2025.03.24 Public Hearings, Regular, and Closed Session

PUBLIC HEARINGS, REGULAR, AND CLOSED SESSION

OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE

SOUTH TAMA COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Board of Directors of the Community School District of South Tama County met on March 24, 2025 for a Public Hearing on the 2025-2026 Certified Budget at the Partnership Center, Tama, Iowa at 5:00 p.m. with some members of the community attending electronically through Google Hangouts.

On call of the roll the following were present: Elizabeth Dolezal, Rick Hopper, Beth Wiese, and Megan Thiessen. Absent: Joe Hanus Quorum Present. Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Mary Mixdorf, Sam Peska, Dixie Forcht, Katie Hulin, Brad Schweppe, Vern Jefferson, Jon Huebner, Chelsea Ahrens, members of the community in person and through Google Hangouts.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to approve the agenda. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Public Hearing - 2025-2026 Certified Budget

President Dolezal opened the Public Hearing for the 2025-2026 Certified Budget at 5: 02 p.m. The published tax rate of $14.86201. President Dolezal asked for public comments. Leonard Husak, Tom Upah, and a few others questioned the increased tax rate and also voiced their concerns in regards to the statement sent out. President Dolezal read a letter from Pete and Mary Lyon explaining their opposition to the proposed tax rate. President Dolezal asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to close the Public Hearing at 5:21 p.m. All Ayes. The motion carried.

The Regular Session was called to order at 5:21 p.m.

The Board and guests stated the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the District’s mission statement.

Public Comment - Heather Wanatee presented a “Thank You” sign to the Board from the Kindergarten class, thanking the Board for their continued support.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Hopper to approve the agenda with the addition of action item 13. Approval of Garling Change Order Request #127. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to approve the following consent agenda items: minutes of the March 10, 2025 regular session; bills for payment as presented and financials; Cooperative Sharing Agreement with Meskwaki Settlement School for sharing high school baseball, boys and girl’s tennis, and boys and girls golf and junior high baseball and softball for the 2024-2025 seasons, and early graduation requests for Daisy Hernandez (January 2026). All Ayes. The motion carried.

The Board celebrated the state girls wrestling participants: Jayva Gomez (105 lbs.), Brooklyn Mitchell (130 lbs.), Abigail Chyma (155 lbs.), Autumn Elsbury (170 lbs.), and Kinley Jimenez (235 lbs.). At the 2025 state tournament, Elsbury finished as state champion, Abigail Chyma finished in 7th place, and Kinley Jimenez finished in 7th place as well.

The Board also celebrated the members of STC’s Large Group Speech Team honored at the IHSSA Large Group Speech All-State Festival: Alex Babinat, Ryden Forcht, Jerome Kapayou, Jesse Ordaz, and Ryder Shefchik Hill.

Brad Schweppe and Jon Huebner presented on different elementary school items such as enrollment, attendance, discipline, safety, school improvement, the elementary ESSA team, and Reading Assistant.

Superintendent Cain gave the Board a middle school construction update. The Middle School playground is installed.

Superintendent Cain briefly spoke about the properties that were listed for sale. Mr. Cain shared that the District will be moving on from SafeTrack and have two similar vendors scheduled for a presentation in the next week or so. The hope is to have this up and running by next year. Mr. Cain is planning on having Board work sessions in the near future for the Strategic Plan.

Superintendent Cain reviewed student hours with the Board.

Vern Jefferson (School Resource Officer), Janelle Pirkl (Director of Curriculum), Steve McAdoo (Director of Maintenance), Katie Hulin (Other Business Official), and John Cain (Superintendent) shared feedback on their operational sharing positions with North Tama and Grinnell-Newburg Schools.

The Board completed a Board Development exercise as a group.

Mr. Cain presented a Summer School Coordinator position to the Board. This position would be paid a stipend out of Title I funding. This position would perform professional and administrative work assisting the building principal with the administration of the K-7th grade summer school program at the elementary and middle schools by providing educational leadership for students and staff consistent with District goals.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to approve the following personnel requests. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Hires: Deo Agustin - High School Math Teacher, Jill Kienzle - Career Connected Learning Facilitator, Ryan Cassady - 8th Grade Boys Track & Field Coach, Eric Haughey - Assistant 8th Grade Football Coach, David Reisner - Assistant High School Baseball Coach, and David Reisner - Assistant 7th Grade Football Coach

Resignations: Jeff Niedermann - 8th Grade Football Coach, Maci Fritz - 7th/8th Grade Assistant Basketball Coach, Travis McBride - 8th Grade Boys Track and Field Coach, Amber Porter - Partnership Center Interventionist, Carley Bolhuis - Partnership Center Teacher, and Jennifer Anderson - Kindergarten Teacher

Transfers: Taylor Ray from 1st Grade Teacher to Kindergarten Teacher

Officials: High School Soccer - Dustin Hughson, Sawyer Loger, Chad Van Cleve, Marke Hebdon, Kurt Slouha, Brian Hall, Tyler Strickler, Kyle Clark, Brian Jones, Dan Cawley, Elma Bajrektarevic, Theron Hitchman, Kristina Niki, Ron Landphair, Bryan Foster, Alex Martinez, Santos Martinez, Juan Gonzalez and Track & Field - David Lee

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the ISG Professional Services Proposal, in the amount of $40,340.00, for Road Improvements. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the TLC/Tender Lawn Care estimate, in the amount of $19,500.00, for mowing, spraying and fertilizer = 5 applications, spring dethatching, fall aeration (baseball, football, softball, and practice fields) all year pricing. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the JMC invoice, in the amount of $7,672.76, for the high school student information system. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to approve the JMC invoice, in the amount of $7,511.56, for the middle school student information system. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the JMC invoice, in the amount of $9,429.84, for the elementary student information system. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to set a public hearing for the 2024-2025 school calendar for April 14th, 2025, following the Certified Budget Public Hearing at 5:00 p.m. Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to approve the Summer School Coordinator Position. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to authorize the 2nd Public Hearing publication of the 2025-2026 certified budget. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the 2025-2026 insurance renewal, with no increase. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Thiessen to approve no change to benefit bucks and cash in lieu for the 2025-2026 school year. Ayes: Thiessen and Wiese Nays: Hopper The motion carried.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Hopper to approve the veterinary science course proposal at the high school. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper, to approve Garling Construction COR #127, in the amount of $19,378.67, for the addition of two road signs. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to approve the first reading of the following policies with the changes discussed of moving public hearings to at the beginning of the meeting and having the approval of the agenda prior to public comment: 210.08 - Board Meeting Agenda, 210.08 E1 - Board Meeting Agenda - Example, and 210.08 E2 - Board Meeting Agenda - Example with Closed Session. All Ayes. The motion carried.

Mr. Cain reviewed the following upcoming events with the Board: ISASP testing window opens at the end of this week and testing will begin at the high school next week. This will be followed by assessment at the middle school and elementary in early April. District-wide strategic planning begins this week - 3/24/2025, 3/26/2025, and 4/02/2025. Building-level specific planning will be at the middle school - 4/14/2025, elementary - 4/28/2025, and the high school - 5/12/2025.

Each Board member presented a “positive” they have witnessed in the District or their role as a Board member.

The next Board meeting will be on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 5:00 p.m., at the Partnership Center, Tama IA.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Hopper to enter into Closed Session at 7:34 p.m. pursuant to Iowa Code 21.5(1)(i) to discuss the purchase or sale of particular real estate, but only when premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price the board would have to pay for the property, or in case of a sale reduce the province the board could receive for the property. All Ayes.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to come out of closed session at 8:11 p.m.

Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to adjourn the meeting at 8:12 p.m.

Elizabeth Dolezal, Board President Katie Mathern, Board Secretary

kmathern@s-tam… Mon, 04/07/2025 - 15:35