By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
FARMINGTON – With construction projects looming after this school year, the Farmington School Board is already preparing for a later start to 2026-27 classes.
Farmington Superintendent Zac Chatterton said at Monday’s board meeting that he wanted to start discussion about the calendar early to get word out to staff and parents.
Chatterton said the start of classes in 2026 will be pushed back to allow as much time as possible for crews to complete construction on several planned renovations. Tentative options are an Aug. 24 start for students and an Aug. 26 start. The latter would mean teachers would have to work after Memorial Day.
Chatterton stressed that finals will not be done before winter break. He said the next step is to start discuss the calendar with teachers and staff.
After a budget hearing that elicited no comment, the board opened its regular meeting and approved a Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The budget shows expenses of $16,034,687 and revenues of $13,918,290 for a deficit of $2,116,397. The district is projected to have a fund balance of $13,078,083 as of June 30, 2026.
Two people spoke in public comment about the district possibly building a new softball diamond near the baseball diamonds to allow for the installation of lights and to improve access.
Volunteer coach David Howard said the softball program does not need lights and wants to keep two diamonds where they are currently located southeast of the stadium.
Assistant Softball Coach Ashley Howard reiterated those points and said if money must be spent to ensure Title IX equity, the program would prefer a turf field on one diamond, bullpens or an outdoor hitting area.
Chatterton said while there has been discussion about moving the diamond, “no doubt you’ve given us a lot to think about.”
Also during public comment, Gary Isbell of Trivoli encouraged the board to involve students in an expansion of the district’s use of YouTube to broadcast games and events.
In personnel matters, the board approved hiring Adrianna Kemp (bus monitor), Michael Suau (junior-high summer band stipend), Addison Pickens (JH assistant cross country coach), Brandon Chavez-Jimenez and Thomas DuBre-Schloz (co-Key Club sponsors), Jessica Kipler (JH yearbook sponsor) and Lainey Banta (elementary yearbook sponsor). Louisa Threw was reassigned from full- to part-time elementary student facilitator, elementary teacher Kristin Lock was given FMLA leave of absence and resignations were accepted from Dylan Hayden (JH baseball), Isaac Asplund (HS math team) and Rebecca Thomas (bus driver).
The board also approved students to attend the FFA convention in Indianapolis and a manufacturing-class field trip to McCormick Place in Chicago for a convention.
The board honored several students of the month. They were freshman Henry Deppermann, sophomore Reese Oldfield, junior Kate Anderson, senior Chloe Haggard, 6th graders Jackson Meister and Kassidy Eek, 7th graders Skylee Jones and Jayden Jones and 8th graders Natalie Lynn and Garrett Crow.
