Matt Elder

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and public comment, where a topic concerning school finances and reducing expenses was raised. The session included communications highlighting numerous student achievements, such as top honors in the National John Drury High School Radio Awards, a freshman winning the IHSAA boys single state tennis championship, student government participation in a world affairs conference, and a student winning a countywide logo design contest. A teacher received the SAK Superstar Award for August. A significant portion of the meeting involved the approval of the consent agenda, which included the minutes of the October 21st, 2025 meeting, bills, claims, payrolls, accounts, and personnel recommendations. Recognition was given to second and third-grade students achieving perfect scores on the Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination (IREAD) assessment, with a comparison showing the district's proficiency rate above the state average. The board also heard an overview of the federally funded E-Rate process for securing funds for telecommunication and internet access, followed by a request for approval to begin the competitive bidding process (publishing a Form 470 and RFP) for the district's wide area network (WAN) services, as the current agreement with Comcast is concluding.

The meeting was called to order following the Pledge of Allegiance. The primary agenda item was the approval of the collective bargaining agreement, which had previously been presented for discussion at the November 4th board meeting. Following a motion and second, the agreement was unanimously approved. The session concluded with open public comment time, followed by board comment where appreciation was expressed for the faculty and staff. The meeting was then adjourned.

The meeting included an Executive Session followed by a Board of Finance Meeting and the main Business Meeting. Key discussion topics involved reports on Covington Elementary and the SACS Strategic Plan, and the HHS Additions and Renovations Budget for December. Financials for the Education and Operations Funds for December were also presented. A significant portion of the agenda was dedicated to discussions concerning revisions of multiple Board Policies (3010, 3020, 3040, 3050, 3060, 3110, and 3160) related to duties, salary, staff development, personnel records, and tobacco/criminal history. The Board also addressed and approved several policy revisions, including policies regarding responsibilities to the school community, school visits, and access to public records. Finally, an action item involved the approval of the MidWest America FCU -- Homestead High School Affinity Debit Card Agreement.

The Business Meeting agenda included several reports and discussions, followed by action items. Reports covered Covington Elementary School and the SACS Strategic Plan, the HHS Additions and Renovations Budget for December, and the Education and Operations Funds Financials for December. Discussions focused on proposed revisions to Board Policies 3010 (Duties and Responsibilities), 3020 (Salary and Benefits), 3040 (Staff Development and Professional Growth), 3050 (Teaching Experience Credit), 3060 (Personnel Records), 3110 (Tobacco Products), and 3160 (Criminal History Information). Action items included the approval of revisions to Board Policies 2010 (Responsibilities to the School Community), 2035 (School or Classroom Visits), 2050 (Access to Public Records), and 2055 (Accessibility Policy), as well as the approval of the MidWest America FCU -- Homestead High School Affinity Debit Card Agreement.

The schedule included an Executive Session at 5:00 p.m. to discuss strategy concerning a real estate transaction involving a purchase, and training for school board members with an outside consultant regarding their performance as public officials. The subsequent Reorganization Meeting covered several procedural items, including the administration of the Oath of Office, selection of a Temporary Chairman, and election of officers (President, Vice President, Secretary). Other agenda items included the appointment of the Corporation Treasurer and Deputy Treasurer, designation of official newspapers, acceptance of Conflict-of-Interest Statements, setting of future meeting dates, assignment of Board Member Committee responsibilities, law firm selection, and determination of Board compensation.