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Fairfield school board approves budget amendment, insurance participation and several fiscal measures
Summary
The Fairfield Community School District board on June 16 approved a FY26 budget amendment, joined a state storm protection risk pool, set a public hearing to renew an instructional support levy, approved E-rate vendor participation and several fund transfers and policy readings.
The Fairfield Community School District board on June 16 adopted a series of fiscal and policy actions, including a FY26 budget amendment, participation in a state risk pool for storm damage, approval of an E-rate technology vendor and several fund and policy measures.
The board voted to approve the budget amendment after finance-committee review; board members asked no substantive questions before the motion passed. Finance committee materials presented at the meeting estimated that adding roughly 10 paraeducators to meet IEP and legal-service needs would increase costs by about $199,600 and would leave the district's unassigned actual balance near the district policy limit (about 14.9%).
The board approved a resolution to participate in a Storm Protection Fund organized under Iowa Code chapters 28E and 670. Trustees discussed potential premium and deductible exposure for a widespread storm and confirmed the pooled product was established in response to recent state requirements; the motion passed after board discussion.
On revenue measures, the board agreed to set a public hearing on renewing the Instructional Support Program levy. The finance committee advised the levy currently produces roughly $994,000 for the general fund and that the board may renew the levy for five years or instead seek a 10-year voter-approved renewal.
The board approved several routine fiscal motions: designation of depositories for the 2025–26 school year (roll call recorded: Mark Porter yes; Ty Ward abstained; Megan Robbins yes; Mark Thornton yes; Deborah Williamson yes; Dave Eastburn abstained), a transfer of unobligated flexible spending account funds (approximately $51,000) to the general fund to help mitigate health-insurance premium pressure, and payment for a high-school ceiling-and-lighting invoice tied to an earlier contract.
The board also approved a vendor for an E-rate category 2 project to upgrade district connectivity. Committee materials listed the total project cost at about $379,982 with an estimated district share near $190,000 (around 30%); the finance committee recommended participation so the district could obtain favorable external bandwidth and equipment likely moveable into any future building.
Other approved items included first readings of multiple board-policy changes (see separate article on the cell-phone policy), the deletion of policy 804.06, and a memorandum of understanding to support a Cambridge Little Achievers child-care grant application (district support limited to food service and transportation, with no direct financial obligation anticipated beyond possible limited reimbursements).
What comes next: the board set a public hearing date for the instructional support levy renewal and will bring second readings and final votes on policies, including the new cell-phone policy, at future meetings.
