School district to consider Safe Route for Schools grant

School officials are seeking more than $300,000 in grants to establish a safe walking and biking environments for students.

During a Hernando County School District board workshop at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2, at the board office, board members will discuss establishing a committee for the Safe Routes to School Program and complete a transportation survey of kindergarten through eighth grades.

According to staff reports, the grant proposes building sidewalks along Powell Road from California Street to Spring Park and on California Street from Powell to the Nature Coast entrance at a cost of $315,000, which would be fully funded by the grant.

Establishing the committee and doing the traffic survey are the first steps in applying for the grant.

In other business, board members are expected to:

• Agree on the make-up of the magnet school committee and scope of what the members will research.

Board members will then meet at 7 p.m. to consider:

• Approving the fixed price construction contract for the Springstead High School stadium concession stand/restroom building project with Pillar Construction Group for $247,409.00 and issue a purchase order in that amount.

• Approve the purchase of IB textbooks for Springstead High School from multiple vendors and issuance of multiple purchase orders for $9,288.