The Central Consolidated School District Board of Education approved the meeting agenda and moved to accept consent-agenda items while asking staff to supply cost estimates and reasons for special student travel requests. The board said it wanted dollar figures attached to each “unique trip” form prior to finalizing travel approvals.
The board’s request followed questions from board members about several FFA and other student travel forms that lacked estimated costs. Board member Joel Montoya asked that the agenda be approved with the condition that superintendent staff provide “an explanation of the cost and the reasons for the special trip request.” Finance/operations staff said some trip forms historically include only brief descriptions and that administrators sometimes rely on historical events to estimate costs.
Why this matters: Trustees said the district must balance supporting student opportunities with fiscal accountability as the district faces constrained budgets and staffing changes.
Board action and votes: The board approved the agenda and later approved items pulled from the consent agenda after discussions. A recorded vote on the consent action showed four votes in favor and one opposed (Board President Sharon Aspis recorded a “no” on one consent-related vote). The board directed staff to produce per-trip estimates — for projected lodging, fuel, registration and meal costs — and to describe who will attend and the student-selection process before the district signs off on travel.
Supporting details: District staff and FFA advisors described typical costs and funding sources. Examples cited during the meeting:
- An Indianapolis FFA trip last year had an estimated cost of about $11,000 for one school’s delegation.
- A NextGen conference registration is $150 per student; an example flight plus registration for one student was listed at $856.
- National FFA Convention travel cited by a program advisor ranged from roughly $1,000 to $1,500 per student in recent years.
Board members reiterated that some trips are funded by activity accounts, scholarships, Perkins/CTE funds, or outside scholarships (Intertribal Ag Council covers some youth conferences) and asked staff to show which source would pay each line item.
Process and next steps: Staff said they will add estimated costs to the student travel forms going forward and will return with line-item estimates and headcounts for the trips that were discussed. The board did not direct staff to cancel any trips; the action was limited to approval conditioned on follow-up documentation and transparent accounting.
Ending: Trustees emphasized support for extracurricular learning opportunities but told staff the board needs concrete cost and attendance information to avoid “blind” approvals.