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Fruitport board approves budget amendments, accepts audit and greenlights Edgewood security design
Summary
On Jan. 19 the Fruitport Community Schools Board of Education approved the district's 2025-26 General Fund and School Service Fund budget amendments, accepted the annual financial audit, authorized TowerPinkster for Edgewood Elementary technology and security services, and approved student trips and handbook changes.
The Fruitport Community Schools Board of Education on Jan. 19 approved amendments to the district's 2025-26 General Fund and School Service Fund budgets, accepted the annual audit for the year ending June 30, 2025, and authorized technology and physical security systems design services for the new Edgewood Elementary project.
Board President Dave Hazekamp called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m. and the board voted unanimously on a series of motions. On the recommendation of the Business & Finance Committee, the board accepted Rehmann Robson LLC's annual financial audit for the year ending June 30, 2025. The motion to accept the audit was made by JB Meeuwenberg and seconded by Kris Cole and carried 7-0.
Meeuwenberg moved and Cole seconded approval of both the 2025-26 General Fund Budget Amendment and the 2025-26 School Service Fund Budget Amendment; both passed on roll call with all seven members voting aye. Director of Business Services Mark Mesbergen had presented the budget amendment earlier in the meeting, outlining revenue and expenditure changes and referencing the January Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference as a factor in the revisions.
The board also approved TowerPinkster's proposal to provide technology and physical security systems services for the Edgewood Elementary design and build. That motion (moved by Meeuwenberg and seconded by Kathy Six) carried 7-0. The board received a schematic-design update for Edgewood Elementary, including a conceptual block diagram and a schedule tied to a March 31, 2026 closing date on the district's 2026 School Building and Site Bonds.
On student-affairs items, the board approved the second reading of a high school handbook addendum (motion by Tim Burgess, second by Josh Mueller) and granted two overnight trip requests: a varsity baseball trip to Traverse City, May 22–24, 2026 (moved by Burgess, seconded by Six), and a student trip to the DECA State Competition in Detroit, March 5–7, 2026 (moved by Burgess, seconded by Mueller). All motions carried 7-0.
Other business included committee reports. The Business & Finance Committee discussed the district's upcoming bond closing schedule provided by Stifel, the federal single audit now pending Rehmann's completion, and a previously discussed recommendation to increase Early Childhood Center staff pay that was tabled. The Personnel Committee provided updates on the search for a varsity football coach and personnel actions at Beach Elementary and the Early Childhood Center. The Student Affairs Committee noted ongoing calendar negotiations with the FEA and raised pupil-accounting questions related to the district's adult education program.
The consent agenda, approved unanimously, included a bill listing of $569,244.16, November and December 2025 General Fund financial reports, investment reports, the personnel report (hires, resignations, retirees, transfers) and minutes from the Dec. 8 and Dec. 29, 2025 meetings. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
What happens next: the board scheduled committee meetings for Feb. 2, 2026 and the next regular board meeting for Feb. 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
