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Freeman School Board adopts 2025–26 budget, approves 2026 tax-levy request and several personnel and procurement actions
Summary
The Freeman School District 33-1 board on Sept. 8 approved the 2026 tax-levy request and adopted the 2025–26 budget, approved multiple personnel items including an assistant junior-high volleyball coach, awarded a soil-boring contract for the stadium complex, and approved surplus and other routine business by voice votes.
The Freeman School District 33-1 Board of Education adopted its 2025–26 budget and approved the district’s calendar-year 2026 tax-levy request during a regularly scheduled meeting on Sept. 8, 2025.
Board members approved the tax-levy resolution that requests the maximum general-fund levy with an opt-out request of $250,000, the maximum special-education levy, a capital-outlay levy adjusted by dollar amount to reflect increased tax receipts, and a bond-redemption levy to cover existing debt. Chair said the board moved and approved the levy request after brief discussion.
The board also voted to adopt the 2025–26 budget. The business manager said the republished budget includes two modest changes from the posted hearing version: adding a para‑professional to the preschool fund and an increase in the planned use of fund balance by about $500, plus a final capital-outlay payment of $84,000. “The final payment was $84,000,” the business manager said, and the board approved the budget by voice vote.
Several personnel and procurement items were approved under separate motions. The board approved conditions of employment for H. Clement (facilities and maintenance) and Lori Melhoff (para‑professional), and accepted an amended contract for Annabella Bell & Cortez Escobar as EL coordinator; those items were part of the consent agenda the board approved by motion. The board also approved employment conditions for Taylor Cranzen as assistant junior-high volleyball coach for the 2025 season; the high school principal noted the program has 16 girls and that adding a paid assistant helps address increased workload for volunteer staff. Katie recused from that particular vote.
On procurement, the board reviewed two RFPs received that afternoon for soil borings at the stadium complex. SPN Helms recommended Soil Technologies but noted both bidders were reputable; because Geotech had previously worked on the campus and submitted the lower bid (approximately $1,100 less), the board approved Geotech to perform the soil borings.
The board approved surplus of outdated classroom VHS tapes and related items from a teacher’s classroom, and adjourned the meeting at 7:26 p.m. The board set its next regular meeting for Oct. 14, 2025, at 7 p.m. in the high school library.
Votes listed in the meeting were taken by voice; recorded roll-call tallies by member name were not provided in the transcript.
