Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Board Approvals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Southeast Fountain board approves staff changes, contracts, SRO agreements and campus repairs
Summary
At its April 16, 2026 meeting the Southeast Fountain School Corp. board approved multiple personnel actions, a one-year contract with Policy Analytics, two memoranda of understanding for school resource officer services, curricular costs, fundraisers and a $25,000 insurance deductible for storm damage.
The Southeast Fountain School Corp. board on April 16 approved a package of routine personnel and operational items, including several resignations and new hires, the district’s one-year contract with Policy Analytics and memoranda of understanding to provide school resource officer services for the 2026–27 school year.
The board moved, seconded and called for votes to accept resignations from Kevin Payne, Laura Spicer, Josie Harshark and Marilyn Bailey and approved hires including Jen Gardner (junior high English at Fountain Central High School), Jacob Earl (physical education teacher and football coach) and Todd Sarver as district IT director. The board also approved a long-term summer grounds substitute, Gage Messersmith, and a maternity leave request for Brook Gully. Motions for each personnel item were made and the board asked for all in favor.
The board approved a one-year agreement with Policy Analytics, described by the presenter as a vendor that will help the district assess the effects of Senate Act enrollment changes and plan how to use reduced operational funding. The board also approved curricular cost schedules for Southeast Elementary and Fountain Central High School for 2026–27, with the presenter noting that parents will not pay book fees because that portion is covered by the state education grant tied to enrollment.
Board members approved two memoranda of understanding related to school resource officer (SRO) services for 2026–27: one MOU with the Fountain County Sheriff’s Department for an officer assigned by the sheriff’s department to Southeast Mountain School Corporation, and a separate MOU that provides for a SEFSC-employed officer working in coordination with the sheriff’s department. Both agreements were presented to the board, motioned and placed for vote.
The board approved several fundraising requests and extracurricular items, including an FFA greenhouse plant sale (May 4–7) with a stated fundraising goal of at least $1,000; three fundraisers for the Fountain Central varsity football program with stated goals of $5,000, $3,000 and $3,000; and an overnight boys basketball team camp trip to Purdue Northwest (June 22–24). The board also authorized payment of a $25,000 insurance deductible to cover storm damage across campus and declared an obsolete marching band trailer and a maintenance truck surplus, authorizing disposal as scrap with any proceeds directed to the band boosters.
The presenter explained the rationale for a stipend to cover additional duties by an employee while the district fills a vacancy, and recommended payment of qualified overtime for two employees covering January through March 2026 after changes in legal overtime rules.
No detailed roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the transcript; each item was presented, motioned, seconded and taken to a voice vote with the board chair or presenter asking “All in favor?” The suspension without pay was presented as being made "in accordance with board policy." The meeting moved on to awards and other agenda items after the approvals.
The board introduced a nonprofit initiative being developed in Petersburg, Indiana, for future discussion.
