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Votes at a glance: Elkhart board approves routine contracts, virtual school application and cancels one teaching contract

Elkhart Community Schools Board of Trustees · March 25, 2026

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Summary

The board unanimously approved the consent agenda, multiple contracts including First Student Inc., authorized device sales, approved a Common School Fund loan application, approved a virtual-school application, and voted to cancel a teachercontract after the teacher did not request a conference within the statutory window.

The Elkhart Community Schools board took a series of routine and substantive votes on March 24.

- Consent agenda: Motion moved and seconded; board voted unanimously to approve routine consent items (donations, personnel items).

- Contract approvals: The board approved a final contract with Professional Benefit Administrators (PBA) and confirmed a First Student Inc. contract for transportation driver support; motions carried unanimously.

- Policies and guidelines: The board approved replacement language for policy 23.40 (field and corporation-sponsored trips). Administration presented revisions to the student-staff relationships policy for initial consideration; no final vote was taken on that policy at this meeting.

- Virtual school: The board approved submission of an application to the Indiana Department of Education for a separate school number to establish a district-run virtual school for grades 6-12 in 2026-27.

- Common School Fund loan application: Motion to submit a low-interest loan application to the Indiana Department of Education for technology projects was approved unanimously.

- Surplus property: The board authorized a bulk sale of end-of-life Apple devices.

- Personnel action: The board voted unanimously to cancel the teaching contract of Don Schaefer after the teacher failed to request a statutory conference within five days following the superintendent's preliminary decision (citing Indiana Code 20-28-7.5-2e). No roll-call tallies with individual member votes were recorded in the minutes; the transcript recorded vocal "Aye" responses and unanimous outcomes.