Regular Board Meeting 11/02/26

The South Bend Community School Corporation Board of Trustees’ regular meeting on November 2, 2026, included several spending and operations matters. The board approved a bus replacement plan by a 7–0 vote; discussion described replacing aging buses, with approximately six to eight purchases planned annually and about 15 older buses targeted for retirement next year. It also approved Resolution 2026-48 for a special purchase of the Samsara bus fleet-management and camera system. The cloud-based system will store footage remotely and provide five years of licensing and camera service at a locked price; the current vendor’s quote was reportedly about $1,000 different, but no total contract amount was stated. The board also considered a $1,240 transfer between SNAP program cost centers. A Boys & Girls Clubs partnership proposal for in-school mentoring was presented, but the transcript does not capture a related vote.

The administration discussed fiscal stewardship ahead of the 2028 expiration of the district’s referendum funding, estimating a potential $40 million shortfall and describing planned cost reductions, including about $5 million in savings from central-office position reductions. A preliminary referendum estimate of a 0.334 tax rate—about $6 per month for a home valued at $300,000—was shared. Following public comment and discussion about the use of Clay High School, the board voted unanimously, 7–0, to authorize legal counsel to appeal the court’s decision and take related legal action. No specific appeal budget was stated.