Board approves field trip, summer camps, grant and budget transfers; advertising set for bond hearing

MSD Southwest Allen County Schools trustees passed several routine and programmatic items at their Feb. 14 meeting, including approval of an overseas field trip for Homestead High students, the district’s 2025 summer camps list, acceptance of a classroom grant for Woodside Middle School, and permission to advertise a public hearing about additional capital projects.

Board members approved by voice vote a recommendation that Homestead High School replace a previously approved Ecuador trip with an overseas itinerary to the Dominican Republic in July 2025. The board first voted to make the revised trip an action item and then voted to approve the trip. (Motion and second recorded in meeting audio; vote taken by voice with no recorded opposition.)

The board also approved the district’s 2025 school-sponsored camps, programs and events, including newly listed camps described to the board as an elementary boys volleyball camp and new boys and girls soccer camps by grade bands. The district said one listing in the packet contained a grade-band misprint and clarified the intended grade ranges during discussion.

Trustees voted to accept a $15,000 Project Lead The Way (PLTW) grant for Woodside Middle School to support automation and robotics and a computer science gateway elective. Administration said the funds will support two PLTW elective offerings at Woodside.

On finance items, the board approved a January-through-December resolution authorizing transfers from the education fund to the operations fund up to $6,000,000 for the year (a recurring plan the board included in the budget). Staff said the district will process $500,000 transfers for both January and February as part of that authority; the resolution was approved by voice vote.

The board also authorized administration to advertise for a public hearing on additional bonding capacity and proposed capital projects; staff said the formal hearing will take place on March 18 with first publication scheduled for March 7. The advertising permission was approved by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: - Consent agenda (bills, claims, payrolls, accounts and personnel recommendations): approved by voice vote; no recorded opposition. - Homestead High School — revise overseas field trip from Ecuador to the Dominican Republic (July 2025): motion made and seconded; approved by voice vote; no recorded opposition. - 2025 school-sponsored camps, programs and events (including added camps for volleyball and soccer by grade band): approved by voice vote; no recorded opposition. - Accept $15,000 PLTW grant for Woodside Middle School (automation/robotics and computer science gateway): motion made and seconded; approved by voice vote. - Resolution to authorize education-to-operations fund transfers (annual authorization totaling $6,000,000 in budget): approved by voice vote; staff to execute monthly transfers (including $500,000 for January and $500,000 for February as described). - Permission to advertise for a public hearing on additional bonding capacity / proposed projects: approved by voice vote; staff said first publication will be March 7 and hearing on March 18.

The board recorded no roll-call tallies in the public audio; each listed item was approved on voice vote and the chair asked for any opposed responses before moving on. No formal objections were recorded in the meeting transcript.

Ending: Board members closed the business portion of the meeting after brief board comments about upcoming state legislation and adjourned.