Merrill Area School District board approves Head Start grants, staffing change, tech refresh and strategic objectives

The Merrill Area School District Board of Education on Wednesday, March 19, approved the district’s 2025–26 Head Start federal grant and related plans, authorized summer maintenance projects and a high‑school technology refresh, and voted to pursue hiring a full‑time district psychologist instead of contracting for those services.

The approvals came during the board’s regular meeting at the MAPS Central Administration Building Boardroom. Board members also approved the district’s strategic planning Phase 2 objectives and several routine personnel and contract templates. Two agenda items — the updated staff handbook and a proposed shared choir‑teaching change — were tabled for future consideration. The board additionally voted to move into a closed session to discuss personnel matters.

Why it matters: the Head Start approvals fund early‑childhood services in the district for the 2025–26 program year and the move to hire a district psychologist shifts evaluation and 504/IEP workload from counselors to a specialist on staff. The technology and facilities votes direct planned capital and maintenance spending for summer projects and classroom equipment.

Head Start and related plans The board voted to approve the district’s 2025–26 Federal Head Start grant, the Head Start five‑year strategic goals, a Head Start cost allocation plan for 2025–26, and the CESA 9 Head Start training and technical assistance…