Key Takeaways: The school board approved the 2027 budget. The district continues to provide information about the upcoming referendum, which is important for maintaining school funding and programs. Community members are encouraged to learn more about the referendum and make an informed decision by watching this short video and visiting wlvote26.com. The board also voted to appoint Ted Fondak to the West Lafayette Public Library Board following a contentious discussion about a $10,000 donation to support a slate of candidates in prior school board elections.
Agenda with links to board documents
Topic Timestamps: YouTube Recording
- 4:15 Update from WLIS
- 18:05 Public Comment on Technology in Classrooms and Its Impact on Students
- 21:05 Consent Agenda
- 22:46 Budget Adoption
- 26:08 Litigation Resolution
- 27:22 Special Education/Alternative School MOU
- 30:10 ProCare Therapy Services Agreement
- 31:28 Teacher Camp
- 32:15 West Lafayette Library Board Assignment
- 39:43 First Reading of Policies F101 Budget Adoption and Implementation, F125 Purchasing Procedures and Capital Assets, G325 Free and Reduced-Price Meal, H125 Corporation – Support Organizations, H150 Public Records
- 40:56 Approved Policies A200 Firearms, Weapons and Destructive Devices; A275 Wellness; A300 Responsible Use of Technology and Internet Use; C525 Medical Needs at School
- 42:57 Tabled Policy C175 Attendance, Academic Engagement and Truancy Prevention
- 48:03 Superintendent Update
- 50:43 CFO Report
- 52:26 Board Reports
The following is my summary of the public school board meeting, not the official meeting minutes. My personal thoughts and opinions are given in italics and represent my own views which do not necessarily reflect those of any other member of the school board. I identify myself as Mumford in the summary but use first person when describing my personal thoughts and opinions.
Wang participated in the meeting electronically.
4:15 The regular meeting began with West Lafayette Intermediate School (WLIS) Principal Margaret Psarros presenting WLIS data and goals.
18:05 Communication from the Audience (those who had signed up before the meeting began)
- Howell Li, parent of a 2nd grader at WLES, raised three questions about technology use in the school district. He explained that he is part of a local parent group interested in discussing the role of technology in classrooms and its impact on children. His first question focused on student privacy and data collection through school-issued Google accounts. He asked about the long-term implications of students using the same accounts from kindergarten through graduation, particularly how their data may be collected, tracked, and retained by Google and other educational technology companies. His second question addressed keyboarding skills, asking how the district balances teaching students to type accurately and efficiently with using computers to complete academic assignments. His final question concerned artificial intelligence and whether the district is considering age or grade-level restrictions on student AI use, similar to measures being explored in other school districts.
21:50 Consent Agenda:
- Approval of the Agenda for the October 1, 2026 Regular Board Meeting
- Approval of the Minutes of the September 14, 2026 Executive Session
- Approval of the Minutes of the September 14, 2026 Regular Board Meeting
- Personnel Report
- Accounts Payable
Voted 7 out of 7
Voted 6 out of 6 (Indiana code does not allow virtual participants to vote on the budget)
26:08 Litigation Resolution: Greiner presented a resolution authorizing the district to continue working with Church, Church, Hittle and Antrim on the legal dispute involving Kettelhut Construction. The resolution allows district administrators and legal counsel to manage the litigation and related expenses on behalf of the district. The board will retain oversight, including reviewing and approving any settlement agreement.
Voted 7 out of 7
27:22 Special Education/Alternative School MOU: Greiner explained that following the dissolution of Greater Lafayette Area Special Services (GLASS), the district needed to arrange for special education services previously provided through the cooperative. Lafayette School Corporation has agreed to provide several services on an as-needed basis, and the district will continue using its special education preschool and alternative school programs. The memorandums of understanding (MOUs) outline the services and billing procedures.
Voted 7 out of 7
30:10 ProCare Therapy Services Agreement: Cronk explained that following the dissolution of GLASS, the district must either hire staff or contract for certain special education services. The district was unable to secure occupational therapy (OT) services through Lafayette School Corporation or hire an occupational therapist after the school year began. Cronk recommended contracting with ProCare Therapy to provide OT services for the remainder of the school year. Lyle asked whether the district plans to continue contracting for occupational therapy services next school year or pursue other arrangements. Cronk explained that the district plans to post an occupational therapist position in the spring and expressed confidence that advertising the position early will allow the district to hire someone for the next school year.
Voted 7 out of 7
31:28 Teacher Camp: Roth presented a proposal for a fall break enrichment camp hosted by WLES teacher Warner for second and third grade students. All fees collected will benefit Warner’s math club account.
32:15 West Lafayette Library Board Assignment: Mumford motioned to appoint Ted Fondak and praised his interview, noting his enthusiasm, willingness to work hard, and valuable perspective as a parent of students in the district. Mumford highlighted his interest in strengthening connections between the school board, schools, and public library and said his interview demonstrated both an understanding of the role and a strong commitment to serving the school district and community (2026 September 2:06:56). Lyle motioned to appoint Martha Altschaeffl. Purpura pointed out that the rules do not allow a second motion to be introduced while the first motion is being discussed unless it is an amendment to that first motion. Austin acknowledged Purpura’s point and returned to the original motion to appoint Fondak, asking if there was any further discussion.
Lyle expressed strong frustration with concerns raised by Mumford about the library board appointment process (two months earlier in the August Public Work Session (0:18)) stating, “This is actually the angriest I’ve been in a long time.” He explained that he supported Altschaeffl’s reappointment because multiple community members had sent the board letters of support and the library director had requested her continued service.
Lyle said he had never met Altschaeffl before the current appointment process and then claimed that Mumford, “has accused me of essentially trading this library board seat in exchange for a political donation. . . and that I benefited from a $10,000 donation by Mrs. Altschaeffl to a political action committee. At best, this accusation is a mistake. At worst, it is a complete lie. The donation Mrs. Altschaeffl made occurred in 2020. This date is important because it shows that the donation was made before I had made any run for this office. I did not run for this office for the first time until 2022.”
Lyle was referring to a comment in my summary of the September school board meeting (2:24:04): “Austin and Lyle may decide to abstain from voting on the library appointment in October because of the appearance of a conflict of interest. One of the applicants donated a significant amount ($10,000) to their political campaigns through the RDP-PAC.”
As reported in the RDP-PAC financial disclosure, Altschaeffl donated $10,000 to the PAC in 2020. Some of that money was used to support a slate of school board candidates (Austin, Schott, Marley, and Masson) in the 2020 election. The remaining funds were carried forward and in 2022 the RDP-PAC transferred over $12,000 to the Citizens for Quality School Leadership PAC chaired by Jim Garland. Financial disclosures show that this money was used to support a slate of school board candidates (Lyle, Witt, and Springer) in the 2022 election.
Lyle is correct that the donation was made in 2020, but if you follow the money, a large amount was later used to support his 2022 campaign. The applicant who made the donation was reappointed to a second term on the library board in 2022 and was now seeking a third term.
I did not accuse Lyle of exchanging this appointment for a political donation. My comment was about the appearance of a conflict of interest in light of a $10,000 donation that supported his 2022 election campaign. It seems obvious that board members should abstain from voting if the appointment decision involves someone who made a large contribution. Pointing out potential conflicts of interest is important if we want the school board to be more accountable to the community.
I also believe that it should not cost tens of thousands of dollars to run for the school board in a small community like ours. Large political donations raise legitimate questions about whether a donor expects political favors or preferential treatment in return. My view is that school board campaigns should be funded through small contributions rather than large donations from a few individuals. I do not accept any political campaign contributions over $40.
Lyle then launched into a tirade of personal insults against Mumford on a variety of topics. Mumford raised a point of order, asking that the discussion remain focused on the library board appointment rather than allowing personal criticism of a fellow board member. Austin responded, “Thank you for your opinion,” and then told Lyle to continue. When Lyle finished his personal attacks, Prochnau turned to Lyle and told him that what he said in this meeting was inappropriate.
Lyle criticizing me is nothing new. He is certainly not the only person who has expressed frustration with me writing a summary of each public school board meeting and with my efforts to make public documents more accessible to the community. Former board members, past school administrators, a handful of teacher union leaders, and others connected with the RDP-PAC worked to establish and have tried to maintain a school district culture that limits community involvement and prevents access to school information. They have continued to resist efforts to shift toward greater transparency and meaningful public engagement. I believe an informed community is essential to good governance of our schools.
Responding to Lyle’s earlier point about the board receiving letters of support for one candidate, Mumford said that the appointment process that the board decided on did not include a request for letters of support. She said that if the board wants to consider letters of support, we should have asked all candidates to provide them as part of the appointment process.
Voted 3 out of 4 to appoint Ted Fondak to the Library Board
3 voted in favor (Wang, Mumford, and Purpura), 1 opposed (Austin), and 3 abstained (Yin, Prochnau, and Lyle). With Fondak appointed, the board did not return to Lyle’s motion to appoint Martha Altschaeffl to the Library Board.
The issues surrounding this appointment are among the reasons I personally will not vote for any school board candidate running as part of a slate. Funneling large donations through a PAC to support a slate of candidates creates the appearance that those elected may owe favors to certain individuals or groups rather than be accountable to the broader community. Those seeking to maintain control of the school board and limit community involvement have used a variety of strategies to elect their preferred candidates, adjusting their tactics as the community becomes more informed about their efforts. I believe school board members should be elected based on their individual qualifications, priorities, and willingness to represent the entire community, not their affiliation with a group seeking to maintain influence over the board. In this election, voters may vote for up to three candidates, but fewer than three are running independently. For that reason, I will cast fewer than three votes.
39:43 First Reading of Policies F101 Budget Adoption and Implementation, F125 Purchasing Procedures and Capital Assets, G325 Free and Reduced-Price Meal, H125 Corporation – Support Organizations, H150 Public Records for legislative updates.
40:56 Approval of Policies A200 Firearms, Weapons and Destructive Devices; A275 Wellness; A300 Responsible Use of Technology and Internet Use; C525 Medical Needs at School
Voted 7 out of 7
42:57 Policy C175 Attendance, Academic Engagement and Truancy Prevention: Mumford expressed appreciation for the proposed policy revision removing the requirement that students be in good academic standing to participate in non-classroom activities. However, she commented that the change significantly affects student eligibility and that the proposed revision had only been shared a few days before the meeting. To allow more time for review and maintain consistency in the policy approval process, Mumford motioned to postpone the vote until November.
The original policy language came from a template developed by legal counsel that is also being shared with other school districts. I hope other school boards carefully review this template rather than simply approving it as presented. Restricting participation in educationally related non-classroom activities based on academic standing is not required by state law, and such a restriction does a disservice to students, particularly those who may be struggling academically and could benefit most from opportunities outside the classroom. I was pleased that the revised version followed my recommendation to remove this restriction and ensure these opportunities remain available to all students.
Voted 7 out of 7 to postpone the vote until November
48:03 Superintendent Report: Greiner reported that the district’s enrollment on October 1, the official fall count day, was 2,320 students, consistent with last year’s enrollment of approximately 2,330 students. He noted that kindergarten enrollment was lower this year at 128 students, making the overall stability in enrollment particularly encouraging. Greiner emphasized the importance of maintaining enrollment because state funding follows students, and declining enrollment results in reduced revenue. He credited the board’s work over the past year to carefully balance student transfers while considering community input. He also noted that enrollment has increased since the beginning of the school year. The district will continue reviewing enrollment data over the next few weeks to resolve any discrepancies, although none have been identified.
Greiner also provided an update on community outreach regarding the upcoming referendum. They have been presenting factual information about the referendum to community groups, including a recent presentation to the Optimist Club, a virtual town hall in September, and two additional town halls in October, providing opportunities for community members to learn about the referendum and ask questions. They also will present at Westminster Retirement Village on October 7 as part of their annual State of the Schools presentation, including information about why the district is seeking renewal of the referendum. A short video is available explaining the importance of the referendum and its impact on our schools. The district’s goal is to provide clear, factual information to help eligible voters understand the referendum and make an informed decision. Additional information and updates are available at wlvote26.com.
Mumford asked Greiner for an update on the district’s response to a student who spoke at the previous board meeting about offering CPR education to younger students (2026 September 17:57). Greiner explained that he contacted the student to express appreciation for the suggestion and brought the topic to the next administrative meeting. Administrators discussed age recommendations for CPR instruction, noting that it is not recommended for very young children. Psarros expressed interest in offering CPR education as an afterschool opportunity at the intermediate school in partnership with the student. Greiner said they are exploring the possibility of finding an adult sponsor and may have someone interested. He emphasized that the student’s suggestion was taken seriously and that planning is ongoing.
50:34 CFO Report
52:26 Board Reports
55:37 The meeting was adjourned
Upcoming Public Meetings in the Central Office Board Room, located at 3061 Benton Street:
- Regular Board Meeting: November 9, 2026 at 6pm
This document is my summary of the public school board meeting, not the official meeting minutes. My personal thoughts and opinions are given in italics and represent my own views which do not necessarily reflect those of any other member of the school board. I identify myself as Mumford in the summary but use first person when describing my personal thoughts and opinions. Previous agendas, minutes, and audio recordings can be found at the WLCSC website.
