With the exception of lunch fees, all of the fees for the coming 2025-26 school year will remain the same in the Beecher 200-U District.
The school board voted on June 11 to keep the fees the same but those students who choose to pay for lunch at the elementary school and junior high levels will pay $3.25 per meal, up from $3.10. High school lunches will be $3.50.
The school receives government reimbursement for lunches provided by the school but doesn’t cover the entire cost. Thus, even with the uptick in the fees, the school is losing roughly 20-40 cents per meal.
“You are not in it to make money,” Supt. Jack Gaham told the board. “We will have to allocate the funds.”
Graduation breakdown
High school principal Mike Meyer crunched some numbers, and a majority of the graduating class of 2025 will be going to either a two-year or four-year college next year.
He said 40 will go to a four-year college, and 12 will head to two-year schools.
Eleven have apprenticeships, nine will go into the workforce, six will take a gap year, four will head to the military, three will go to a trade school, and one has an internship.
Comings and goings
The board approved the retirements of K-5 aide Melinda Nykaza, junior high English teacher Patricia Polger, and sixth-12th grade computer teacher Terri Waterman.
It also approved the employment of Stephanie Duran Martinez as a full time Spanish teacher, Kristen Hodges as a fulltime K-8 art teacher, Joshua Groessner as full time high school teacher’s aide, and Dawn Compton as the high school boys soccer coach.
Final enrollments
As of June 4, the enrollment for the high school was 256 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
The junior high had 244 from sixth-through-eighth grades.
The elementary school had 460 from first-through-fifth grades, plus early childhood and kindergarten programs.