Elkhart board approves multiple contracts, adopts revenue‑adjustment resolution and accepts property transfer

The Elkhart Community Schools Board of School Trustees approved a package of contracts and policies and acted on several resolutions during its Sept. 9 meeting.

Contracts and policies approved - Renewal of the agreement with Eden Barber Academy for the Elkhart Area Career Center (final consideration) — motion passed. Board discussion noted that nine students from the first cohort graduated with barber licensure; staff later clarified that nine of 11 students in the initial cohort completed the program. - Agreement between the adult‑education program and Medical Communication Ambassadors to offer a course in medical interpreting services (final consideration) — motion passed. - Tech services contract for ad‑tech administrative and technical consulting (E‑Rate consulting) (final consideration) — motion passed. - Lexia/Voyager Sopris (formative K–2 program) presented for final consideration (associated with a K–2 formative grant) — motion passed. - Contract with Crossing National Incorporated for high‑school students (final consideration) — motion passed. - Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative contract (final consideration) — motion passed. - Policy 262301 (test administration and security) presented for final consideration — motion passed.

The board approved the contracts presented for final consideration by voice vote; the minutes record "motion carries" and "contracts pass unanimously" but the transcript does not list individual vote counts.

Resolutions and other actions - The board adopted a resolution implementing adjustments allowed by recently enacted state legislation, identified in the meeting as Senate Enrolled Act 249 and House Enrolled Act 100, to modify the revenue base available for collective bargaining and to exclude certain curriculum‑material allocations from that base — motion passed. - A proposed resolution relating to Chartwells (authorizing hiring incentives and adjusting paid leave for food‑service staff transferring to Chartwells) was removed from the agenda to allow revised wording; the board voted to table/remove it to the next meeting. - The board approved a resolution accepting transfer of real property from the City of Elkhart Redevelopment Commission for use by the Elkhart Area Career Center building‑trades program to support construction of new homes — motion passed.

Preliminary consideration (no vote) Several proposed contracts were presented for initial consideration and no final action was taken: Standardized Food Service Systems, Inc. (Smart Systems) for safety‑management technology; an agreement with Lippert Components to provide adult‑education access for employees; a Career Center agreement with Marty Dwyer to support the public‑safety program; a proposed agreement with StartUp Moxie for Elkhart High School (entrepreneurship); a contract with Stacy Van Eck for school‑psychology services to support evaluations; NWEA (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) for high‑ability K–2; and Maizey Education for Title‑grant oversight.

Donations and consent items The consent agenda recorded community donations totaling $6,810, including amounts earmarked for athletics and programs: $3,173 to athletics (including $1,360 to cheerleading and $630 to girls soccer), $1,000 from Goshen College to football, $750 from Mike Krempich for athletic team room improvements, $2,000 from United Physicians Hospital for surgical supplies at the career center, and $800 from Elizabeth Boyd for the Elkhart Academy awards program. The consent agenda was approved.

Ending: District leaders said some contracts and programs are ongoing and will return for further action where required. Several preliminary contracts will be considered at future meetings; the Chartwells resolution was specifically removed for wording adjustments and will return to the agenda.