Garrard County board unanimously approves contracts, allocations and policy updates and moves to executive session

The Garrard County Board of Education voted unanimously at its special student meeting to approve a series of contracts, allocations and administrative updates before moving the public session into executive session.

Board members approved related-services contracts for the 2026–27 school year covering occupational and physical therapy, vision impairment, orientation and mobility, CAPCA and ABA services; the administration said those are the same providers the district currently uses. The board also approved the site-based decision-making allocations for 2026–27 after leaders said principals had been informed of final amounts.

Administration recommended hiring a part-time retired school psychologist from August through November 2026 to help manage an increased workload of special‑education evaluations; trustees approved that staffing addition. The board also accepted updated special-education procedures that, according to the presenter, bring the district into compliance with recent legal expectations.

The meeting included approval of multiple operational items: annual ARC chairperson appointments, a one-day short school-day arrangement for a Langstro Elementary School student (supported by documented recommendations), a one-year groundskeeping contract (the only acceptable RFP response), and surplus of senior Chromebooks so graduating seniors could keep district-issued devices that were at end-of-life.

District staff briefed trustees on a recommended salary-schedule update to increase the hourly rate for the water‑treatment-plant monitor position to $19.75 effective April 1, which the presenter said should save money by reducing contracted services. Trustees also authorized nonrenewal of a Paramount Dental/EyeMed benefits contract to transition to Anthem Dental and Vision.

Administrators described an awarded $40,000 Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation grant to support adding algebra at the eighth-grade level with accompanying teacher training; the board approved the KSTC agreement, which was presented as no-cost to the district. Separately, the board approved a multi‑year agreement with a regional Pepsi bottler (May 2026–April 2033) after staff said the company had offered increased funding for advertising at school facilities.

After completing the public agenda and approving the consent items, trustees moved the meeting into executive session. The chair described the session as short but said it could last up to two hours; the public meeting was then adjourned.

Votes at a glance - Adopt agenda — adopted unanimously (moved by a board member). - Related-services contracts for 2026–27 — approved unanimously (mover: Doctor Lam; seconder: Doctor Lamb). - Site-based allocations 2026–27 — approved unanimously. - Part-time school psychologist (Aug–Nov 2026) — approved unanimously. - Special-education procedures update — approved unanimously. - ARC chairpersons for 2026–27 — approved unanimously. - Short school day (LES student) — approved unanimously. - Family Health Associates nursing contract (2026–27) — approved unanimously. - Calendar amendment for the 2025–26 year — approved unanimously. - Salary update for water-treatment monitor (effective 04/01/2026) — approved unanimously. - Nonrenewal of Paramount Dental/EyeMed; transition to Anthem — approved unanimously. - KSTC Access Algebra agreement (grant) — approved unanimously. - Groundskeeping contract (one year trial) — approved unanimously. - Surplus senior Chromebooks — approved unanimously. - Pepsi bottler agreement (May 2026–Apr 2033) — approved unanimously.

The board record shows each motion was moved and seconded as recorded in the minutes and that “all board members were in favor” for the items above; specific roll-call tallies were not read into the public minutes.