Annandale board approves 2025–26 lunch prices, handbooks, facilities plan and multiple personnel actions

The Annandale Public School District board on Monday approved the district's lunch prices and fees for the 2025–26 school year, adopted the district's long-term facilities maintenance (LTFM) 10-year plan and approved a set of routine personnel and policy items.

Board action centered on several routine but required items. The board approved updated meal charges after district staff said pending state bills that might have changed the free-lunch program did not pass; the district must now charge the same amount for extra entrees and extra milk across student and adult purchases. The board also approved the LTFM plan required by the state, which lists planned projects including HVAC repairs, roof work, a new track and a dust-collection system for the high school CTE (woods) class, and a dehumidification and cooling system tied to indoor air-quality needs.

The approvals occurred with little debate. The board unanimously carried motions to adopt the student handbooks for elementary, middle and high school; to adopt the athletics and activities handbook; to accept donations; and to approve three replacement teacher contracts at the middle school and three 2025–26 work assignments (a health assistant, a custodian and a paraprofessional). The board also approved six policies in the review cycle, noting that the Uniform Grant Guidance policy had multiple highlighted changes.

On enrollment and staffing, a district staff member reported that current enrollment stood at 1,948 students, an increase of nine from the prior report. A board member asked about substitute-teacher supply and pay; staff said the district has seen fewer problems finding substitutes than in earlier years and that the district’s substitute pay is “right in that ballpark” compared with neighboring districts, without providing a specific dollar figure.

The board approved a resolution designating a district official with authority for the MDE external user access recertification system, assigning that authority to Tim (district staff). The board also approved the district’s four LTFM attachments — revenue, expenditures and health-and-safety narratives — together, and approved the recommended contracts and work assignments presented by staff.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the agenda: moved by Gina, second by Melissa; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve the consent agenda: moved by Gina, second by Jenna; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve 2025–26 lunch prices and fees (changes highlighted; extra entrees and extra milk to be charged at the same rate as adults): moved by Gina, second by Melissa; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve student handbooks (elementary, middle, high): moved by Gina, second by Jenna; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve athletics and activities handbook: moved by Dylan, second by Gina; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve fiscal 2027 LTFM 10-year plan and four attachments (revenue, expenditures, LTFM items, indoor air-quality narrative): moved by Melissa, second by Jenna; outcome: approved. - Motion to adopt resolution designating official for MDE external user access recertification (timing: annual recertification): moved by Jenna, second by Gina; outcome: approved. - Motion to accept July donations resolution: moved by Melissa, second by Jenna; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve three 2025–26 contracts for middle-school positions (physical education, math, special education): moved by Dylan, second by Gina; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve three 2025–26 work assignments (health assistant, custodian, paraprofessional): moved by Jenna, second by Dylan; outcome: approved. - Motion to approve six policies in the review cycle (including changes to Uniform Grant Guidance): moved by Melissa, second by Jenna; outcome: approved. - Motion to adjourn: moved by Gina, second by Melissa; outcome: approved.

Why it matters The lunch-price decision and the LTFM plan are district-level budget and operations items that affect student services and building safety over multiple years. The LTFM attachments explicitly tie upcoming projects to health-and-safety needs (fire-alarm and food-service inspections, indoor air-quality improvements) that the state requires districts to document.

Details and context - Lunch prices and fees: Staff told the board that state legislative proposals that could have changed free-lunch rules did not pass, so the district will keep the current free-lunch structure. Staff said the district must charge the same rate for extra entrees and for extra milk that it charges adults; the agenda packet highlighted those fee changes.

- Facilities work: The LTFM attachments list projects the district plans to fund via LTFM, noting the track currently under construction, HVAC repairs, roof repairs, dust-collection equipment for the high school CTE woods class and a dehumidification and cooling system at the high school tied to indoor-air-quality requirements. The district included an indoor air-quality narrative required by the state to justify the dehumidification system.

- Personnel and handbooks: The contracts approved are replacements rather than new positions. The three middle-school hires replace staff who transferred within the district or left. The handbooks and athletics handbook had minor changes; the high-school handbook included an attachment summarizing changes.

- Policies and grants: Six policies were approved in the review cycle. District staff noted that the Uniform Grant Guidance policy contained multiple highlighted changes requiring board review.

Upcoming dates and administrative notes - New staff dinner: Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 6:00 p.m.; location to be determined. - Next regular board meeting: Monday, Aug. 25, at 7:00 p.m. at Annandale Elementary School.

The meeting included routine committee reports and no public comments. Several items on the agenda were deferred to future meetings for fuller updates (for example, the right tech center and Maseko reports were postponed until staff could provide complete minutes).