Board OKs use of Section 27l(2) categorical funds for educator and support-staff pay

The New Buffalo Area Schools Board voted unanimously Dec. 8 to permit the district to use categorical funds provided under Section 27l(2) of the State School Aid Act for both educator compensation and support-staff compensation. The Superintendent and the Director of Finance jointly recommended the funding change; the motion for educator compensation was moved by Stephen Donnelly and seconded by John Haskins, and the separate motion for support-staff compensation was moved by Denise Churchill and seconded by Jennifer Summers. Both motions were recorded as "all ayes, motion carried."

Board members framed the measures as a way to direct categorical funding toward employee compensation for the coming year. The actions recorded in the meeting minutes do not specify the dollar amounts allocated from the categorical funds or the distribution among employee groups; those funding totals were "not specified" in the recorded motions and appear to be left to district administrative implementation in consultation with the Director of Finance. This change takes effect as part of the district's 2025–26 fiscal operations and was approved during the board's regular session.