Germantown School Board reviews student growth data, food-service upgrades and developers’ plans; approves multiple contracts and fees

The Germantown School District Board of Education met Feb. 17 and received district updates on student assessment results, food‑service improvements and school programming, discussed a village development proposal that could affect District enrollment, and approved a series of contracts, fee schedules and travel requests.

Dr. Chris Reuter, superintendent, opened the business portion of the meeting with a review of recent meetings with state legislators and announced a parent survey sent via Skyward to inform strategic planning. Jake Mysiak, district staff, presented winter NWEA MAP data showing that, in grades 1–5, 53% of students met literacy growth targets and 66% met math growth targets; Kennedy Middle School reported 53% literacy and 68% math growth. The Teaching & Learning committee and board noted the district’s adoption of new curricula (Wonders and Bridges) and said district coaches and CESA 6 supports helped avoid an implementation dip.

Jill Seefeld, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition, told the board she is moving the district toward more scratch‑based cooking, aligning menus across buildings, and implementing a new menu/nutrition system (Healthy Pro) that will go live July 1. Seefeld said the district is evaluating serving‑line equipment at Kennedy Middle School (existing equipment is about 29 years old and “not up to code”) and exploring farm‑to‑school sourcing, hydroponics/gardens, a unified student card system, and an after‑school cooking program. She said menu changes already being tested included tater‑tot casserole, stromboli and roasted vegetables.

Amy Bell Elementary staff and three fourth‑grade students described updates to physical education and classroom instruction. PE teacher Mr. Burns summarized a recent NFL training week, new equipment (including a PTA‑donated screen), in‑school bowling lanes funded in part by a Bowler’s Ed grant, and technology use for video analysis. Mrs. Tara Lewis and students described “building thinking classrooms” using vertical whiteboards to increase collaboration and problem solving; presenters noted observed gains in student engagement and median percentile math scores between fall and winter.

The Board’s village liaison report summarized the February 10 Village of Germantown planning commission meeting, which included public input on a village‑center vision and preliminary discussion of a 42‑unit multifamily residential proposal associated with Faith Lutheran Church on Division Road. The liaison noted the village has discussed using a tax‑increment district (TID) to support village‑center infrastructure and said district representatives have a seat at village planning meetings to advise on potential fiscal and enrollment impacts. At least one board member expressed opposition to creating another TID.

Two citizens spoke during public comment. Resident John Pye raised concern about potential federal funding reductions and contingency planning; the board responded that administration and board members meet regularly and that district leadership monitors budgets and planning. Resident Cheryl Redlich referenced state statutes she said limit which student fees a district may assess; the finance committee and administration acknowledged the statutory question and agreed to return with more legal/ statutory detail at a future meeting. The board later approved the 2025–26 student fee schedule, including a technology fee increase from $45 to $50, and asked staff to provide legal background and comparisons.

Finance and buildings committees recommended and the board approved several items brought forward from committee, including: replacement of Germantown High School roof section E (not to exceed $338,958) and Kennedy Middle School roof section F (not to exceed $81,100) funded from Fund 41; replacement of security/fire panels at the elementary schools using SecureTest Technology (amount not to exceed $15,146.03) funded from capital improvements; Johnson Controls fire‑system repairs at the high school (not to exceed $20,341.95) funded from the general fund; purchase of Snap‑On precision measuring instrument kits for career/tech education (not to exceed $39,069.22); approval of a CESA 1 contract amendment to increase vision services by $1,952.26; adoption of the 2025–26 facility use fee schedule; and updated mileage and meal reimbursement rates (mileage increased from $0.67 to $0.70 per mile). The board voted to retain the law firm Belo Vetter as district legal counsel following an RFP and interview process.

The board approved multiple overnight travel and extracurricular trip requests including HOSA, SkillsUSA and choir retreats, and authorized the administration to begin outreach for an educational Galápagos Islands trip being offered as an optional experience for students, pending later approval of final participant lists and overnight‑travel details. The board accepted retirement notices from ten teachers, who together represent more than two centuries of service to the district.

Votes at a glance (outcomes taken from the meeting record): the agenda and consent agenda passed; the facility use fee schedule and student fee schedule (including $50 technology fee) were approved; roofing projects, security/fire panel upgrades, Johnson Controls repairs, Snap‑On PMI kits, CESA contract amendment, CTE equipment purchase and the list of overnight travel requests were approved; Belo Vetter was approved as district legal counsel; retirements were accepted. Several items noted for follow up included detailed legal review of student fees and further planning on Kennedy serving‑line replacement.

Board members recommended the public watch committee videos for details; administration said it will return to the board with additional financial, legal, or implementation detail where requested.