[April 11, 2008] Davidson school system awards service contracts Tweet (High Point Enterprise (NC) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Apr. 11--DAVIDSON COUNTY -- Contracts for garbage disposal and fire extinguisher services were awarded by the Davidson County Board of Education earlier this week for the 2008-09 school year. The lowest of three bidders, Republic Waste Industries, again will handle removing trash at all 32 of the system's schools next year. At $128,940, Republic's bid came in $20,000under the rest. Buddy Kiger, assistant superintendent of auxiliary services, said extra trash runs to each school were factored into the bid this year as more runs, equalling more money, were made last year. "For some reason, we are generating more trash...It's easier and more timely for us to go ahead and schedule the pickups because of the amount of trash we have been having, rather than make that call (to Republicto come back)," Kiger said. "Then they have to work the pickup in and they can't do it and we've got an overrunning Dumpster by the time they get here." According to the bid, Republic will charge an additional $45 per extra pickup. Chairman Allan Thompson targeted a growing population as the likely culprit behind an increase in refuse. "More students, more teachers," he said. DCS educates more than21,000 children in the county, a number officials say drastically increases each year. Reading from a prepared statement addressing the proposed $28.2 million budget for next year, Superintendent Fred Mock said "approximately 200 students a year" enter the school system. Three new schools have been built since 2001, with Tyro Elementary scheduled to open this fall. "The Central (Davidson) area elementary school will come on board within the next two yearsand we are looking for land for a new middle and high school in the North (Davidson) area," he said. In other news, Simplex Grinnell Fire Protection, the only bidder, was again awarded a contract to continue services for the coming school year. "We've been very satisfied with them," said Pam Sink, chief finance officer for the school system. [email protected]|888-3509 To see more of the High Point Enterprise, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.hpe.com. Copyright (c) 2008, High Point Enterprise, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]