The Hamilton County Board of Education approved a board-wide "values-based" list of priorities for how it would spend additional or one-time funding, voting 8'to'2 on a motion that reordered several items and removed a request to return 2.5 student-support positions to central office.

Under the motion carried, the board consolidated the items on a single front-page list and prioritized them as follows: (1) step and longevity increases for eligible employees; (2) reinstate 0.5 positions in schools; (3) implement phase 1 of the district's compensation study (payouts to align pay with market/structure); (4) a 2% raise for employees as defined by the board in prior actions; (5) capital maintenance; and (6) coaching stipends.

Board member Mr. Connor (District 6), who originally presented the document, described the list as a "wish list" intended to give the county commission, philanthropic partners and other potential funders clear direction about how the board would spend additional resources. "If there was another million dollars, we'd do this," he said during debate.

The board debated and amended the draft for roughly an hour. Key points raised included:
- Several board members and administrators emphasized that the $5 million figure associated with phase 1 of the compensation study reflects an implementation estimate, not the cost of the study itself; the study work is complete and the estimate would be the cost to put staff on the recommended pay structure.
- Members urged the board to prioritize restores that would directly affect schools and classroom staffing, and some argued against broad across-the-board raises in favor of targeted adjustments for classroom-facing staff.
- The motion removed a proposed 2.5 student-support FTE return to central office (page 2) after some members argued those funds were better allocated to schools.

The motion was moved by Mr. Connor and seconded by Ms. Schaefer. The roll call vote recorded eight yes votes and two no votes; Mr. Groan and Mr. Slater voted no. After passage, board leaders said the approved list would be circulated to county commissioners and to potential external funders to provide a clear, board-approved set of priorities.

Board members and staff also discussed the Gallup survey the district commissioned and asked administration to distribute those results to the board; staff said the Gallup results would be provided the following day.

The approved document is explicitly a priorities list and not a change to the formally submitted budget; administration emphasized the list simply tells potential funders and the public how the board would like to allocate additional resources if they become available.