Votes at a glance: Watertown board adopts FY26 budget and approves contracts, change orders and service agreements

The Watertown School District 14‑4 Board of Education approved its fiscal year 2025–26 budget and levy and a series of routine contracts, change orders and service agreements during its July meeting, and completed its organizational actions including oaths and officer elections.

The board approved the FY26 budget and levy resolution as presented (motion by Jean Moulton; second by Rochelle Rossman). The budget resolution mirrors the budget presented at the public budget hearing. The motion was approved by voice vote.

Other formal actions approved by voice vote included: approval of the meeting agenda and minutes from the June 9 meeting; acceptance of the June financial reports; approval of personnel resignations and contract recommendations and addenda; educational stipend requests; and payment of bills.

On capital and facilities items the board approved change order number 3 for the surgical technology renovation adding sanitation power and other work for $1,200 (mover: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman) and approved change order number 7 for Athletic Complex Phase 2, which added scope for roof signage attachments, lockbox access revisions and ticket‑gate entry, reducing the project contingency to about $348,000 and bringing the contract to just over $11,000,000 (mover: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman). Both change orders were approved by voice vote.

Leases and equipment motions: the board approved two low‑cost heavy‑equipment wheel‑loader leases—one seven‑month lease for $7,000 and a 12‑month lease for $12,000—for the Heavy Equipment Operator program (mover: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman). The board postponed action on a proposed airplane lease for the Professional Pilot program until August at staff request, but approved other equipment lease recommendations and addenda.

The board approved the annual facility lease with Capital City Campus (Pierre) for classroom, lab and office space used by the district’s nursing program. The agreement covers approximately 1,200 square feet at a rate of 13.39 cents per square foot, totaling $16,162 for the term July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 (mover: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman). The motion passed by voice vote.

Procurement authorities were granted: the board authorized staff to go to bid on fiscal year 2026 equipment purchases funded by federal Perkins and state grant dollars (estimated total just over $1,000,000, covering programs including agriculture, auto, building trades, dental, energy and law enforcement) and authorized bid solicitation for three fleet pickups (two for Building Trades, one for Heavy Equipment Operator) with an estimated combined cost of $100,000.

Service agreements and MOUs approved included a Project Success MOU with a human service agency to provide a Project Success coordinator for middle and high school at a cost to the district of $16,700 for 2025–26 (to be funded by Title IV) and a speech‑language pathology services MOU with Prairie Lakes Healthcare at $72 per hour for in‑person services (mover on both items: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman). The board also engaged I. Bailey to perform audit services for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (mover: Jean Moulton; second: Rochelle Rossman).

The board approved a surplus resolution declaring a bus salvage per an insurance claim, and canvassed and approved the official 2025 school board election results.

Routine policy second‑readings and approvals also passed, including multiple C‑series policy reviews and policies on reconsideration of library materials and public concerns about instructional resources. The board set the regular meeting schedule (second Monday, 5:30 p.m.), the school board election date for June 2, 2026, and board member compensation for 2025–26 at $130 per meeting. Committee and representative appointments were made as a group.

All actions that carried were approved by voice vote and recorded as part of the meeting minutes. Individual roll‑call tallies were not specified in the transcript for most items.

Votes at a glance (selected items, outcome): - Approve agenda — approved (mover: not specified in audio); voice vote - Approve minutes (June 9) — approved (motion by Moulton; second by Rossman); voice vote - Receive June financial reports — received/approved; voice vote - Approve personnel resignations — approved; voice vote - Approve contract recommendations and addenda — approved (mover: Erasman/Moulton in audio references); voice vote - Approve educational stipend requests — approved; voice vote - Change order #3 (Surgical Technology renovation), +$1,200 — approved; voice vote - Equipment leases (wheel loaders) — approved ($7,000/7 months; $12,000/12 months); voice vote - Airplane lease (Professional Pilot) — postponed to August; voice vote - Facility lease (Capital City Campus) — approved ($16,162 for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026); voice vote - Authority to bid FY26 equipment (~$1,000,000) — approved; voice vote - Authority to bid fleet vehicles (~$100,000) — approved; voice vote - Project Success MOU (human service agency), cost to district $16,700 (Title IV funded) — approved; voice vote - Engage I. Bailey for audit services (FY25) — approved; voice vote - Surplus resolution (bus salvage) — approved; voice vote - Change order #7 (Athletic Complex Phase 2), adjusts contingency to ~$348,000, contract >$11,000,000 — approved; voice vote - Speech language pathology MOU with Prairie Lakes, $72/hour — approved; voice vote - Approve FY26 budget & levy resolution — approved; voice vote - Canvas official 2025 school board election results — approved; voice vote

Notes: motions were typically moved by Jean Moulton and seconded by Rochelle Rossman or Bailey Rammell depending on the item. Where the transcript identified only a voice “Aye” and no roll‑call numbers, this article records outcomes as approved by voice vote. For items where a specific dollar amount, term, or funding source was stated in the meeting, those figures are included above.