Fort Thomas board approves 2025-26 calendar, tuition rates and $523,296 construction payment; adopts meeting schedule and officer slate

The Fort Thomas Independent Board of Education at its regular meeting approved the district’s 2025-26 school calendar, set tuition rates for the coming year, authorized the draft working budget, and approved a $523,296 contractor payment for the Highlands Athletics Complex at Tower Park, along with a slate of officer appointments and other routine items.

The calendar adopted by the board keeps start and end times similar to the current year, includes six shortened days, and moves a previously scheduled late arrival from early December to Nov. 19 for 2025-26. The district will observe spring break April 6–10, 2026, per the recommendation presented to the board; makeup days remain designated at the end of the school year if needed. The preschool program begins later than K–12: preschool transition dates precede a delayed preschool start on Sept. 2, and preschool end dates differ from K–12.

In a vote recorded as voice approvals, the board adopted a draft working budget for the 2025-26 school year and approved a pay application (No. 6) to Morrell in the amount of $523,296 for work on the Highlands Athletics Complex at Tower Park. The construction update presented to the board noted ongoing foundation and site work, weather-related impacts, and the contractor’s use of lime and site measures to dry and stabilize soils.

The board also approved a package of housekeeping items: election of officers (appointing Julie Kuhnhine as chairperson, Clint Fanel as vice chairperson, Brian Robinson as secretary and Andrew Remlinger as treasurer), adoption of the regular monthly meeting schedule (regular monthly board meetings at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month and working meetings at 4 p.m. on the preceding Thursday, with exceptions listed on the posted calendar), donation of per‑diem stipends into a special fund for board‑identified purposes, and approval of the 2025 board committee assignments.

On tuition, the board approved recommended rates for 2025-26 as presented: K–12 in‑district tuition of $3,810 per year and out‑of‑district tuition of $7,280 per year; a preschool tuition charge of $315 per month; a $50 nonrefundable application fee; and a $2.50 nonrefundable deposit for new tuition students to begin participation in athletics and extracurricular activities (deposits and fees to be applied to tuition if the student attends an FTIS school). The board also confirmed continuing employee tuition rates at $1,500 in‑state and $3,000 out‑of‑state, per the previously established policy.

The meeting included two informational presentations the board did not vote on: an update on the district’s resiliency screening and a high‑level overview of the district comprehensive improvement plan (CDIP). The resiliency screening, administered in October 2024, covered 148 students in grades 3–12 who opted in; results showed about 62% of participating students scored in the “optimal” or “satisfactory” ranges across resiliency domains. The screening identified roughly 6% of participating middle school students and 4% of high school students in a range suggestive of possible depression, and 6% of middle school and 3% of high school students in a range suggestive of possible anxiety; counselors will follow up with families for students flagged as needing assistance. The CDIP presentation outlined seven district goals, including combined reading and math targets (a district indicator goal moving from an indicator score of 89.5 toward 96 over five years), focus on students who are economically disadvantaged as the identified gap group, and attention to school climate and postsecondary readiness measures.

All formal motions reported in the transcript passed by voice vote with no roll‑call tallies included in the record. The board convened and closed the meeting after completing the agenda.