Blackford County School Board Approves Two New IT Positions in 5-0 Vote

From the Blackford County Schools Board meeting on April 21, 2026

The Blackford County Schools board voted 5-0 to approve job descriptions for two in-house technology positions, advancing the district's plan to end its Five Star Technology on-site tech contract and bring IT support under district control.

The first position, District Technician, carries a pay range of $22 to $28 per hour. Superintendent indicated "significant consideration" of hiring the current Five Star-employed technician as a district employee. Five Star will release the technician from a non-compete clause in exchange for the district extending its engineering services contract.

The second position formalizes Chris Painter's expanded role as Director of Technology, moving him from a 205-day contract to a year-round 260-day contract. The additional days add roughly $17,000 to his salary at a daily rate of $323.69. The District Technician position will report directly to Painter.

The board will review a restructured Five Star contract — reduced to engineering services only — next month. Total projected savings from the restructuring remain above $70,000 per year.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County - School Board Meeting - April 21, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.