Mattawan school board adopts budget, approves four-bus purchase and renews food-service contract

The Mattawan Consolidated School Board on May 11, 2026, approved a package of fiscal and operational items, including the VBISD General Fund operating budget, the purchase of four buses using bond funds, the 2026–27 school calendar, renewal of the Chartwells food-service contract for 2026–27, and an Emergency Operations Plan.

The actions came during the regular board meeting called to order by President Shari Magrath at 6:30 p.m. Five members were present and two were absent (Ted Roethlisberger and Onur Arugaslan). The board first approved the consent agenda, which included personnel items and financial reports, on a motion by Trustee Mark Noffsinger supported by Vickie Mabin-Herzberg. The consent agenda vote was recorded as Ayes: 5, Nays: 0, Absent: 2.

On the budget, the board voted to adopt the VBISD General Fund Operating Budget “as presented.” The motion was made by Board Secretary Vickie Mabin-Herzberg and supported by Trustee Rick George; the recorded vote was Ayes: 5, Nays: 0, Absent: 2. The transcript records the formal adoption but does not include line-item details or the total appropriation amount in the provided segments.

The board also authorized the purchase of four buses identified in Price Comparison Report — Spec #25609 — from Midwest Transit through the MSBO Bus Purchasing Program for $663,952, using bond monies. Trustee Marika Hawes-Ruhrup moved the bus-purchase motion, which was supported by Mark Noffsinger. A roll-call in the record lists Marika Hawes-Ruhrup, Shari Magrath, Vickie Mabin-Herzberg, Mark Noffsinger and Rick George in favor; the motion passed.

Trustees approved the 2026–2027 school calendar (motion by Vickie Mabin-Herzberg, supported by Rick George) and approved the second reading of board bylaws and policies (motion by Rick George, supported by Vickie Mabin-Herzberg); both motions were recorded Ayes: 5, Nays: 0, Absent: 2.

The board approved renewal of Chartwells’ contract to operate the district food-service program for the 2026–2027 school year (motion by Mark Noffsinger, supported by Marika Hawes-Ruhrup). The Emergency Operations Plan was also approved after a motion by Marika Hawes-Ruhrup, supported by Vickie Mabin-Herzberg; the roll-call vote for the EOP is recorded in the minutes and the motion passed.

The agenda lists public comment and a superintendent’s report; the transcript segments provided do not include the text of public comments or details of the superintendent’s report. A closed session for the superintendent evaluation was noted on the agenda. The adjournment motion appears in the record but the mover, seconder and adjournment time are left blank in the transcript excerpt.

Attendance and personnel details included in the approved consent agenda: newly approved staff listed by the record include Dr. Lisa Kendall (Assistant Superintendent), Madison Ballett (Kindergarten), Laura King (Second Grade), Livia Lewis (Third Grade), Jordan McCart (First Grade), Cynthia Stacy (LES Literacy Coach), Suzanne Woffard (First Grade), Stachia Gocdecke (Food Service), Roni Keeler (Food Service) and Daniel Foster (Bus Driver). The transcript does not include hire effective dates or individual contract terms.

The meeting record shows unanimous recorded votes for the posted motions among the five members present; two members were noted as absent. No contentious debate or public-comment content is captured in the supplied transcript segments.

The board’s next procedural step recorded in these segments is a closed session for the superintendent evaluation; no outcome from that closed session is included in the provided excerpt.