Board hears BEST grant and capital-project updates; approves staff renewals and moves to executive session on superintendent contract

School District No. Re-3 Fort Morgan board members heard updates on three capital projects and on BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today) grant reimbursements, approved renewals of at-will classified staff for the 2025–26 school year and moved into an executive session to discuss the superintendent’s contract and negotiation strategy.

Tony, identified in the meeting as the district’s chief financial officer, told the board the LED and stage-light project at the high school is complete and now in its payback phase. “We have two payments a year due on those,” Tony said, reporting annual payment amounts of $431,000 for the first funding stream and $110,000 for the second.

Tony also reported work at Legion Field is in phase four, focused on track resurfacing, and that the district has about $943,000 left to pay on that project.

On the BEST grant HVAC projects, Tony said the district has two separate BEST awards totaling $3,400,000 and estimated total project costs at $6,200,000, leaving a district share of roughly $2.7 million. He said the district received a first BEST reimbursement of $1,600,000 on March 12, submitted a second reimbursement request of $896,000 the previous week, and expects a remaining billed balance of about $1,500,000. He added the district may draw an additional $935,000 from BEST funding.

Superintendent Rob Sanders updated the board on a curriculum support tool the district is piloting; he said the district has “20 trial licenses” and is using the product particularly in special education to generate individualized lesson plans. Sanders said the tool can create lesson plans tailored to grade level and to differentiated student needs.

Human-resources remarks to the board reported active job postings of 2 administrative positions, 24 certified openings and 10 classified openings; the HR speaker said certified openings have been reduced from about 36 at the prior meeting to 24.

The board approved the consent agenda and separately approved renewals of at-will classified staff for 2025–26 after motions and roll-call votes recorded as all “Aye.” Later, the board voted to convene an executive session under Colorado Revised Statutes section 24‑6‑402(4)(e)(I) and (4)(f)(I) “to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, develop strategy for negotiations, and instruct negotiators, as well as to discuss personnel matters specifically related to superintendent Rob Sanders, his contract, and potential terms of addendum.” The motion to enter executive session carried on roll call with recorded “Aye” votes; the board announced no action would be taken in executive session.

Board members were reminded of upcoming calendar items, including board meetings on May 5 and May 19 and multiple graduation and end-of-year events in May.