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Cherokee Public Schools board approves temporary budget, contracts and equipment surplus
Summary
The Cherokee Public Schools Board approved temporary appropriations for fiscal year 2025–26 and a package of routine contracts, insurance membership and surplus of a scissor lift; motions passed unanimously with votes recorded for Michael, Gibson, Collins and Parker.
Cherokee Public Schools Board of Education members voted unanimously at their meeting to approve temporary appropriations for the 2025–26 fiscal year, renewments and memberships, routine service contracts and the surplus of a seldom-used scissor lift.
Board action included formal approval to allow Superintendent Schumacher to act as the district’s authorized agent for applying for and submitting claims for federal programs and grants. The motion passed with recorded assent from Board Member Michael; Paul Gibson; Collins; and Parker.
The board also approved renewal of the district’s OSA membership for 2025–26 at $15,008.62, a reduction of roughly $4,000 from the prior year’s premium, and authorized continuation of annual asbestos inspection and related service agreements with Precision Testing Laboratories and the district’s physical therapy provider (identified in the meeting as Today’s Therapy Solutions) for the coming school year. Trustees voted to surplus a scissor lift described in the meeting as being in good condition but infrequently used; the board directed staff to accept sealed bids and return results at a later meeting.
The board approved a set of routine transfers and corrections included on the consent agenda: moving $9.06 from the Class of 2023 account into the beautification fund and transferring $150 from the yearbook account into athletics to correct a deposit error. The business officer also told trustees the district received a $40,000 technology grant recently and expects general fund carryover to finish higher than initially projected.
Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (including account transfers): approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes. - Motion appointing Superintendent Schumacher as agent for federal program/grant submissions and claims: approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes. - OSA 2025–26 district membership ($15,008.62): approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes. - Annual asbestos inspection and service agreements with Precision Testing Laboratories and continuation with Today’s Therapy Solutions (physical therapy services): approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes. - Surplus scissor lift and authorization to accept sealed bids: approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes. - Temporary appropriations for FY2025–26: approved; recorded votes — Michael: yes; Gibson: yes; Collins: yes; Parker: yes.
Board discussion and clarifications Board discussion on the OSA membership noted the premium decreased because the insurer reviewed the district’s recent claims history rather than applying a statewide average; the insurance representative, Bryce Ann Walton, introduced herself and thanked the board for continued business. The business officer reported that the district’s general fund accounts are “healthy,” estimating carryover to finish around 1.5 percent (higher than an earlier estimate of about 1.3 percent) and explained that a recent $40,000 technology grant and timing of some expense postings contributed to the difference. The business officer also reported child nutrition account conditions, saying the district expects to finish the year roughly $10,000–$12,000 favorable compared with concerns earlier in the year after shifting some expenses to the general fund.
On the surplus scissor lift, the board heard that the machine has “less than 20 on it” (as stated in the meeting), has been unused for at least several years, and is oversized for common indoor use; trustees favored sealed bids and exploring rental options if the district needs similar equipment occasionally.
Implementation and next steps Staff were directed to accept sealed bids for the scissor lift and report results at the next board meeting. Contracts and memberships approved will be administered by district staff under existing procurement and contract processes. Temporary appropriations will be refined when the district files its estimate of needs later in the fiscal-cycle process.
Ending No items on the agenda were tabled or defeated; each motion described above passed by recorded voice vote. The board did not specify effective dates for the service agreements beyond the coming school year.
