Board approves interim purchase-service agreement so Education Foundation can run district daycare

The Lewis Central Comm School District Board of Education on Feb. 3 approved a purchase-service agreement with the Lewis Central Education Foundation (LCEF) to provide a director for the district’s LCLC daycare program while the foundation develops capacity to fully take over operations.

Under the agreement presented to the board, LCEF will hire and employ a director and the district will reimburse LCEF for the actual cost of that employee up to a cap the superintendent described in the meeting. The superintendent said the expense will be charged to daycare funds, not general-fund tax dollars, and that the agreement is intended as a limited, transitional arrangement while the foundation builds human-resources and accounts-payable capacity.

District officials and trustees described the arrangement as a way to give the Education Foundation the time and administrative support to absorb day-to-day operations for the program. The superintendent said LCEF currently operates with volunteer capacity and that moving LCLC under the foundation will require start-up support, including HR and payroll assistance through a nonprofit HR partner the foundation is engaging.

The board approved the purchase-service agreement as presented. Board members asked for clarity on supervision, evaluations and benefits under the arrangement; the superintendent said LCEF would handle employee hiring, benefits and payroll and that district leaders would participate in hiring and provide supervisory feedback in the same way they do for other partner organizations that place staff in district buildings.

The board vote recorded approval and the superintendent said he would have the agreement’s administrative details (including the document date) updated as needed before final execution. The motion authorizes the district to reimburse LCEF for the director’s costs under the terms discussed; it does not transfer facility ownership or finalize a permanent handoff of the program.

Background and next steps

Officials told the board the foundation intends to be ready to take full operational responsibility for the daycare within a transitional period. The presented draft included an anticipated end date for the purchase-service arrangement; the superintendent said he would work with the foundation to confirm the document dates and expiration before final execution and that the board can extend or renew the arrangement if additional time is needed to complete the transfer of operations.

What the board approved

The board approved a purchase-service agreement with Lewis Central Education Foundation to purchase a director’s services; the district will pay the foundation the foundation’s true costs for that employee up to the cap presented at the meeting. The district will continue to provide the facility and management oversight until the foundation completes the transition.