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Decatur SD 61 board approves consent items, personnel actions, Lamar billboard renewal and teacher device upgrades (6–1)
Summary
At its Feb. meeting, the Decatur Public Schools District 61 Board approved consent and personnel items, a community summer scholarship agreement, renewed a Lamar billboard contract for recruitment, and approved teacher MacBook and iPad upgrades on a 6–1 vote; the board also rejected an amendment to the Megan Piatt Special Education joint agreement.
The Decatur Public Schools District 61 Board of Education voted on multiple items during its public meeting.
Consent and personnel: The board approved the consent calendar—including several special closed-session minutes, the Freedom of Information report and bills—and personnel action items as presented. Both motions passed by roll call (7 ayes, 0 nays).
Community summer scholarship: The board approved a community summer program scholarship agreement with Decatur Public Schools District 61 for fiscal year 2026, noting the inclusion of an academic component in the agreement; the motion passed on a 7–0 roll call.
Lamar Digital Billboards: The board approved a contract renewal with Lamar Digital Billboards for recruitment advertising. Staff said the contract is funded 100% through the teacher vacancy grant. Staff described difficulty measuring billboard impact precisely but reported that 4% of applicants listed billboards as their referral source. Staff also said last year’s campaign cost $181,000 and the current campaign was reduced by $83,000 to focus on more commutable geographic areas; the motion carried by roll call (7 ayes, 0 nays).
Teacher MacBook and iPad upgrades: The board approved upgrades for teacher MacBooks and iPads. The recommendation specified these are teacher tools; staff noted student devices have warranties while teacher devices are self-serviced. One board member opposed the motion, arguing that district technology may have contributed to declines in student achievement and urging further study of student-device policies. The motion carried 6–1; Mister Reynolds voted no while six members voted yes.
Megan Piatt Special Education agreement: The board voted to reject the proposed amendment to the Megan Piatt Special Education District joint agreement; roll call was 7–0 in favor of rejection.
Next steps and notes: The board is continuing its roadmap and strategic planning process; several items (including a pulled roll-call item related to a custodial employee) were deferred from open session and will be addressed as appropriate.
