Board approves FY26 amended budget, hires superintendent and clears multiple personnel and facilities measures

The Decatur Public School District 61 Board of Education on Feb. 24 adopted an amended FY26 budget, appointed a new superintendent and approved a slate of personnel, facilities and transportation measures.

The board moved to adopt the FY26 amended budget following a public hearing earlier in the evening. The motion passed by roll call, recorded as six ayes, zero nays and one member absent. Chief Operational Officer Mike Curry had described the changes as an "internal" amendment, noting miscoded employees that affected the district's 5% waiver, removal of $170,000 in placeholder professional and technical expenditures and $20,000 in supplies, and additions including a board-approved Raptor Alert purchase of $63,000 and a maintenance step van of roughly $73,000.

Also by roll call (6-0-1), the board approved a contract to appoint Doctor Nicole Moody as the district's next superintendent. Moody addressed the board briefly after the vote and thanked members and supporters in the room.

On personnel, the board ratified a two-day suspension without pay for paraprofessional Krista Hort (Macon Pius Special Education District), approved a contract for Andrea Maple as assistant director of Macon Pius Special Education District for 2026-27, and accepted a package of personnel action items submitted by the HR director. Later in the meeting the board adopted resolutions referencing the dismissal of three licensed employees (Margaret McGee, David Dorwu and Kenneth Acqua) and authorized delivery of the notices specified in those resolutions; each resolution passed by roll call with the same 6-0-1 tally.

Facilities and contracts moved forward across several votes. The board approved a modular-classroom lease addendum (motion carried 5 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent), renovations to the buildings and grounds loading dock and the buildings and grounds mechanical garage (including new doors, heating/ventilation and vehicle lifts), and a parking-lot milling and repaving project at Hope Academy and portions of Stephen Decatur Middle School. The board discussed the ongoing cost of modular classrooms, with one board member citing a multi-year figure of $630,000 for trailers and urging priority for affected schools.

In transportation, the board approved a first-service contract for transportation routing (special-education routing to first services; general education routed in-house) and a Tyler Technologies VersaTrans contract for transportation software, noting the software interfaces with existing financial systems and is expected to allow retirement of prior routing tools.

What the board decided next: administration will implement the contracts and present needed scopes and costs to the finance committee and full board as projects proceed. The next regular public meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at the Kyle Administration Building.