MSD Wabash County Schools board approves 2026 budget, teacher contract, calendars and personnel in series of unanimous votes

MSD Wabash County Schools Board of Trustees approved its 2026 adopted budget and a package of related measures and personnel actions during a regular board meeting at the Administration Building. The board also ratified the 2025–27 teacher contract, adopted the 2026 capital projects and bus replacement plans, approved the 2026–27 district calendars, and accepted numerous personnel hires and coaching appointments.

The board moved through a series of motions by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Among the adopted items, the board approved the district’s Form 4 resolution for appropriations and tax rates and an appropriation modification resolution intended to align the district’s paperwork with the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) once the DLGF issues its Form 1782 notice. Staff presented the district’s anticipated total tax rate as $1.10 for 2026 after adjustments. The bus replacement plan and the capital projects plan were presented unchanged from prior drafts and were adopted.

The board ratified the 2025–27 teacher contract, approving the contract as presented and moving the district to the two-year agreement described in the motion. The district approved the 2026–27 school calendars for the district and the separate calendar for the White’s program (White’s operates on a four-day schedule and a different July–June cycle). The district calendar presented would start student instruction August 12 and conclude regular classes May 27, with graduation May 30 and the last teacher day May 28.

The board approved multiple overnight trips: a Southwood eighth- and ninth-grade Washington, D.C., trip (April 2026) and an overnight “Minds in Action” reunion trip for students in November 2025 that appears to include an overnight stay at Metro Mall. The board also approved standard consent items including September 23 minutes and claims and payroll (payroll number 6), with staff noting that payroll reflected some retroactive increases for district employees.

On human-resources matters, the board approved numerous staffing items: new hires and substitutes across cooks, secretarial/bookkeeping, nursing, custodial and instructional substitutes; and a slate of winter coaching and extracurricular appointments for Northfield and Southwood schools (including head and assistant positions for boys and girls basketball, wrestling, cheer and junior-high teams). The HR report was approved by motion and voice vote.

Motions and outcomes - Adopt 2026 bus replacement plan: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: other) - Adopt 2026 capital projects plan: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: budget_adoption) - Approve resolution for appropriations and tax rates (Form 4): approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: budget_adoption) - Approve appropriation modification resolution (to align with DLGF Form 1782): approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: budget_adoption) - Ratify 2025–27 teacher contract: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: contract_award) - Approve 2026–27 district and White’s school calendars: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: other) - Approve overnight field trip: Southwood eighth- and ninth-grade Washington, D.C.: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: other) - Approve overnight field trip: Minds in Action reunion (November; overnight at Metro Mall): approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: other) - Approve minutes (Sept. 23) and claims/payroll number 6: approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: other) - Approve HR report (new hires, substitutes, and coaching appointments): approved (motion and second; voice vote; no opposition recorded). (kind: appointment)

Details and context Staff told the board that the Form 4 tax-rate figures presented will be finalized after the DLGF issues its Form 1782 notice. The tax-rate figure discussed at the meeting was presented as $1.10 total for 2026 after the anticipated adjustments. Administrators said there had been no substantive changes to the bus replacement plan or the capital projects plan since earlier drafts were reviewed. Payroll claims presented for approval reflected routine classroom and office supplies for the time of year and included retroactive pay increases for some staff categories.

The overnight field trips were presented with destination and approximate timing; the Southwood trip is scheduled for April 2026, and the Minds in Action reunion is planned for November 2025 with an overnight at Metro Mall. The board did not record roll-call vote counts in the minutes for these motions; each motion was adopted by voice vote with the board chair calling for “aye” and asking for opposed voices, and none were recorded.

Ending Board members closed the meeting after first-reading policy discussion and standard public-comments procedures. Several informational reports, including building recognitions and the district fall enrollment/ADM update, were given earlier in the meeting but are covered in a separate report.