At the June 9 meeting the Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education held a first reading of proposed changes to the district’s Fund 80 (community service fund), which would formally place several community-facing programs and positions into that fund.

District staff said most of the programs already operate but moving them into Fund 80 documents the funding and staffing in advance of audits. The proposal highlighted potential additions including a second school resource officer (SRO) position if the police department can staff the role later in the fall; two county-employed positions (a community social worker and a mental-health navigator) to work on-site under intergovernmental agreements; an expanded community broadcasting program (covering equipment costs and stipends for supervisors and personnel who livestream events); and converting a current part-time weekend custodian role to a full-time Fund 80 position to cover facility use by community groups.

Staff clarified the county-employed social worker and navigator would remain county employees and the district would contract for a portion of their time; the packet said about 75% of personnel costs would be billed to the district for those positions during the school year, with those employees reverting to full county duties during summers. Jason, a district staff member who presented the item, said the broadcasting stream has grown over time and the proposed Fund 80 change would consolidate its equipment and stipend costs under the community-service budget. "That would cover the equipment budget, but then also the stipends that are currently paid and would be paid to the supervisor and the individuals that do all of the live streaming and broadcasting of the different events," Jason said.

Board members asked whether the social worker and navigator duplicated county services; staff answered the county positions work on-site under contract and the arrangement retains county employment and oversight while funding their on-site time through the district’s community-service fund. Questions about whether the community-service custodian would cover the entire district drew the reply that the position would focus where facilities are most used by community groups — primarily the high school and middle school.

The proposal was presented as a first reading; the board did not take final action but staff said the Department of Public Instruction recommends official board action whenever Fund 80 programs change so the district is aligning practice with audit expectations.