[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6338746,"mediaKeyId","2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8","parentId",2268404,"title","Votes at a glance: NACS board actions Feb. 10, 2025","audioSeconds",2580,"startMs",30000,"endMs",2610000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8&start=30&end=2610","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8/thumbnail_30000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6338746/Indiana/Votes-at-a-glance-NACS-board-actions-Feb-10-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338746-6ba9eadbb0a06af455a2aee037d7e5e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154108&Signature=NERbaeuBElKp88e24QfrbbiA2P67tVKcLOr9HM8qCxLjguZV8FjBF907DKahj17aeQJErptmSK7GP1G1Z9ESDRzZa3ebV-GKgpwedeCsiXxjGTI07VJ2WMMqJ4JQDMDp0WhqhwdjYd9GDYSugz90UgpuhgroydWKpIiSyeB6gaybntgrSbzeuilPjeXD6149BWv9xVauznAdAa-~-NyiQL-3sZ1zxeRr3SUHtXjSF0rqOLt0cWf06T4a8~Ft5GqLIgwx20CckFTyf5oZx7tQChGS2TgAZf0fRSiHXlbLh9YQWty9XMtyohvMZ6V-E5I2o8D04lbEyuynOdF0nNmzmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northwest Allen County Schools","date","2025-02-11T12:42:19Z","article","The Northwest Allen County Schools Board of School Trustees took the following recorded actions during its Feb. 10, 2025 meeting (motions are summarized as recorded in the meeting transcript):

Adoption of the agenda — Motion by Ms. Schlatter, second by Mr. Vogt. Voice vote: approved.

Consent agenda (minutes from Jan. 27 executive session and regular meeting; claims and payroll subject to audit; homebound request; field trip request) — Motion by Ms. Chaffee, second by Mr. Vogt. Voice vote: approved.

Contract with Winston Terrell Group to assist with an operating referendum — Motion by Ms. Schlatter, second by Mr. Vogt. Voice vote: approved (see separate article for details).

Formal partnership with the Fort Wayne Swim and Wellness Alliance to pursue bringing the US Olympic Trials pool to a NACS site — Motion by Mr. Vogt, second by Ms. Schlatter. Voice vote: approved (see separate article for details).

Personnel report (items 5.01–5.07, including retirements and position amendments) — Motion by Mr. Vogt, second by Ms. Jamieson. Voice vote: approved. The transcript lists retirements for Jennifer Ashley (effective May 29), Kelly Cheshire (effective May 29) and Gary Platt (last teaching day May 29) and a position amendment to split an 8-hour position into two 5-hour positions at two buildings.

Professional learning/training approvals (CPI district trainer recertification, chief technology officer clinic, school safety specialist training) — Motion by Ms. Schlatter, second by Ms. Jamieson. Voice vote: approved.

ELL summer-school instructional assistant funded by Title III — Motion by Ms. Chaffee, second by Mr. Vogt. Voice vote: approved.

Agreement with American Fidelity for supplemental benefits, FSA and Section 125 plan management — Motion by Ms. Schlatter, second by Ms. Chaffee. Voice vote: approved.

Carroll High School auditorium lighting upgrade (Stylus Technologies bid $76,891) — Motion by Mr. Vogt, second by Ms. Schlatter. Voice vote: approved.

Adjournment — Motion by Mr. Vogt, second by Ms. Chaffee. Voice vote: approved.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NACS Regular School Board Meeting - February 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees passed a series of routine and substantive items including adoption of the agenda, consent agenda, personnel items, vendor agreements, and capital and partnership approvals; key outcomes listed below with movers and seconders where recorded.","taxTitle","Northwest Allen County Schools, School Boards, Indiana","taxId",38355,"location","Indiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338750,"NACS donates parcels for Union Chapel Trail; county provides $25,000 to connect sidewalks",332,3468000,3800000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8&start=3468&end=3800","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8/thumbnail_3468000.jpg","/articles/6338750/Indiana/NACS-donates-parcels-for-Union-Chapel-Trail-county-provides-25000-to-connect-sidewalks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338750-e24f8962d103353ba947f6b8d6fa1a24/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154108&Signature=gydun3rITk6OVCF04MC~KPkERLlJuOBug8ftAPeR8XzyBYQvmCvPsjNwxVyX4wXhejlCs6E79kI64BecLPh7vHtVZRRS1ne4anrKX08~Geo2JFkx80hAt~wK2xqEQZZjDVP~1GJlDrX~sbVWZ0GJIxkWcfjQ1HHutuQ6-JumBcVJ6mUQseScu0SLL-s2HPkL8CQf~i1y5TOKO23AcAntq6vNo-GeUBMNufgI2B~96MxuvXL66rCcwNtaEK5d~mxCB~3okFJ3dOqwNZoScc-1i6V3bWMaWF7pYZhxBl1HIsvzW2bCx3fDCmeHPCl0xHlCHJp0sqQyvUScJTAaBepdcQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mr. Barker described the board’s decision to donate two parcels to Allen County for the Union Chapel Trail right-of-way and the rationale behind that course of action.

He said donating the parcels places the trail farther from Union Chapel Road, which the administration judged to be the safest alignment for students and pedestrians walking to school. Mr. Barker said the district had appraisals that valued the parcels at $63,770 and that, instead of selling the land for that amount, NACS donated the parcels. Allen County agreed to donate $25,000 back to the district to connect the trail to the district’s sidewalk system.

Mr. Barker reviewed alternatives the district considered: selling the parcels to the county (which would have been a similar outcome but would have made NACS the first municipality in Allen County to sell land for a county trail instead of donating) and refusing to cooperate (which, he said, would have forced the county to build the trail in the normal right-of-way closer to the road, at a higher taxpayer cost and without the $25,000 connection payment). He told trustees county construction in the normal right-of-way would have increased taxpayer costs by roughly $600,000 because of a large ditch the county would have had to address and because the chosen alignment away from the road is less expensive to build.

Mr. Barker also said Allen County had previously waived normal planning rules for NACS during construction of the Administration Center and that, if the county had not waived those rules, the district might have been required to build and pay for at least some trail segments itself. He said the board’s unanimous decision to donate the two parcels reflected the district’s intent to prioritize student safety and minimize overall taxpayer cost.

No formal motion text appears verbatim in the record excerpt provided here, but Mr. Barker said the board unanimously agreed to the donation with support from senior leadership, including Mr. Basham and Dr. Bidding.","Board explained and affirmed its donation of parcels to Allen County for the Union Chapel Trail, describing alternative scenarios and why donation was selected as the least expensive and safest option for students and county taxpayers.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338755,"Board approves partnership to pursue US Olympic trials pool; project cost and fundraising plan reviewed",473,2647000,3120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8&start=2647&end=3120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8/thumbnail_2647000.jpg","/articles/6338755/Indiana/Board-approves-partnership-to-pursue-US-Olympic-trials-pool-project-cost-and-fundraising-plan-reviewed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338755-e749dfd1c506dd3d3f40414da0b085c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154108&Signature=BxKDKHTXoCNx2hdPKLlqLlY2Sd~C-5T5bOljb8RvBFD20mQCfkQMYQZA7PPXDpY8niprBUEQ~vF3Z6N97dFtmKuVQr7uA6XeYNuxgp51Z31uIB~u36PUq6hk2qhDftef-gi1v1z9PBxiA3wRG-NH07gFAozssfIVEB5cgw~ACFTl4QY0nb0rnIMOOclHYIcwjyiYtHLMA60CcYToJHYMTzTMAMJvOYz1s2esERUpUvxkHoDv45IXhZPN-z7F~o-mAOgvZmzD6MrvI-8ZldqEN7FGp-Rn6fbQg5VekfY0v6GNSU8JhlYilsxtpHbQgYeS3b5iWBwcNRZ-KQWh6ywM7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Bidding, assistant superintendent for operations, presented details of a proposed natatorium project and recommended the district formally partner with the Fort Wayne Swim and Wellness Alliance to bring a US Olympic Trials–caliber competition pool to a Northwest Allen County Schools site.

The facility concept described is roughly a 92,000-square-foot building with two pools — a 50-meter competition pool capable of being configured for multiple lanes, and a warm-water instructional pool with eight to 10 lanes — plus expanded diving capability, larger locker rooms and multipurpose space. The presenters said the new building would be about 300% larger than the district’s current natatorium.

Dr. Bidding and Mr. Basham reviewed an independent conservative pro forma prepared with Isaac Sports Group that shows current district pool operations cost about $500,000 a year for repairs, staffing and supplies. The pro forma the presenters shared modeled a first-year increase in spending (including start-up and a $500,000 operating cushion), with operating results improving by year three under a conservative scenario. Presenters emphasized the pro forma was intentionally conservative and that community partnerships and additional programming could substantially improve revenues.

Project capital totals discussed included a $54,000,000 overall project estimate. The district’s standalone cost if it built a comparably sized new pool was described at about $38,000,000. The Fort Wayne Swim and Wellness Alliance reported it hoped to secure $6,000,000 in grant funding and to raise an additional $10,000,000 in private funds; presenters stated the Alliance already had $1,400,000 committed and showed a remaining gap of about $8,600,000 to be raised by private donors and additional grants.

Trustees discussed possible community partners; staff reported preliminary conversations with Parkview Regional Medical Center about a partnership that could improve the facility’s economic viability. After discussion the board voted to formally partner with the Fort Wayne Swim and Wellness Alliance in support of the fundraising and grant applications. The motion was made by Mr. Vogt, seconded by Ms. Schlatter, and approved by voice vote.

Presenters said a formal partnership would help the Alliance in grant applications and fundraising and stressed many project details — allocation of operating responsibilities, final capital split, and specific site and partner agreements — would require future negotiation before any construction contract or capital commitment by the district.","Trustees agreed to formally partner with the Fort Wayne Swim and Wellness Alliance to bring a US Olympic trials competition pool to the district site, reviewed a pro forma showing startup costs, and discussed capital and operating projections.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6338761,"NACS trustees outline operating-referendum plan, approve consultant contract",2076,107000,2183000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8&start=107&end=2183","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2268404-b2f5e5bb9a725718bb024e296e2146c8/thumbnail_107000.jpg","/articles/6338761/Indiana/NACS-trustees-outline-operating-referendum-plan-approve-consultant-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6338761-abb756668c660256debdb012784ee20f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154108&Signature=OwnWnzLT8s-3soBUPt54ZY4L-9vyORpN5KkDaLcTkU2AOwo8K7pS0cy0MF6uTsFR6IDNgTI~pSCH0eTA8xEIzDLSLrgMh6S~Kr5CXkNrOXV~LxS06-GfR9vlaGhanyQOabLOTYmx02tlTHnZ4V00aycOlxx~Oh300koR9YmDOexvDQbhVBemK5L6Dd8mxbREPbro2ZbzLMHp7SlRcWgFrZl--waim85mLs55WaeVmTqxzyXn5h-oI483Tlm-oMbEVj99zcLZgyuuzHzhJAeGjoLDd30ZxXxL0ofQ0i5tWiD9gZL8UsY9IAhCsnyUJAd3NOKasjxsLQyX7YNo3TDnkA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mr. Barker, superintendent of Northwest Allen County Schools, told the board the district is proposing an operating referendum to help close a persistent funding gap and to shore up operations and education budgets.

At the Feb. 10 meeting Mr. Barker said the district is underfunded compared with the state average and estimates that, combined across the education and operations funds, NACS is about $7,950,000 below the state average in 2024. He also warned proposed state legislation could reduce property-tax revenue further, estimating an additional possible loss of about $4,500,000 under one bill discussed in the Legislature; together those figures mean the district could face roughly $12,500,000 in reduced revenue under the scenarios discussed.

The presentation described how NACS’ education fund (tuition support and related state dollars) and operations fund (primarily property taxes) fund different responsibilities: the education fund covers teachers, classroom assistants and instructional materials while the operations fund pays for custodial staff, utilities, building maintenance, transportation and district-level services. Staff described limits on transfers between funds and recent expense drivers including a 34% rise in special education costs and a 77.5% increase in ELL-related costs recorded over the last two years.

Mr. Basham, the district business officer, and Dr. Bidding, assistant superintendent for operations, reviewed proposals for how referendum dollars could be used if voters approve them. Uses discussed included salary increases to attract and retain staff, adding school resource officers and a district school-safety specialist, expanding nursing and social-work coverage, hiring additional instructional coaches and high-ability teachers, adding CTE staffing for the planned CTE/alternative center, and one-time and recurring operations costs such as camera and server upgrades. The board was repeatedly told the list was preliminary and would be refined in later work.

On legal and scheduling risk, Mr. Barker reviewed three bills then under consideration in the Indiana Legislature that would limit when local referenda can appear on ballots (Senate Bill 1, Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 1681 as discussed). He said the bills had not become law and cautioned that proposed laws could change during the session, but that staff would continue planning under current law.

The board unanimously approved a contract recommendation to retain the Winston Terrell Group to assist the district’s referendum effort. Mr. Barker said Mr. Winston told him the firm would honor the contract even if timetable changes are required because of possible legislation. The motion to approve the contract was made by Ms. Schlatter, seconded by Mr. Vogt, and carried.

After the vote, trustees directed staff to create a timeline from then through Nov. 4, 2025, listing steps required for a successful referendum effort and to continue refining details of proposed uses and the public outreach plan.

The district emphasized the presentation and the contract approval were procedural steps to support continued planning; no tax rate or final referendum question was presented or adopted at the meeting.","Northwest Allen County Schools trustees heard a detailed presentation on funding shortfalls and proposed uses for an operating referendum, approved contracting with the Winston Terrell Group to assist a possible November 2025 referendum and directed staff to build a timeline through Nov. 4.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: NACS board actions Feb. 10, 2025

NACS donates parcels for Union Chapel Trail; county provides $25,000 to connect sidewalks

Board approves partnership to pursue US Olympic trials pool; project cost and fundraising plan reviewed

NACS trustees outline operating-referendum plan, approve consultant contract