PCHS Using Pepsi's Money To Buy Out of Coke Contract

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Pinckneyville High School Board of Education is prepared to sign a 20-year concession and vending contract with Pepsi, valued at $186,000. Superintendent Jon Green said that the board has agreed to the deal, but has not signed the contract yet. The district's attorney will be asked to approve the contract before it is signed.

PCHS signed a 10-year contract with Coca-Cola in 2003. That deal was worth about $25,000, including new scoreboards for Thomas Gymnasium and Quillman Field. The district will owe about $9,000 for backing out of the Coca-Cola contract early. Pepsi will cover that cost.

Pepsi will also provide new scoreboards for Thomas Gym (one at each end and one in the center), Quillman Field and the baseball and softball fields at a cost of $63,000. As well as, pay for an $11,000 electronic message center for the front of the school. In addition, Pepsi will provide $30,000 to finish the weight room and wrestling area and $10,000 in the fifth, tenth, fifteenth and twentieth years of the contract.

PCHS will receive five percent commission on all Pepsi products sold at school events.

"The Coca-Cola contract was worth about $2,500 per year," Green said. "The Pepsi contract is worth about $8,200 per year."

In other business, the board:

selected First Midstate, of Bloomington, to sell $500,000 in bonds for the new school project. The bonds should be sold by the end of February 2010.

heard from District Architect Dave Mevert that he will accept proposals from construction management firms through Dec. 11. Green said that the board will examine the proposals then select their top three firms to interview.

reviewed the figures for the 2009 payable 2010 tax levy. PCHS is asking for $1,509,898, which is less than 105 percent of last year's levy. No truth in taxation hearing is necessary. The levy ordinance will be adopted at the Dec. 21 meeting.

approved the purchase of a Sam's Club Card by the FFA.

set the 2010 meeting dates as the fourth Monday of each month, except May and December, which will be held on the third Monday.