Germantown finance committee approves five-year capital plan; discusses software renewals, textbook purchases and copier leases

The Germantown School District Finance Committee approved the district’s five‑year capital improvement plan and consented to August and September payment vouchers on Sept. 16 after staff answered questions about software renewals, copier leases and an additional purchase of AP Psychology textbooks.

The five‑year capital improvement plan was presented to the finance committee and moved to the full Board of Education with a positive recommendation. Tom Barney, a finance committee member, made the motion and Eric Brown, a finance committee member, seconded it; the committee voted by voice and the motion carried. Frank Lord, a Buildings & Grounds staff member, said the plan had been discussed in the Building and Grounds committee and that there were no outstanding items for finance to resolve.

The committee reviewed consent vouchers for August and September. Britney Altendorf, a district staff member working with finance, answered several questions about specific line items. She said a $14,530 payment to Digicorp was an annual renewal for the district’s backup software used by the technology department. "This is a product that we have used in the past... it is the backup software we have for our system," Altendorf said.

Altendorf also addressed two invoices totaling $20,027.71 for Frontline, the district’s absence-management platform. She explained that when the district changed substitute vendors, responsibility for the Frontline subscription transferred to the district. "When we moved from that company to another company, we had to transfer all our stuff into Frontline. So now the district owns Frontline because we pay the invoice," Altendorf said, adding that another vendor (EduStaff) will reimburse the district for some costs, and that the district now controls its data and the contract.

Committee members asked whether the Frontline payment should have come before finance because it exceeded a $15,000 threshold. Altendorf replied the item was not a new software purchase or a new recurring expense and said the district was not incurring a net cost after reimbursement; committee discussion ended with an agreement to clarify future motion language when subscription ownership changes.

The committee also discussed a recurring $2,885 line for James Imaging Systems related to copiers. Altendorf said one replaced machine had been off lease for two to three years and thus no lease savings resulted from the recent purchases; the other replaced machine remains on lease for about a year and will fall off after that. "We will still have the machine, the small machine, yes," she said.

Members raised a concern about an AP Psychology curriculum/textbook purchase first approved in August 2024. Altendorf said the board had approved purchasing textbooks last year with a motion that set a not‑to‑exceed amount; the district then bought additional books this year after enrollment rose by about 15 students. The initial purchase cited in the meeting was $24,356.96. Committee members noted the earlier motion’s not‑to‑exceed figure (described in the discussion as $24,000) and asked whether the additional buy should have returned to the board for approval. One committee member, Mr. Ewart, said the committee should be notified if a prior not‑to‑exceed amount is exceeded. "If this board passes a motion to shall not exceed x dollar amount, that does need to be brought to our attention in a timely manner," Ewart said. Altendorf and others said the additional books did not exceed the $15,000 threshold that would normally trigger finance committee review, and members agreed to change how textbook purchase motions are worded going forward — for example, specifying per‑student costs or clearer dollar limits for follow‑up purchases.

The committee approved the consent vouchers as presented. Tom Barney moved to approve the vouchers and Eric Brown seconded; committee members voted by voice and the motion carried.

The meeting lasted roughly 15 minutes, opening at 5:50 p.m. and adjourning at 6:05 p.m. The finance committee forwarded the five‑year capital improvement plan to the full Board of Education with a positive recommendation; no additional committee direction or contingencies for the CIP were recorded in the transcript.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the agenda: moved by Tom Barney, seconded by Eric Brown; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to approve the Aug. 19, 2025 meeting minutes: moved by Eric Brown, second by Tom Barney; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to approve August and September vouchers as presented: moved by Tom Barney, seconded by Eric Brown; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to forward the five‑year capital improvement plan to the full board with a positive recommendation: moved by Tom Barney, seconded by Eric Brown; voice vote, motion carried. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Tom Barney, seconded by Eric Brown; voice vote, motion carried.

Meeting note: committee discussion clarified subscription ownership for Frontline and the district’s decision to own its absence‑management data going forward; committee members asked staff to revise motion language for future textbook purchases to avoid exceeding previously authorized caps without notice.