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Jerome School District #261

Board of Trustees Agenda

August 25, 2026

4:30 p.m. Regular Session

Administrative Complex Board Room


Board of Trustees: Zone 1 Liz Bingham, Zone 2 Peter Gibbons, Zone 3 Jeff Schroeder,

Zone 4 Annette Lott, Zone 5 Staci Leavitt

Superintendent Brent Johnson, Assistant Superintendent Ryan Evans, Board Clerk Jodi Stewart


“The Jerome School Board of Education is committed to supporting students’ need to graduate from high school equipped with the character, skills and knowledge to successfully enter work or postsecondary training. “


The Jerome School District School Board Meetings will be conducted in person and 

available by audio as a courtesy to Jerome School District staff and patrons.

(The meetings will not be recorded.)


The board meeting will be available by audio to the public through the following link:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/frr-spzc-ahp


Or dial: (US) +1 470-705-3645‬ PIN: 911 806 151‬# ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬


All public comments or questions will be accepted in written form and can be sent to the District Clerk

 via email to jodi.stewart@jeromeschools.org


  1. Call to Order 4:30 p.m.

    1. Pledge of Allegiance - Staci Leavitt

    2. Waive reading of the minutes of the previous board meeting as submitted to each board member.

    3. Approval of Agenda (Action)


Individuals who wish to address the Board of Trustees regarding any action items must sign in prior to the start of the regular board meeting at 4:30 p.m. and placed before each action item on the agenda.


  1. Jerome School District Presentations:

    1. Eric Heringer - Long-term bond defeasance, levy, and plant planning for the Jerome School District

    2. Mike Arrington - Completion of Summit, Horizon and  Middle school HVAC Project


  1. Consent Agenda (Action)

    1. Approval of Previous Minutes

      1. July 14, 2026

    2. Financials

      1. Financial Report

        1. June 2026

        2. July 2026

    3. Personnel Changes 2026-27 SY


  1. Scheduled Visitors (Information)

    1. There are no scheduled visitors for the August meeting.


  2. Correspondence from the Board (Information)

    1. Trustee Committee Assignments for the 2026-27 School Year

      1. Teacher Leadership Team

      2. Wellness Committee 

      3. Facilities Committee

      4. Policy Review Committee

      5. Legislative Update

      6. Foundation Committee 

      7. Safety Committee

      8. Curriculum Committee


  1. Reports to the Board (Information)

    1. Chartwells

      1. New Director Wendy Walker

    2. Terrance Handyside - SSC

    3. Tim Hicks - Transportation Department

    4. Kim Lickley - Federal Program Department

    5. Theo Whitfield - Technology Department

    6. Gina Cakebread - HR Department

    7. Toni Harbaugh - Special Services Department

    8. Ryan Evans  - Curriculum Department

    9. Brent Johnson - Superintendent

      1. Shared Goals/Building Admin Board Reports


  1. Board Business 

    1. New Business

      1. Policy (Information)

        1. 2150 Copyright

        2. 3295 Hazing, Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, Cyber Bullying

        3. 3295P Hazing, Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, Cyber Bullying

        4. 3330 Student Discipline

        5. 3331 Gun Free School

        6. 7400 Miscellaneous Procurement Standards

        7. 7455 Federal Debarment and Suspension

        8. 8103 Vehicles Other than School Buses Used to Transport Students

      2. Policy  Action)

        1. 7400P4 Miscellaneous Procurement Standards - General Procurement Standards for Federal Awards (Action)

      3. Payment of the $575 appraisal fee to Ryan Higley for completing an appraisal of the Horizon Elementary School property. (Information)

      4. Approval to authorize payment of $5,550 for the Record of Survey and Land Division of the Horizon Elementary School property. (Action)

      5. Approval is requested to authorize EHM Engineers, Inc. to design the Highway 25 access and traffic control plan needed to complete the permit process. (Action)

      6. Approval to proceed with the initial steps required below for the bond defeasance process as presented. (Action)

        Approve Authorizing Resolution and Form of Escrow Agreement.

        Finalize amount and maturity of bonds to be defeased.

        Transfer money from bond fund to defeasance escrow trustee.

        Direct escrow trustee to purchase escrow securities (US Treasury Securities)

        to fund the defeasance escrow.

        Independent CPA firm will verify escrow cash flows.

        Send Material Event Notice (notice of defeasance) to MSRB’s Electronic

        Municipal Market Access website.

      7. Approval to proceed with the replacement of the broken boilers at Jerome High School  (Action)

      8. Approval of the 2026-27 School Year Special Education Manual (Summary of Changes) Action

      9. Consideration of Horizon Elementary School Counseling Internship for 2026-27 School Year (Action)

      10. Approve the establishment of the new Jerome High School club, RIFF Lab (Action)


  1. Trustees Agenda and Meeting Planning (Information)

    1. Meeting and Calendar Schedules (Information)

      1. September Special Meeting Planning


  2. Audience of Citizens (Information)


  3. Adjourn (Action)


WELCOME TO A JEROME SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING


We take pride in our school system, and we as a board, are dedicated to the ongoing advancement of Jerome Schools. 

We are committed to fostering open lines of communication and resolving issues efficiently, 

to improve our school system for the benefit of our students and community.

 

We recognize that patrons of the school district may have concerns from time to time and may feel the need to bring those concerns to the attention of the school or teachers. There are steps in place for addressing concerns, starting from the closest point to the issue and escalating as needed.  


To best resolve these concerns, we recommend to our patrons to follow the steps below:

  1. The initial and most effective step is to address the concern with the staff member who is closest to the problem. In many cases, this will be the teacher, coach, or relevant personnel. Experience has shown that most issues are resolved at this level. 

  2. If the concern persists after addressing it with the staff member, we recommend bringing it to the attention of the principal. Many unresolved concerns from the previous step are typically satisfactorily addressed by the building administrator.

  3. If the concern remains unresolved after involving the principal, we advise taking it to the Assistant Superintendent and/or the Superintendent. Some of the more challenging concerns can usually find resolution at this level of administration.

  4. However, if the patron still feels that the concern has not been adequately addressed, they may exercise the right of appeal to the Board of Trustees. It is important to note that our board meetings, while open to the public, are not public forums, and therefore adhere to necessary rules and guidelines for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.

 

The following guidelines will assist you as you present your information to the board.

  1. Preparation: It's important to prepare thoughts ahead of time and it is recommended to provide a brief written outline to each board member to assist them in following the presentation and making notes.

  2. Spokesperson: If a group is involved, selecting one individual as a spokesperson to guide the presentation helps maintain clarity and organization.

  3. Presenters are encouraged to prepare their remarks to be as concise as possible. Each speaker is allotted a maximum of three (3) minutes to address the Board and must sign in prior to the start of the regular Board meeting at 4:30 p.m.

Public comment will be accepted prior to each action item on the agenda. For topics not listed on the agenda, individuals may sign up to speak under the "Audience of Citizens" section. The three-minute time limit also applies to these comments.

Individuals who require more time may request to be placed on the agenda for a five (5) minute presentation by contacting the Board Clerk at least one week in advance of the meeting.

If a speaker is unable to complete their presentation within the allotted time, it is recommended that they submit written comments or testimony to the Board prior to the meeting.


  1. Direct Comments: It's important to direct comments to the board as a whole and not to any individual personally or audience.

  2. Respectful Communication: Comments about individual staff, personnel, or students are not allowed during open meetings but may be discussed in executive sessions.


Following this process ensures transparency and accountability within the school district’s governance structure.  In most cases, the board will direct the administration in addressing concerns raised during the meeting. Please remember that some issues may take time to resolve depending on the complexity of the situation. Thank you for your patience and understanding.


Working together, we can cultivate a united culture within our community where we operate as

one town, one team, and one family. Thank you for attending,


Your Board of Trustees, Jerome Jt. School District #261


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