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 (fund 53) from $45,000 to $70,000. Stacy said the corrected general fund total is $29,721,380 and the enterprise fund total $534,440. The board approved the motion (voice vote); specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the public transcript.

- Annual Salary Listing: The board approved the district's 2025–26 salary listing based on the negotiated raises the district implemented last spring.

- Surplus Property: The board declared a 2017 Bluebird minibus surplus and authorized staff to offer it to other governmental entities first, then accept bids if no government buyer is found.

- Policies and Legislative Updates (Consent Agenda): The board approved a package of policy updates originating from 2025 state legislation and model policies (see clarifying details). Board members said most of these reflected statutory changes and model language provided by the associated school boards.

- New and Revised Agreements: The board approved multiple partnership and marketing agreements, including: the experiential education partnership with the University of South Dakota School of Education; a site agreement with the Great After School Place (GAP); and sports marketing agreements with local businesses (Klyte's Electric, First Bank & Trust, Hy-Vee, Century 21 Croppen & Co., Century Business Products). The GAP site agreement was approved as presented while district staff and GAP continue to refine kitchen-use details.

- Student Club Agreements and Activity Contracts: The board approved 2025–26 club agreements for Taekwondo, bowling, swimming, baseball and clay target. Board members noted the agreements include residency language the board may revisit should it present participation challenges.

- Adult Meal Price: District staff said the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued new minimum pricing guidance between meetings. The USDA minimum adult meal price in district materials had been $5.05; staff asked the board to approve $5.15 so the lunch program starts school in compliance with the new guidance. The board approved the change by voice vote.

- Designation of Official Newspaper / Public Notices: The board moved to publish the August meeting minutes in the Volga Tribune and appointed a two-member subcommittee (Wes and Cassie) to work with Superintendent Dr. Schultz, the South Dakota Press Association and the district's legal counsel to identify a long-term process for publishing legally required public notices now that the Brookings Register has closed. Board counsel will continue to advise.

- Executive Session: The board voted to enter executive session under South Dakota Codified Law 1-25-2(3) (legal matters).

Board and staff context

Superintendent Dr. Schultz and business manager Stacy provided the budget and administrative details. Board members who actively moved or seconded motions during the meeting included Wes (motion to add an agenda item earlier in the meeting), Kelly (motion to approve the budget and levies), Cassie (second or co-second on multiple items) and Terry (second on identified motions). Several items were presented by district staff, including athletics/activity items by activities director Jeff (mister Dvorak) and cafeteria/facilities items by staff.

What happens next

The district will publish the adopted budget and levy figures per state procedures; staff will implement the corrected transfer for fund 53 and proceed with contracted agreements. The newspaper subcommittee will meet with the superintendent and legal counsel to recommend a path to meet statutory public-notice requirements while the community adjusts to the closure of the Brookings Register.

Votes at a glance (selected items)

- Consent agenda (policy and related items): approved (motion and voice vote; counts not specified). - 2025–26 budget and levies: approved (voice vote). - Annual salary listing: approved (voice vote). - 2017 Bluebird minibus declared surplus: approved. - Personal electronic device use policy (new): approved (first implementation planned in handbooks for consequences). - Experiential education agreement (University of South Dakota): approved. - GAP site agreement (with kitchen-use caveat to be finalized): approved. - Five sports marketing agreements: all approved. - Club agreements (Taekwondo, bowling, swimming, baseball, clay target): all approved. - August minutes publication in Volga Tribune and formation of subcommittee: approved. - Adult meal price increase to $5.15: approved (voice vote). - Motion to enter executive session under SDCL 1-25-2(3): approved.

Sources and provenance

The actions above are drawn from the board's public meeting record and the meeting transcript where budget figures, contract names and motions were read aloud by staff and board members. Topic excerpts: the budget correction (Stacy) and the adult meal price change (Stacy) were discussed during the action-items section; the newspaper designation motion and subcommittee appointments occurred later in the meeting.