Elkhart board launches finance dashboard, approves bond resolution and several contracts
Summary
The board previewed and launched a public finance dashboard, approved a first-step bond resolution authorizing up to $13.73 million for school renovations, and passed multiple routine contracts and resolutions including investment authorization and supplemental-pay provisions.
The Elkhart Community Schools board on Jan. 13 unveiled a new public finance dashboard intended to make budget, cash-balance and historical financial data accessible to the community, and approved several financial and operational actions including a preliminary bond financing resolution.
Finance dashboard and fiscal indicators: Administration (Rhonda Ross) described the new interactive finance dashboard, which the district planned to publish that evening. Ross said the dashboard will show fund balances, education-fund composition, budgeted revenue for 2025 and monthly financial updates; she stated that 2025 interest earnings were about $1,400,000 and that Lake City Bank accounts yielded about a 5% APR. The presentation highlighted recent cost-savings of roughly $3,000,000 and said the dashboard will include historical monthly reports and distressed-unit fiscal indicators required by state oversight.
Bond financing: Adrienne Carrier of Barnes & Thornburg presented a resolution as a first step toward two bond series to address capital renovations — Series 2026A for elementary schools and Series 2026B for secondary schools. Carrier said the resolution authorized a maximum par amount of $13,730,000 with a 20-year term and scheduled public hearings for Feb. 24. The board moved, seconded and approved the resolution to proceed toward public hearings.
Other financial and operational approvals: The board also approved an administrative resolution naming Rhonda Ross as treasurer and Bridal Purvis as deputy treasurer, set a 10¢ per-page copy fee, designated Lake City Bank as the district’s cash management provider, appointed Barnes & Thornburg as legal counsel and designated the Elkhart Truth and Goshen News for legal notices. The Board of Finance authorized the treasurer to invest funds in accordance with Indiana code rather than from specific fund balances. Trustees approved routine contracts (examples presented included agreements with the University of Notre Dame and Soliant Health LLC), waived second reading and approved an InFocus contract, and passed resolutions authorizing an incentive for certified staff who give advanced notice of retirement and supplemental payments to teachers for assignments beyond regular loads.
Public comment and staff concerns: During public comment, a teacher and parents raised operational concerns that relate to finance and operations: Don Miller, a seventh-grade computer science teacher, urged immediate action to install a dedicated computer lab or supply full laptops because Chromebooks and iPads limit the district’s ability to meet Indiana computer science standards. A public commenter also raised questions about discipline and equity in the district; administration cited an Indiana Department of Education letter finding the district compliant with Indicator 4 and said the district will post the IDOE letter publicly.
Votes at a glance: the transcript records the board carried multiple motions by voice vote or without a recorded roll call. Notable actions the board approved during the meeting included the organizational slate of officers; the administrative resolutions (treasurer designation, copy fee, counsel, newspaper designations); Board of Finance investment authorization; the preliminary bond resolution to proceed to public hearings; the consent agenda and multiple contracts; waiver and approval of the InFocus contract; and the retirement-incentive and supplemental-pay resolutions.
