School board reviews budget history

The Lennox School Board met April 13.

Superintendent Adam Shaw presented on the budget. He supplied a budget report dating back to 2020 to give the board an idea of where state aid has been. Shaw said they spent cash reserves down year after year to follow state law and they haven’t taxed the taxpayers. He noted business manager Angela Arlt has done what the state said to do in spending down cash. He noted the fund balance has gone down about a million dollars over a five-year period. He noted that the birth rate has gone down but the population in the area has grown. The report is available on the district’s website.

Shaw plans to offer some community meetings to talk about budgets and data.

Next year they will start an alternative program for grades and behavior issues.

Intermediate principal Darin Eich said they are working on what their schedule will look like next school year with three sections of fifth grade and three sections of sixth grade. Junior high/high school Chad Allison said the high school will be on an eight-period schedule next year.

There will not be a school board election this year since they only had three petitions turned in for the three open positions.

The board approved the resignations of Caitlin Tobin for half title and half ELL teacher, and Sheryl Ledeboer as director of Totally Kids, director of Sunshine Preschool and eighth grade volleyball coach.

The board also approved the resignations of Kendra Shade as student council adviser, Dustin McLouth as eighth grade boys basketball, Mallory Bohr as intermediate student council adviser and Molly Townsend as cheer coach.

They approved the new contracts for Emma Benz as high school Spanish instructor and high school student council, Aaron Weyh as driver’s education driver, Nichole Eickstadt as director of Totally Kids and director of Sunshine Preschool, Brooklyn Fauth as Worthing Elementary kindergarten teacher and Brianna Wierschke as half Title I and half Title III.

The board reduced kindergarten from three sections to two at Lennox Elementary. They also increased first grade from two sections to three sections at Lennox Elementary with transferring Melissa Bauder from kindergarten to first grade.

They reviewed the classified employee resignations of Margo Aul for foodservice at Lennox High School, Bailey Katzer as educational assistant at Lennox Elementary and seventh grade volleyball coach and Paul Beukelman as bus driver. They also reviewed the classified employee termination of Bailey Townsend as educational assistant at LWC Intermediate.

The board approved the five-year service agreement with Johnson Controls with a cost of $59,800 for the first year.

They also approved the indemnification agreement for the 21st Century Perkins Act and the contract for consultant services for physical therapy with Tracee Ellwein from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. They recognized the Lennox High Digital Age Club.

The board spent over an hour in executive session.