Decatur SD 61 board adopts tentative amended FY26 budget, approves bond abatements and vehicle purchase; tables tolling agreement

The Decatur Public Schools District 61 Board of Education approved a slate of budget, personnel and contract actions at its Jan. 13 meeting while tabling a tolling agreement tied to a construction deficiency.

The board adopted a tentative amended fiscal year 2026 budget after administration reported payroll-coding errors that had temporarily inflated administrative-cost figures. District administrator Doctor Curry said four recently misclassified employees had been recoded and additional placeholder line items totaling about $150,000–$200,000 were removed, which will bring the Education Fund and the administrative-cost worksheet back into expected ranges.

The board also adopted two tax-abatement resolutions to pay debt service on the district's general-obligation bonds. Doctor Curry described the instruments as alternate-revenue bonds that the district offsets with sales-tax revenue; he said one earlier bond had an original principal around $4,600,000 and another about $59,755,000, with roughly $4.5 million in annual payments between them. The board approved both abatement resolutions by voice vote.

On procurement, the board approved purchase of a 2026 Ford E-350 step van to replace a 1979 vehicle. The recommended purchase price cited in the meeting was $72,699; the older vehicle's scrap value was described as about $300–$400. Administration said the finance committee vetted the purchase.

Personnel items approved included a batch of personnel actions summarized by Monica Wilkes, director of human resources; the employment of Kayla McCreary as the district's school health services administrator; and approval of the Megan Pyatt Special Education Administrator and administrative-support salary schedule for 2026–27 (the salary schedule had been approved by the Special Education District Executive Board on Dec. 18, 2025).

The board voted to table a proposed tolling agreement with BLDD Architects and O'Shea Builders related to a deficiency at Johns Hill. Administration said the tolling agreement pauses a statutory clock that governs claims for construction defects while all parties pursue a remedy; the builder and architect requested additional contractors be added as signatories. The board tabled the item to allow parties time to reach an agreed, signed tolling agreement.

Votes at a glance (motions and outcomes recorded in the meeting): - Approve 01/13/2026 open-session agenda — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Approve consent calendar (minutes, FOIA report, bills) — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Approve personnel action items (per memo from Monica Wilkes) — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Employ Kayla McCreary, school health services administrator — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Adopt Megan Pyatt special education salary schedule (2026–27) — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Adopt resolution abating taxes for Series 2011b Qualified Zone Academy Bonds — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Adopt resolution abating taxes for Series 2020c general-obligation refunding bonds — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Approve purchase of 2026 Ford E-350 step van — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Table tolling agreement with BLDD Architects and O'Shea Builders — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays). - Adopt tentative amended FY26 budget (Decatur Public Schools District 61) — Motion carried, voice vote (7 ayes, 0 nays).

What happens next: several items approved tonight (including the tentative amended budget and the vehicle purchase) will proceed per normal administrative processes; the tolling-agreement matter will return after parties work to secure signatures and clarify scope. The board noted that public comment submissions will remain part of the public record and that the district will post Roadmap 2030 materials on its website.