Fogelman trustees recommend $2,100 scholarship award; board approves

The Litchfield board convened a brief Fogelman Scholarship trustees session and approved a recommendation to set the Fogelman scholarship award at $2,100 for the 2025–26 school year.

Representatives from Bank and Trust, Chad Rupert and Roger Crabby, presented the trust's year‑end status and income sources. Rupert summarized farm operations and rental conditions, saying the district’s farmland tenants and rental arrangements are largely unchanged from last year. "The net profit from the farms was about $174,000 on that 659 acres," he said. Crabby provided a valuation and overall asset picture: "It's around $9,300,000 worth of farmland," and when combined with investments and cash the total assets were reported at about $10,171,000.

Trust staff described how earnings flow to scholarships and walked the board through the projections used to set the award amount. Trustees noted that guidance counselors reported roughly 45 seniors eligible this year but historically not all eligible seniors receive an award; the trustees therefore estimated the actual number of awards at about 40 new seniors plus roughly 62 renewals for a projected total of 102 scholarships. Using the trust’s income and the board’s distribution formula, bank staff recommended lowering the award from last year’s level to $2,100 to accommodate the larger recipient pool.

A board member moved to adopt the recommendation to set the Fogelman scholarship at $2,100 for 2025–26; the motion carried on roll call. The trustees and Bank and Trust staff said the recommendation is intended to preserve the trust’s sustainability while expanding the number of students who receive assistance. The scholarships are administered for students who meet residency and GPA eligibility criteria tied to North and South Litchfield townships.

The trustees noted the awards are typically paid in July; the district will finalize recipient lists and award distribution at that time.