The Red Oak Community School District Board of Directors approved four annual service contracts Wednesday night after soliciting competitive bids, as required by board policy for expenditures exceeding $10,000.
Pest Control – RES Com Services
Two firms submitted bids for pest control. Orkin of Omaha proposed a price nearly 500 percent higher than the previous year’s cost. RES Com Services, based in Clarinda and now operating a Red Oak office near the former Town & Country location, bid $3,420 for the year. Previous providers Pesky Pest of Shenandoah and Green Valley Pest Control of Creston declined to bid.
The board unanimously accepted the RES Com recommendation. Lorenz noted the company already provides service to at least one local church and has a growing presence in Red Oak.
Trash Removal – Shenandoah Sanitation
The trash-removal bid generated the most discussion. Current provider Town & Country Sanitation submitted a bid of $6,000 per month ($300 per day, five days per week)—the same rate charged this past year. Shenandoah Sanitation bid $2,870 per month ($143.50 per day), a reduction of approximately 52 percent.
Board members questioned whether the lower bidder could maintain reliable service and asked about extra-pickup charges, dumpster rental fees, and the number of sites served (high school/junior high, Inman, ROECC, administration center, and occasional Legion Park service). Lorenz confirmed that both companies charge for extra dumps and that Shenandoah’s proposal includes the necessary containers.
“We were very satisfied with Town & Country,” Lorenz said, “but you can’t turn your nose up at a 50 percent savings.” The board unanimously awarded the contract to Shenandoah Sanitation.
Fuel – NEW CO-OP
Only one fuel bid was received. NEW CO-OP, the district’s current supplier, offered ethanol and diesel at 15 cents per gallon below the posted retail price—the same discount provided this year. The board unanimously accepted the sole bid.
Snow Removal – ORME Outdoor
Snow removal also drew a single bid. ORME Outdoor submitted an itemized rate schedule covering snowblowers, loaders, pickup plows, and related equipment. Green Tree, the most recent provider, declined to bid. ORME had previously performed the work for the district and was described as familiar and reliable.
Because costs vary dramatically with the number, type, and intensity of snow events, no fixed annual total was proposed. Lorenz said the district budgets by taking the prior year’s actual expense and applying a cost-of-living adjustment (approximately 5 percent this year). Board members discussed the difficulty of objectively evaluating hours billed and noted the high liability exposure inherent in nighttime snow-removal work. The board unanimously approved the ORME Outdoor contract.
All four contracts cover the 2026-27 school year and were approved without opposition.
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