Florence 5 board hears enrollment dip and approves first reading of 2025–26 calendar, overnight trip and accepts resignations

During the January meeting, Miss Williams (finance) told trustees the district is tracking an enrollment decline that will affect next year’s budget planning. Williams said enrollment counts referenced in the presentation moved from roughly the 1,170s in prior reporting to about 1,105 students currently, with the largest decreases in early grades (kindergarten and 4K). She said the district has begun intent‑form outreach and is planning early recruitment and registration to better forecast class sizes and staffing needs.

Trustees discussed potential responses including outreach, online registration for 4K and state scholarship information that may help parents qualify for tuition assistance. Williams said about 10–11 families used the current scholarship program this year and that the district’s benefit from state scholarship eligibility could offset some tuition losses.

On action items, the board considered the proposed 2025–26 calendar (presented by the administration). Speaker 13 moved to accept the first reading of the 2025–26 calendar; Speaker 6 seconded the motion, and the motion carried by voice vote as recorded in the meeting. The board then approved an overnight field trip to Camp Bob Cooper (April 2–4) for fourth graders after a motion and second. Trustees later moved into executive session by motion; upon returning, they made a motion to regretfully accept resignations (motion seconded and voice vote recorded). The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn passed.

Recorded motions on the meeting transcript do not include a roll‑call vote tally for each trustee in the public portion of the record; the transcript indicates voice approval for the listed motions.