Watertown School Board Meeting | 5:30 PM | 10/13/26

At the October 13, 2026, Watertown School District 14-4 board meeting, members approved contract recommendations and addendums, including adjunct instructors, overloads, lab aides, corporate education, temporary workers, and personnel contracts. The board authorized bidding for an estimated $90,000 in avionics parts and installation for the professional pilot program, funded through its contracted-services budget. It also approved equipment leases from Dakota Iron Equipment and Butler for the heavy equipment program, surplus sales of district vehicles and an old food truck through Purple Wave, and authority to bid for a Suburban, with direct purchase permitted if no bids are received, up to $85,000. The board approved a three-year Arrow TV sponsorship extension with DFS Insurance and Dakota Land Federal Credit Union at $20,000 per school year, totaling $60,000 in revenue. Bills and the district’s FY2026 annual financial report were also approved; the report cited $2.1 million in capital-outlay fund spending, primarily for the Allen Mitchell Athletic Complex and elementary school air-conditioning projects.

Financial reports noted a temporary $1.5 million transfer from the general fund to capital outlay for project cash flow, to be repaid after November property-tax distributions. The food-service presentation covered meal-program operations, federal reimbursement, supply and food-cost challenges, and a proposed USDA rule that could change nutrition requirements and affect food purchasing costs; no rule decision was reported. The board also conducted first readings of policies, including proposed updates concerning electronic searches, and discussed—but took no action on—a suggestion to provide student magazines. No other procurement decisions were identified.