Eastern Greene Schools board approves consulting contract, handbooks, personnel changes, fees and donations

At its June 8 meeting the Eastern Greene Schools board approved a package of routine business actions, including a consulting contract, staff handbooks, a new athletics transportation fee, personnel items and several donations.

Contract and handbooks: The board approved a contract with Harmon Consulting for budget assistance; the presenter said, “I’ll be transparent. We pay $7,000 a year,” and recommended retaining the consultant to ensure compliance and provide budget expertise. Trustees also approved staff handbooks for elementary, middle, high school and the early learning center, and they approved an updated classified‑staff handbook after suggested revisions.

Fees and trips: Trustees approved a $25 per‑season student athletic transportation fee for athletes in grades 5–12; the presenter clarified a season means fall, winter or spring and that students who play multiple seasons would be charged per season. The presenter said the fee is intended to help cover transportation costs and “is not meant to keep any student from participating,” adding the district will provide supports (fee waivers for free‑and‑reduced families and work opportunities to offset the charge).

The board also approved an overnight volleyball team trip to Butler University scheduled for July 17–18.

Personnel actions: The board approved a series of personnel items by motion. The board accepted the resignation of high‑school assistant principal Ken Howard effective June 30, 2026, and approved hires including Ashley Bedwell (kindergarten teacher, 2026–27), Lacy Porter (ELC teaching assistant, effective 7/27/26), Audrey Me (ELC teaching assistant, effective 8/3/26), Lisa Myers (ELC teaching assistant, effective 7/27/26), and coaching and extracurricular appointments for the coming year. A late‑filed hire for Sarah Taylor as high‑school assistant principal effective July 1, 2026, and Emma Obermeer as an elementary special‑education teacher for 2026–27 were also approved.

Donations and community support: Trustees accepted donations totaling thousands of dollars earmarked for student activities and programs: a $930 Jed Cummings scholarship donation for athletic transportation fees; anonymous donations of $100 and $300 for middle‑school cookout needs; $500 from the high school National Honor Society to ECA activities; $1,778.50 from FCCLA to the Riley Children’s Foundation; $4,985.95 from the elementary student council for a playground improvement project (noted as a 2023 project in the record); and $1,387.15 from the class of 2026 to the extracurricular graduation fund. The transcript contains slightly inconsistent formatting of a few amounts; those figures are reported here as read.

Announcements: Administrators announced summer meal pickup is available Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m. at the high school for any child 18 and under; the record notes that pickups will temporarily be staged at the back side of the high school while front‑lot construction proceeds, and that initial pickup procedures may require a child’s presence. Facilities updates noted ongoing roof projects at the elementary and middle campuses, restroom and handicap‑parking work at the high school, a planned track and field remodel, and possible front‑lot demolition as early as the next day; officials said the projects are funded from debt service and do not directly affect the district’s operations budget.

All consent items and personnel motions were approved by the board during the meeting. The board adjourned at approximately 7:20 p.m.