SPECIAL 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 July 1, 2025 for a Special Session at the STC Partnership Center, Tama, Iowa at 12:00 pm.
On call of the roll the following were present: Elizabeth Dolezal , Rick Hopper, Joe Hanus, Megan Thiessen, and Beth Wiese. Quorum Present. Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Mary Mixdorf, Dixie Forcht, Victoria Hamilton, Audrey Roth, Chelsea Naniot, Emily Chyma, and members of the community through Google Hangouts.
Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the agenda with the tabling of action items c. DRAFT 25-26 Certified Handbook, d. DRAFT 25-26 Classified Handbook, and e. DRAFT 25-26 Substitute Handbook of action item #2. 25-26 Handbooks and the addition of Caroline Ganzberger - 3rd Grade Teacher under hiring for action item #1. Personnel. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Public Comment - Audrey Roth, chief negotiator for the STC Education Association, expressed concern about vague language and lack of communication regarding changes to the Certified Staff Handbook and requested Association input.
Dixie Forcht expressed concern that the high school portion of the handbook was not fully reviewed by the ESSA committee, included unclear or missing content, and lacked clarity and due process in the Employee Code of Conduct.
Motion by Thiessen, second by Hanus to approve the following personnel requests. All Ayes. The motion carried.
New Hires: David Hartman - At Risk Teacher
Resignations: Alexia Hoffman - Elementary ELL Paraeducator
Officials: Middle School Baseball - Jose Placencia and Eugene Ubben
PLC Lead - Jill Dilly
Motion by Wiese, second by Hanus to table the DRAFT 25-26 Student Handbook. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Wiese, second by Hanus to table the DRAFT 25-26 Activities Handbook. All ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Thiessen, second by Hopper to approve the DRAFT 25-26 Preschool Handbook. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Thiessen, second by Hanus to approve for 2025-2026, textbook fees are set at $70 (HS), $60 (MS), and $50 (Elem) full price, with reduced rates of $28, $24, and $20 respectively. High School students in Band, Color Guard, or Choir will be charged a $25 cleaning fee ($10 reduced). Activity tickets will cost $25 for PK-5 and $50 for grades 6-12. The adult lunch price will be set at $5.00. High school meal prices will remain unchanged: Breakfast $1.85 (Reduced $0.30), Lunch $3.00 (Reduced $0.40), and Extra Milk $0.50. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Thiessen, second by Wiese to approve the two new positions - Lead Mechanic and Transportation Coordinator. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Wiese, second by Hopper to approve the Trane invoice, in the amount of $6,340.49, for the time and material to find a valve leak. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Hopper, second by Thiessen to approve the Turf Tank quote, in the amount of $17,700.00, for the Turf Tank Two Pro Package - Subscription and Upfront Implementation Cost. All Ayes. The motion carried.
Motion by Wiese, second by Hanus to adjourn the meeting at 12:41 p.m.
Elizabeth Dolezal, Board President Katie Mathern, Board Secretary