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Board approves budget authority requests for enrollment changes and modest childcare rate increase
Summary
Board approved three modified supplemental amount requests to the School Budget Review Committee (for increasing enrollment, open‑enrolled‑out pupils, and extended English‑learner support) and approved a small childcare rate increase; all motions passed 6‑0.
The Indianola school board on Dec. 9 approved multiple budget‑authority requests and a modest childcare rate increase, actions administrators said are intended to align budget authority with actual enrollment and program costs.
The board approved a request for a modified supplemental amount of $580,695 to cover a certified‑enrollment increase from the prior year; administrators said that authority aligns school funding with students certified on the October count. The motion passed 6 to 0.
The board also approved a separate request for authority related to students who open‑enrolled out of the district in the past year; staff presented a request totaling $213,244 to account for per‑pupil components that follow those students (teacher leadership compensation, state cost per pupil adjustments and PD allocations), and the board approved the request 6 to 0.
A third request sought authority for extended English‑learner funding when students exceed five years of EL instruction; the board approved the request as presented (motion carried 6 to 0). Administrators explained that testing and certification timing mean the district requests this authority after the costs are incurred because state funding calculations finalize later in the fiscal cycle.
On early‑childcare programming, administrators proposed small rate increases for summer 2025 and the 2025–26 school year to account primarily for staff‑pay increases. The board approved the childcare rate schedule by vote (6 to 0); staff said the program currently serves about 272 students and will expand to two elementary sites to meet demand, with hiring the main constraint to further expansion.
Board members noted the childcare increase was modest (presenters described it as roughly 1.4%) and supported expansion to retain local families who might otherwise enroll children in other districts' programs.
All motions on these items passed unanimously.
