Southeast Fountain board approves 2026 budget, two-year teacher contract and 2026 capital plan

At its Oct. 9 meeting the Southeast Fountain School Board approved a suite of routine but consequential items: the 2026 budget, a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the teachers' union, a capital projects plan for 2026, a bus-replacement plan, one hire for the business department and several student fundraisers.

The board voted to approve a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Southeast Fountain Education Association covering July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2027. The superintendent told trustees the agreement includes a $1,500 increase this year and an additional $2,000 in year two for most teachers; teachers with early-literacy endorsements will receive an extra $250. The superintendent said some teachers who reach the top of the pay scale will not receive the year-two bump. He said the two-year term helps the district budget and will meet Indiana's new base-salary requirement of $45,000 by the second year.

Administrators recommended and the board approved the 2026 budget; the superintendent said October count-day enrollment was higher than expected and that supported the budget outlook. The board also approved the 2026 capital projects plan, which administrators said will prioritize emergency radio upgrades, elementary-school overhang repairs, masonry repair, work on the deteriorating football stadium press box and selected corporation-office upgrades.

The board approved a bus-replacement plan that historically replaces two buses per year; the superintendent cautioned that looming state cuts could reduce replacement to one bus per year on the recommendation of the district mechanic.

Personnel and procurement approvals included hiring Landon Newnham for the business department at Fountain Central Junior-Senior High School (start in January) and accepting a quote from Ali Electrical for $10,162.78 to install a baseball-field scoreboard. The board also approved student fundraisers: a student-council merchandise drive (goal $3,000), a National Honor Society laundry-soap fundraiser (goal $2,000) and two after-prom requests (a hog roast and a 50/50 raffle through March 14).

During the meeting administrators presented a first reading to align the district's teacher-appreciation-grant policy with a new Indiana statute (cited in the meeting as IC 20-43-16). The proposed policy would limit eligible recipients to no more than 20% of certified teachers (administration said that currently equates to 16 teachers) and set reporting and distribution timelines; the change will return to the board for a vote at a later meeting.

All approvals at the meeting were taken by motion, second and an "all in favor" vote; the meeting adjourned at about 7:41 p.m.