Colonial SD board approves vendor contracts, ratifies tax resolution and recommends Aug. 31, 2026 start date

The Colonial SD Board of Education approved multiple routine contracts and vendor selections, ratified a tax-resolution action tied to assessed values and accepted the administration's recommendation that the 2026-27 school year begin Aug. 31, 2026.

The actions came during a regular-board meeting at which the board also reported that more than 5,400 students are expected to return and that facilities work completed over the summer has prepared campuses for the start of the school year. The board met in executive session before the public meeting to review personnel matters, special-education agreements, assessment appeals, student-discipline matters and legal issues related to students; several settlement and release agreements related to students were approved afterward as part of the consent agenda and were noted to have been reviewed in executive session.

Most motions were presented as consent-agenda items and approved with brief roll calls. The board approved a resolution described in meeting materials as a tax resolution “authorizing the district-initiated [adjustment] of the assessed value for the properties identified as undervalued based on fiscal 2025 transfer tax reports.” The board also approved a service agreement with Delta t Group to provide professional and nursing services for the 2025–26 school year and a list of food-service vendors and suppliers for the 2025–26 year, including US Foods, Rich's Ice Cream, Swiss Premium Dairy, Imperial Dade and Penn Jersey Paper Company.

The board approved educational-service contracts for off-site placements identified in the agenda as Nexus School, New Hope Academy and George Brothers Memorial School. Board members approved four settlement-and-release agreements tied to student matters; the board stated those agreements had been reviewed in executive session and were approved under confidentiality protections. A physician/dentist services agreement was also approved as presented in the agenda.

On calendar planning, the administration recommended Aug. 31, 2026, as the first day of the 2026–27 school year; the board moved to accept that recommendation. The finance committee reported it met Aug. 4, 2025, and reviewed the PACE budget, Columbus School District proposed funding levels, the student Chromebook insurance program and the close of the 2024–25 budget year. The committee noted the district's 2024–25 budget closed with a margin of error of 0.3 percent. The Chromebook-insurance program rates were reported as $30 per student or $15 for students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

No public commenters addressed items on the agenda during the meeting. The board president closed the meeting by wishing staff and students a good start to the school year and noting the next regular meeting in September.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve board minutes (items listed as 3d): approved. - Motion to approve financial reports (items 4b–4m for June and July 2025): approved. - Motion to ratify tax resolution related to assessed values (fiscal 2025 transfer-tax reports): approved. - Motion to approve service agreement with Delta t Group for professional and nursing services (2025–26): approved. - Motion to approve food-service vendor recommendations for 2025–26 (vendors listed in agenda): approved. - Motion to approve educational service contracts (Nexus School; New Hope Academy; George Brothers Memorial School): approved. - Motion to approve four settlement-and-release agreements reviewed in executive session: approved. - Motion to approve physician/dentist services agreement: approved. - Motion to accept administration's recommendation that the first day of school for 2026–27 be Aug. 31, 2026: approved.

The board's approvals were presented as routine consent items or committee reports; where confidentiality was required, the board recorded that agreements had been reviewed in executive session.