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Board approves personnel, contracts, equipment purchases and program revisions
Summary
At its September meeting, the Watertown School District 14-4 Board of Education approved a slate of personnel actions, construction and equipment contracts, program revisions for the agriculture program and a virtual speech-services contract, among other routine business.
The Watertown School District 14-4 Board of Education on Sept. (date not specified) approved a series of personnel actions, contracts and program changes, including resignations, hires and purchases intended to support instructional programs and campus projects.
The board voted unanimously on routine items including approval of the meeting agenda and minutes, acceptance of multiple resignations, and several contract recommendations and addenda for staff hires and hourly positions. The board also approved authority to hire an additional full-time teacher at the district Educare daycare to serve 1- to 2-year-old children as the program grows to about 80 children.
The board approved several construction- and equipment-related items for Lake Area Technical College (LATC) and district programs: a change order for the surg tech remodel (change order No. 4), multiple equipment leases to support training programs, the purchase of a semi tractor for the agricultural program ($39,000, funded by a state equipment grant), the purchase of Snap-on diagnostic scan tools for the automotive program (about $55,000 via a state-negotiated contract) and authority to bid radiography and operatory equipment for the dental program (estimated $300,000, to be funded with equipment grant dollars).
On facilities planning, the board approved an architectural and engineering agreement with Coop Architecture for student center renovations connected to the district's 2035 Master Campus Plan; the full agreement is estimated at $245,000, with Phase 1 billed at $61,250 for schematic design work to support fundraising. The board also approved revisions to the agriculture program that will change the program from a single general ag track with six second-year options into four distinct two-year programs: precision ag technology; production agriculture; agriculture business; and livestock production and management. The board directed the district to submit the proposal to the State Board of Technical Education in October; the changes would take effect for the 2026-27 academic year if approved by state reviewers.
The board approved a contract with Presence Learning to provide virtual speech-language clinical services for the 2025-26 school year; the district presented an estimated clinical service fee of $383,760 for that contract and said the virtual contract is intended to fill immediate service needs while in-person hires continue to be pursued.
Other actions included approval of policy changes and removals brought forward at first and second readings, designation of the Watertown Current as the district's official newspaper beginning with October notices, multiple open-enrollment requests and standard administrative items.
Votes at a glance (outcome only): - Approve meeting agenda: approved - Approve minutes (Aug. 11): approved - Receive financial reports for August: accepted - Approve resignations and personnel contract recommendations (multiple, district and LATC): approved - Authority to hire additional Educare teacher (1 FTE): approved - Approve staff educational stipend reimbursements (multiple): approved - Change order No. 4, surg tech remodel (adds power and sprinkler repositioning; contract moves to $983,240.24): approved - Approve equipment leases (16 leases) for LATC programs: approved - Approve purchase of semi tractor for ag program ($39,000): approved - Approve purchase of diagnostic scan tools (Snap-on, ~$55,000): approved - Authority to bid dental radiography/operatory equipment (est. $300,000): approved - Architectural and engineering agreement for student center renovations (Coop Architecture, total $245,000; Phase 1 $61,250): approved - Approve agriculture program revisions (4 distinct programs; submit to State Board of TechEd): approved - Approve Presence Learning virtual speech contract (estimated $383,760): approved - Remove DFK endowment fund policy: approved - Approve other policy continuations/second readings (DI, DIE, DLB and others): approved - Designate Watertown Current as official newspaper starting October: approved - Approve open enrollment and code 13-28-10 requests: approved
No board member recorded a named roll-call vote in the transcript; items were approved by voice vote with "aye" responses.
