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Russell County School Board approves 2025–26 CTE Perkins plan and $2,400 Medicare stipend for eligible staff
Summary
At its regular meeting, the Russell County School Board approved the 2025–26 CTE Perkins plan and a $2,400 annual stipend for employees who choose Medicare instead of the district group health plan; the board also approved routine business items including payment of bills, resignations, and new hires.
The Russell County School Board on an evening vote approved the 2025–26 Career and Technical Education Perkins plan and a $2,400 annual stipend for employees who opt into Medicare rather than the district group health plan.
The Perkins plan approval and the stipend were presented as the meeting's two action items. Superintendent (identified in the transcript as "Doctor ******") said the stipend "will assist in offsetting the cost of employees in obtaining prescription and auxiliary services coverage." Board member Mr. Parsons moved approval of the Perkins plan; Ms. Garrett seconded. A subsequent motion to provide the $2,400 annual stipend passed after a second by Miss Perkins.
The Perkins plan provides the district's framework for use of Carl D. Perkins-related CTE funds for the 2025–26 plan year; the board record does not specify budget amounts or program changes in the plan itself. The stipend motion directs a $2,400 payment to be made annually on the June paycheck following the plan year to each employee who is eligible and who chooses to participate in Medicare rather than the Russell County Public Schools group plan.
Board members also handled routine business before and after the action items: they approved the meeting agenda and minutes from the prior meeting, authorized payment of bills, accepted a list of resignations and retirements, and approved a slate of new hires and transfers. The transcript does not include detailed vote tallies for those motions; minutes record each motion and that votes were taken.
Votes at a glance
- Approve 2025–26 CTE Perkins plan — mover: Mr. Parsons; second: Ms. Garrett; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified in transcript. - Approve $2,400 annual stipend for employees who elect Medicare in lieu of the district plan — mover: (moved during action item discussion); second: Miss Perkins; outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified in transcript. - Approve agenda — outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - Approve minutes from prior meeting — outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - Pay bills — outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - Accept resignations and retirements — outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified. - Approve new hires and transfers — outcome: approved; vote tally: not specified.
Why it matters: The Perkins plan governs the district's use of CTE funds and program priorities for the coming year; the stipend changes how the district offsets prescription and auxiliary coverage costs for employees who elect Medicare, and will affect payroll expense in the year the stipend is paid.
What the record does not specify: The district did not provide detailed line-item allocations from the Perkins plan in the meeting discussion, and the vote tallies for the motions were not read into the transcript. The board did not state the total budgetary impact of the $2,400 stipend in the meeting record.
Looking ahead: The superintendent said the district has scheduled other calendar items and will provide first readings of policies at a later date; the transcript indicates additional budget and maintenance reports were presented but contains no further decisions tied to the Perkins plan or the stipend.
