Brookings School Board approves budget, policies, agreements and adult meal price; appoints newspaper subcommittee

The Brookings School District 05-1 Board of Education approved its 2025–26 budget and levies, several policy updates and a slate of partnership and marketing agreements during a regularly scheduled meeting; board members also corrected a planned transfer for early childhood programming and adopted a federal-required adult meal price increase.

The board voted to adopt the 2025–26 general fund and enterprise budgets after staff told the board of small changes since the prior presentation. Business manager Stacy reported that an earlier listed transfer out of $45,000 to the enterprise fund (fund 53, early childhood) was an error and the intended transfer is $70,000; she asked the board to accept that correction before final adoption. Board members moved and seconded the budget and levies and approved the motion by voice vote.

The vote closed out several other consent and action items the board carried in a single meeting, including approval of the annual salary listing, surplus declaration for a 2017 Bluebird minibus, and a number of contracts and agreements with outside partners and vendors used by the district.

Why it matters: The budget and levy adoption determines next year's tax and spending framework for district operations, and the corrected $70,000 transfer to fund 53 formalizes the district's commitment of local dollars to early childhood programming. The adult meal price change aligns the district with recent federal guidance about non-student meal pricing.

Key approvals and outcomes

- 2025–26 Budget and Levies: Board approved the general fund and enterprise fund budgets after staff corrected the transfer to the enterprise fund…