Chatham County Board approves custodial contract renewal, nutrition and operating budgets, and calendar revision

The Chatham County Board of Education, meeting May 12 after an awards ceremony, approved several action items affecting operations and next year’s finances.

The board approved a renewal of the district’s contract with the Budd Group for custodial services covering 07/01/2025–06/30/2026. According to staff presentation, the contract is intended to replace vacant district custodial positions rather than add new roles and increases the summer and 10‑month custodial complement (the 10‑month total cited in the presentation rose to 45). Staff also said the contractor applied a wage increase of $0.50 per hour for cleaners and an additional roughly $0.17–$0.18 per hour in benefit pass-throughs; staff indicated those increases would be paid to the workers. The board moved to approve the contract and adopted the renewal by voice vote.

The board next approved the 2025–26 school nutrition budget. School nutrition staff reported universal free meals continued to raise participation (district breakfast participation ~42%; lunch participation ~66%) and that the district’s meal goal for the year was 1,500,000 meals, with 1,340,000 served so far. Staff described expansion of summer feeding sites and mobile stops and requested a budget increase to cover higher labor costs; they said labor expenses rose by about $600,000 year‑over‑year, primarily due to adding permanent staff and associated benefits. The nutrition budget was moved, seconded and approved on a voice vote of 'Aye.'

Board members also approved the proposed 2025–26 local current expense continuation budget. Staff summarized priorities including restoring a master’s supplement, meeting increased fixed employee benefits and operational costs, promoting equity and funding free meals; the presented continuation increase was approximately $3,000,001.78 as shown in the packet. The motion carried by voice vote.

Finally, the board approved a revision to the 2025–26 academic calendar, converting three previously scheduled teacher workdays into student instructional days, specifying weather makeup dates and differentiating district-required and school-based workdays. Staff noted the district is monitoring state legislative calendar changes and community feedback on spring break alignment and start-date flexibility. The calendar revision was approved by voice vote.

Where the transcript records only voice approval, the board recorded 'Aye' with no roll-call tally of individual members; individual yes/no tallies were not provided in the public record of this meeting.

Provenance: motions, staff presentations and board voice votes are audited in the meeting transcript for action items beginning with the Budd Group contract (action item) and continuing through adjournment.