Board approves retirements, resignations, donations, policy updates and selects Varigy for solar contract review

MSD Bluffton-Harrison’s board approved a slate of routine and policy items at its June meeting, including personnel actions, donations, policy updates on second reading, and vendor selection for a potential solar energy contract.

Personnel actions: The board accepted the retirement notice of Tanya Huffman, effective Sept. 18, 2026, after 27 years of service primarily as a middle-school custodian. The board also approved resignation notices for Tanya Ish (high-school academic at-risk teacher), Brianna Miller (special-education bus aide), Caitlyn Snyder (elementary mild-intervention instructional assistant), and two middle-school mild-intervention assistants, Britney Daniels and Rachel Kinsey. The board approved a broader employment recommendations list that included moving Stephanie White into an updated role as noted on the agenda.

Donations and community support: The board accepted several donations: an anonymous contribution for a drone for the football program (terms not specified), a $3,963.51 donation from Jeff Limler described in the packet as for the elementary "underwater preschool" room, and a $45,500 donation from Park Community Church to help unpaid lunch accounts. Board members publicly thanked the donors.

Policy and contracts: On second reading the board approved a set of policy updates (A200, A275, A300, A301, C175, D126, F125, G325, H125, and H150) and adopted two new items (F101 and F101-R) related to budget adoption and implementation guidelines. The board also approved status-quo contracts and agreements for most certified and classified staff for the 2026–27 year, pending an administrator compensation plan noted in the materials.

Area 18 cooperative and solar procurement: The board approved an updated Area 18 career and technical education cooperative bylaw agreement affecting the district’s membership. Following a request for qualifications that produced one response, the board selected Varigy as the qualified vendor for solar energy options and directed staff to finalize the guaranteed energy-savings contract; staff will present the final contract, including buyback/offset details and term, at the July meeting.

Votes and next steps: Most routine motions were recorded as approved by the board with no opposing votes recorded in the meeting transcript; staff will return in July with the final solar contract and any additional contract or implementation details required.

The meeting adjourned after the approvals and announcements.