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FWCS board approves appointment, contracts for safety and behavioral supports and a governing-plan change
Summary
Trustees voted to appoint Noah Smith to an at-large seat and elect him president, approved several consent-agenda contracts (Alive Community Outreach renewal/expansion, handheld radios, IP cameras, Park Center behavior support), and adopted a resolution to stagger at-large board terms.
Fort Wayne Community Schools trustees approved a series of personnel and contract items and adopted a governance resolution during their meeting.
Appointments and leadership - Noah Smith was appointed to fill the at-large vacancy formerly held by Anne Duff; after taking the oath he was elected board president for the remainder of the current ward officer year, effective immediately. Trustees said the District 3 vacancy created by the seat switch will be filled by application; the board announced applications open the next day with a May 22, 5:00 p.m. deadline and provided a contact and website map for applicants.
Contracts and procurement (approved) - Alive Community Outreach: The board approved renewal of Alive Community Outreach’s contract for one additional year (period stated as 07/01/2026–06/30/2027) at a base figure of $726,240 and approved expanding the program to the Centers for Academic Success at Nebraska and Anthos with an additional $6,000 per month to fund a shared peace advocate. Funding source: school safety referendum.
- Handheld radios: The board approved purchase of upgraded Kenwood handheld radios from J and K Communication Inc. (Columbia City) for $177,804.48. District staff stated the purchase will procure 240 radios for 10 schools and is funded by the 2026 SAFER referendum.
- IP security cameras: The board approved purchase of Internet Protocol (IP) security cameras from Mobile Communications America Inc. (Fishers) for $197,450.88 to install/replace cameras at nine buildings. District staff said this is the third annual purchase in an eight-year replacement plan and confirmed 206 cameras for this purchase; funding is from the school safety operations referendum.
- Park Center Inc.: Trustees approved a 2026–27 contract with Park Center Inc. (affiliate of Parkview Health) for $225,000 to provide case managers for elementary and middle school behavior support classrooms; staff said the contract will be funded by Medicaid and answered trustee questions about how students outside designated schools receive services.
Governance: staggered at-large terms - The board adopted a resolution to amend the district’s governing plan so that only one at-large seat is up for election in each cycle beginning with the 2028 school board election. Staff explained the post-adoption process: the district will advertise the resolution, wait 120 days, then submit it to the State Board of Education for certification (the State Board has 30 days to act).
Votes and procedure - Where recorded, approvals were carried by general voice votes with trustees saying "aye" and no recorded opposition. The transcript does not include roll-call tallies by name for the items listed above.
Next steps: For the governing-plan amendment, staff will advertise the resolution and follow the 120-day posting and State Board certification process described in the meeting. The District 3 application window closes May 22 at 5:00 p.m.
