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Waterloo board approves 2025–26 handbooks, bus routes, staffing contracts and universal student meals
Summary
The board approved handbooks for the 2025–26 year, authorized bus routes and transportation director control of route applications, approved multiple staff contracts and supplemental hours, and adopted community eligibility so students receive free breakfast and lunch.
At its meeting the Waterloo Local Board of Education approved a package of routine but consequential items for the 2025–26 school year: elementary, junior/senior high and online handbooks; bus routes and authorization for Transportation Director Tim Fox to make future route changes; multiple limited and supplemental contracts for staff; and participation in the community eligibility provision that makes breakfast and lunch free for all students.
The board voted by roll call to adopt the handbooks for 2025–26. The motion to approve bus routes also authorized the transportation director to sign off on route applications as needed; the chair noted the district is operating short about three bus drivers and that additional recruitment is needed.
Personnel approvals included one-year limited contracts for a list of individuals named in the agenda and approval of supplemental contracts and added hours. The board approved additional hours for Katie Hanson (an increase of roughly three hours) to increase her scheduled time to slightly over four hours per day.
On school meals, the chair said the district will participate in the community eligibility provision so that students “will not have to pay for either breakfast nor lunch.” The transcript records an adult meal price figure discussed by the board as $4; the chair also noted the state previously challenged the district over staff meal pricing and urged adherence to the state calculator.
Other approved items included agreements to pilot TeachTown for online instruction in one classroom and contracting Total Education Solutions for extended-school-year speech services. The board also approved a planned field trip (Oct. 27–29) for sixth graders and several high-school chaperones; transportation costs were estimated at roughly $150 per student and about $1,000 total for buses.
The approvals were routine motions carried by roll call; the transcript includes limited discussion on funding sources for some items and logistics to be finalized by principals and administrators.
