Vaughn said the district currently has a memorandum of understanding with the Northeastern Center for two free counseling sessions with a master’s-level therapist for students and staff. The new opportunity provides a mental health navigator, whose primary role is to help families, guardians and school staff navigate the mental health system by removing barriers that prevent students and/or families from accessing necessary services, Vaughn said.

The Northeastern Center will offer services two days per week at the middle school and provide telephone support on all other school days.

Currently, the Northeastern Center provides the service to the school district at no cost, but the district plans to support the center by seeking grant opportunities to help with future funding, Vaughn said.

The district has also agreed to an agreement with the Bowen Center. Upon annual request, the Bowen Center will continue its school assistance program by offering three prepaid sessions to each eligible student referred for service.

The centre will also provide staff to provide skills training in schools.

• The board approved an updated Memorandum of Understanding between the school district and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office and the Auburn Police Department. It enables the district’s School Resource Officer program with three full-time SROs.

The expansion to three SROs in the 2023-24 school year significantly increased the amount of time an officer spent in the schools covering all students and staff, district safety director Austin Harrison said in a memo to the board. The total cost from Sept. 1, 2024, to Aug. 31, 2025, is: $136,944 for the sheriff’s office; up to $76,000 for the police department. The majority of the cost is for officer salaries.

The district has applied for a Secured Schools Grant from the Indiana Department of Homeland Security for a maximum of $200,000 to cover the costs. It is a 50% grant, so the district will use money from the operating account to fund the $100,000 grant portion. The sheriff’s office and police department are responsible for the benefits of their respective officers.

• No member of the public spoke during a public hearing on collective bargaining issues related to teacher compensation and collective bargaining in the district.

• The board accepted a $3,839 grant to National Archery in Schools for equipment and training provided by NASP at the high school. The grant will allow students to learn archery in physical education classes. The grant is for five years and the high school must offer archery instruction 10 days per year.

• The board has authorized Finance and Operations Director Mark Rohm to announce the 2025 budget. A public hearing on the budget will be held at the Sept. 12 work session, but no vote will be taken. The district’s capital plan and bus replacement plan will be posted on the district’s website on Sept. 13. The board will vote to adopt the budget, capital plan and bus replacement plan on Oct. 29.

• The board approved a request for the high school’s Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) class to travel to the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, Ohio, on Saturday, Nov. 2. The university is hosting a college tour day that focuses on career and technical education programs that students can consider after high school. Part of the JAG program involves students exploring career and job opportunities that will help them consider a path after high school, the board learned.

• Board Chairman Greg Lantz reported that the district has received a total of $41,662 in donations since the last board meeting on July 16.

• In personnel matters, the Board accepted the resignations of Belinda Ellis, Dining Hall Aide; Heather Hutchinson, Waterloo Aide; Kelsey Koeneman, High School Language Coach; Megan Burgess, Waterloo Aide; Nathan Baker, High School Language Coach; and Ashley Johnson, High School Language Coach.

The board approved the appointments of: Ron Smith, head coach of the high school softball team; Tia Davis, bus driver; Jesse Hanna, long-term substitute high school coach; Julia Black, part-time Country Meadow janitor; Aaron Brandon, assistant eighth-grade football coach; Josh Schache, head coach of the eighth-grade football team; James Holbrook, sixth-grade boys basketball coach; and Carol Payne, prospective bus driver.