Board approves services contract, retirement benefit for food-service managers and year-end transfers

The Franklin Community School Corp board approved several business and budget items at its December meeting, including a services agreement with Stepping Stones Group, a retirement benefit addition for food-service managers, and year-end and temporary fund transfers to complete fiscal-year closeout.

Staff said the Stepping Stones Group contract covers in-person speech-language pathologist (SLP) services and other therapy staffing the district uses; the agreement was presented as unchanged from the prior-month packet and was approved.

Separately, administration proposed adding the Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF) to the benefit schedule for the food-service manager classification to improve recruitment and retention. Administration provided estimated costs: about $21,000 per year in recurring cost for the benefit and a one-time buyout estimate of $208,000 to purchase up to 20 years of service credit for eligible employees; the board approved adding the benefit and a short employer match period to ease transition.

For year-end close, administration requested additional appropriations totaling $400,000 (including a $250,000 referendum-fund request to cover support-staff stipends previously discussed) and temporary transfers to cover $265,000 in pre-K design fees (to be returned to rainy day fund in January) and $978 to cover a catering-billing lag. Counsel noted the law requires an opportunity for public comment on additional appropriations; none was offered and the board approved the appropriations and temporary transfers.

Auditors have begun year-end work and expect to complete fieldwork by mid-January; administrators said auditors are focusing on federal programming.