projects: a deductive change order of $41,442.50 for roof replacement work at Lake Weir High School, lowering the contract to $2,898,209.50 and adding four calendar days to the schedule, and a deductive change order of $10,223.68 for brick remediation at Westport High School, reducing that contract to $1,349,416.32 and adding 91 days to the project timeline. Purchasing staff also reported a requested price increase from United Sales USA South LLC for aluminum-foil cafeteria supplies from $20.77 to $27.79 per case due to supplier cost pressures; staff said the secondary vendor could not supply at the awarded bid price.

The board approved a personnel package that included a new job description for an Access Control Specialist who will sit in the technology department and support school security systems; the position will be funded from referendum dollars. The related amendment to the central office staffing plan and the revised non-instructional management salary schedule were also approved unanimously.

District staff presented a Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Program grant application to fund an Artificial Intelligence Foundations program at South Marion High School. Principal Ken McAteer said the $259,635 request would buy high-performance computers, robotics kits and curriculum licenses. The board approved the application unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda approval: passed 5-0.
- Consent agenda: passed 5-0 (with previously noted pulled items).
- Assorted maintenance vehicles (13 vehicles): passed 5-0; funding: capital projects fund.
- Ford F550 box truck (central warehouse): passed 5-0; cost $105,007.50.
- Florida F650 refrigerated box truck (food services): passed 5-0; cost $145,000; funding: food services.
- Lake Weir High School roof GMP change order: reported (deductive $41,442.50; new contract $2,898,209.50).
- Westport High School brick remediation GMP change order: reported (deductive $10,223.68; new contract $1,349,416.32; +91 days).
- Multiple student expulsions: motions passed (recorded as listed) — outcomes approved.
- Access Control Specialist job description, staffing plan amendment, salary schedule revision: each passed 5-0.
- Workforce Development CAP grant application (AI Foundations at South Marion): passed 5-0.
- Gallagher benefits services contract: passed (see separate coverage); vote recorded with one dissent.

What happens next: Staff will implement the approved contract and procurement steps, post change orders in board minutes and proceed with grant implementation if awarded. The board scheduled a work session for Dec. 18 to review related budget and staffing materials.