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Fort Wayne Community Schools board meeting, Sep 14, 2026

1 h 40 min · 0 public speakers

Vouchers and school choice ▶ 50:51

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 1 h 40 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Fort Wayne school board hears 2027 budget report ahead of Sept. 28 hearing 1:01:38

  • Noah Smith called for voice votes on the consent agenda and on a City Utilities easement, but no results were announced on the record. 51:02
  • The board heard a report from the chief financial officer on the 2027 budgets for the Education Fund, Operations Fund, Debt Service Funds and Safety Referendum Funds, with a public hearing set for September 28th, 2026, and adoption scheduled for October 12th, 2026. 1:01:38
  • The chief financial officer said health insurance premiums would not rise and that the district would offer a one-time stipend to all staff in 2026. 1:07:24

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Item by item (10)
  1. Opening and roll call 40:51
    • Noah Smith opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and called for a roll call of members. 40:51
  2. Teacher and Employee of the Year recognitions 41:28
    • Steve Corona read a recommendation that the board recognize the district's 2025⁠-⁠26 Teacher Employee of the Year finalists. 41:47
    • Maria Norman read a recommendation recognizing an Abbott Elementary case manager as the district's 2026 Employee of the Year. 48:16
    • Julie Hollingsworth read a recommendation recognizing a Bloomingdale Elementary School 3rd grade teacher and a Southside High School Hospitality Management Pathway teacher as the district's 2026 Teacher of the Year winners. 49:30
  3. Consent agenda 50:28
    • Noah Smith called for a vote on the consent agenda, which included approval of minutes, vouchers and payroll, the personnel report and required disclosures. 50:49
  4. United Way donation for Families in Transition 51:02
    • Steve Corona read a recommendation to accept a 1-year donation from the United Way of Allen County for $90,000 for a 2026⁠-⁠2027 FWCS Families in Transition temporary case manager, noting the department identified 1,147 students experiencing homelessness during the '25-'26 school year. 51:38
    • Julie Hollingsworth asked whether the donation created a new position, and a district staff member said the position already existed and this would be the third donation from United Way. 53:00
    • The staff member said unaccompanied students move anywhere from 10 to 12 times a year on average and that the district tries to keep them at a familiar school. 54:45
  5. Formative assessment grant 55:12
    • Maria Norman read a recommendation to accept the 26⁠-⁠27 formative assessment grant from the Indiana Department of Education, which the district would use to purchase Acadience, DNA, iReady and the College Board PSAT 9. 55:21
    • Julie Hollingsworth asked what Acadience and DNA are, and a district staff member said Acadience is a reading screener and DNA is used for teacher-created and unit assessments. 56:26
    • The staff member said the grant does not cover all costs and that the remaining amount comes out of the education fund. 57:48
  6. City Utilities sewer easement 59:50
    • Julie Hollingsworth read a recommendation to grant an easement to City Utilities for a sewer project, for which City Utilities offered $1,700 for approximately 0.195 acres at the north end of the property. 59:55
    • A district staff member said the easement is for a new forced sewer main. 1:01:20
  7. Budget report 1:01:34
    • The chief financial officer said the education fund is about $271.5 million this year and the operation fund came in at $88,738,143. 1:05:40
    • Steve Corona asked about the district's financial health, and the chief financial officer said the district sits in very good shape with high cash balances it plans to spend down through one-time staff stipends. 1:15:49
    • Julie Hollingsworth asked what increase the state should make to the tuition grant, and the chief financial officer said a true 3%, 4%; Maria Norman said Indiana ranks 45th out of 50 states in funding for education. 1:19:29
  8. Board member comments 1:23:04
    • Steve Corona said a webinar on A to F accountability with an official from the Department of Education was planned and that 155 people had signed on. 1:23:09
    • Julie Hollingsworth congratulated the Wayne High School Air Force Junior ROTC on earning a Distinguished Unit Award and said the State Board of Education accredited a private school that meets 3 days a week. 1:26:32
    • One board member said representation matters in classrooms and buildings. 1:29:49
  9. New staff introductions 1:32:35
    • The superintendent introduced a new general counsel and a new director of marketing. 1:32:40
  10. Closing comments and adjournment 1:34:59
    • Noah Smith congratulated the 26⁠-⁠27 Athletic Hall of Fame Award inductees at Southside and called for a motion to adjourn. 1:37:01

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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Video: posted by the district as “FWCS School Board of Trustees live September 14, 2026”