The Fayette Board of Education unanimously approved the district’s 2026-27 school calendar, the purchase of a new propane-powered school bus, and a switch to a new insurance consortium that will deliver savings to employees amid a lengthy agenda during its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 17.

The board also tabled a request from the Fayette Housing Authority to waive $11,542.77 in past-due payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) after a extensive discussion. Fiduciary responsibilities, especially with a bond issue coming before voters in April , were chief points of concern voiced by school board members.

Fayette Housing Authority Chair Ann Schnell and FHA board member Larry Ishmael asked the board to waive the PILOT fees for 2020-2024 and all future payments. The authority, which provides affordable housing to low-income families, discovered that the fees had gone unpaid following recent audits and cited staff turnover for the oversight.

“It was a comedy of errors” that led to the unpaid fees, Ishmael said.

Schnell noted the authority has only eight of its 50 apartments currently occupied and is launching a $1.7 million campaign to renovate all units with energy-efficient HVAC units. She said other local entities, including the library board, have already agreed to waive the fees. The Howard County Ambulance District is also considering waiving the fees, she said, and reported that the County Commission is waiving fees owed and those for the next five years.

Board members expressed sympathy for the authority’s mission but raised concerns about giving up local revenue. The district receives 52 percent of its funding from local sources, and members worried about the optics of waiving money with a bond issue at steak.

Board member Shauna Young noted the district faces similar budget pressures. Wes Friebe urged the board to “use logic, rather than compassion.”

There was also some finger-pointing by the housing authority and members of the school board toward the City of Fayette, which is tasked with collecting and distributing the fees. At a recent meeting, the Mayor and city council members expressed reluctance in waiving fees for other taxing districts, such as the school and ambulance districts. They asked the housing authority to discuss the matter with those districts before voting.

Superintendent Brent Doolin said he doesn’t know whether the city ever distributed the district’s portion of the payments made by the housing authority between 2007 and 2013. Member Aaron Bentley suggested that the district approach the city about potentially unpaid distributions due to the school district.

Schnell explained that it is standard practice for housing authorities to enter into PILOT agreements with cities.

“The fees are paid to the City of Fayette. The city is then is to paid each tax district (sic),” Schnell wrote in a letter to the school board. “The Housing Authority has just been made aware that the fees had not been paid for the years 2020-2024. The last time these fees were owed was 2013.

“The Fayette Housing Board asked the city to waive the past due balances and all future amounts. This would allow the Housing Authority to use our money more effectively and continue to provide affordable and safe housing for low-income individual (s) and/or families. Other cities and housing authorities have this agreement.”

The item was tabled until the March meeting so Supt. Doolin can consult with the Missouri School Boards Association’s legal counsel.

In other business, members voted unanimously to join the Ozarks Schools Benefits Association (OSBA) insurance consortium. Doolin said every current plan is cheaper under OSBA.

The district’s contribution for the base HSA plan will be set at $665.58, reducing the amount employees pay by $11.42 per month. Savings would be passed on to teachers and staff. Those on higher-tier PPO plans will see even greater savings. The projected net increase to the district is approximately $6,900 if participation stays the same.

The board approved the 2026-27 calendar after a faculty survey showed strong support for a half-day on Homecoming. High school principal Jason Hannam said many other schools have a half-day on Homecoming.

“It’s an issue of liability,” he said. “If we’re all being completely honest, we are responsible for them now, and that’s a complete nightmare,” referencing students who leave campus to participate in the parade and other activities.

The annual Homecoming parade around the downtown square will remain largely unchanged, Doolin said, kicking off around 2:30 or 3 p.m. as usual.

The first day of school will be on Tuesday, Aug. 25. School will dismiss for the year at 12:30 p.m. on Wed., May 19, 2027, with commencement scheduled for Sunday, May 23.

Board members voted to authorized the purchase of an 83-passenger Blue Bird propane-powered school bus from Central State Bus Sales. The net cost to the district is $106,150 after a $3,000 trade-in and a $50,000 grant. The switch to propane is intended to help control future fuel costs. The district budgeted $146,500 for a new bus.

Transportation supervisor Gary Beeler said he was disappointed that only one company offered a propane-powered bus, and, hopes that in the future, there will be more competition resulting in lower prices.

The board mentioned electric buses, but dismissed the idea after a brief discussion. The highway patrol won’t inspect electric buses without a pit due to electrocution risks, Beeler noted.

A new class that certifies students as MSHSAA officials is now offered at the high school. Principal Jason Hannam, a longtime basketball referee and member of the Columbia Basketball Officials Association, explained that students can be certified in up to two sports at no cost to them. The district will cover the $45 certification fee per sport, and MSHSAA will waive its first-year registration fees.

“MSHSAA is pushing it out to all districts,” Hannam said. “It’s a great opportunity for kids officiating youth basketball for us here.”

In other business, the board approved re-applying for a three-year School Age Community (SAC) grant for $79,000 to support the Falcon Club after-school and Monday programs. Sixty-one students currently attend the programs, which offer STEM, robotics, cooking, and other activities.

The board also granted an overnight stay for one student attending the FCCLA state competition in Springfield, authorized installation of new overhead speakers in multiple buildings as part of planned PA and bell system upgrades, accepted MSBA-recommended policy updates, and continued its full policy maintenance contract with the organization., and nominated Board President Skip Vandelicht as Region 6 representative to the MSBA board.

Food Service Director Paula Volkmann reported the installation of a new freezer, the launch of a Fresh Fruits and Vegetables program for pre-K through fifth grade, and record meal participation. However, outstanding meal accounts have risen to nearly $15,000, she said.

“Our outstanding school lunch account is a little high,” she explained. “We started the year at a little over $7,500, and today we are at almost $15,000. Not sure how to fix that. Last year, I called a lot of parents.”

Otherwise, Volkmann said participation is really strong this year. “We’re serving more meals than we have in the past three years. And we are on target to beat last year’s numbers.”

Curriculum Director Cheri Huster presented winter NWEA assessment data and explained how teachers are using cohort tracking and priority standards to guide instruction.

Building principals noted the high number of absences in January due to illness. The district called off in-person classes on Jan. 29 and 30 because so many students and staff were out sick.

In his monthly superintendent’s report, Doolin voiced strong concerns about state-level issues. He called Gov. Mike Kehoe’s proposed A-F school report card “completely unfair” and said House Bill 2789, which would cut the personal property assessment rate in half, could cost the district $522,000 in local revenue.

“Public education is under attack,” Doolin asserted.

The school board meets at 6:30 p.m. in the high school library on the third Wednesday of every month except for July. However, the board’s April meeting will be held on Monday, April 13, to comply with state law requiring elected bodies to meet within 14 days of the most recent election. Three candidates have filed for three open seats, so the district will not hold a formal election. Incumbents Shauna Young and Aaron Bentley, along with newcomer Max Hilderbrand, will be sworn in at the board’s April meeting.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for Wed., March 18. Meetings are open, agendas are published in advance on the district’s website, and the public is invited.