001So the award wants to all of the agenda approval of this agenda for today and I believe beer bomb seconded. >> Yes. >> All right. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Nay. Passes 6. Um, next is our public forum. Residents of the district, students attending the district, and parents or guardians of students attending the district, and district staff members may address the board about any topic relevant to the district, whether on the current agenda or not. Those who wish to speak must sign up at the beginning of the meeting. Speaker participation is limited to three minutes, once per item. The views and opinions of citizens addressing the board do not necessarily reflect those of the board, district administration, or staff. Speakers are to remember that Iowa law prohibits the board from discussing
002specific employees, students, or their performance. Student speakers will state their name in school. Others will state their name and address. And first, uh, Bruce Anton, is it Anton or Anton? Okay. Sorry. You'd think I get that by now, right, Bruce? We would have needed a 50% increase over that or 3% just to cover the cost of inflation. The state is providing 98.9 million dollar in increased school funding, which represents about the same amount as the increased cost of school vouchers related to lifting the income cap. Of course, education couldn't expect to get all of that savings. We have water quality concerns. We need cancer research. There are any number of worthwhile ways to invest in Iowa's quality of life. Please contact your legislator, your association members, members of the education committees. Susie has a list
003for you. And advocate for them to reinstate the income cap. Thank you. >> All right. Thank you. And that is all I have signed up for public forum. So, we will close public forum and move to the consent agenda and move the board approve the consent agenda as presented. >> You're so eager to do it. >> I know. Really into it. >> A second. >> Second. >> All right. Moved by War, seconded by Rodriguez. All in favor say I. >> I. Oppose. Nay. Passes 6. Next. Superintendent report. >> I just have one report. Uh it's going to be kind of an update at every board meeting, but the staffing just to give an indication of uh the resignations, retirements, um positions that are increasing due to class size, um transfers, and then also our director
004of teaching and learning position, which has been posted and closed. Uh and then also um added the resignation of Justin Jeff's our principal at Mitchell. He'll be moving onward and upward the different leadership position. So that'll also be posted in here. Planning on posting the principal position this Wednesday. It will be open for three weeks. I will take time to meet with the building level staff within the process since this is a new uh not new for me for hiring principles but a new process for myself as a superintendent and uh letting board and staff know that process. So I will meet with um I will meet with the Mitchell staff specifically to talk about what they're looking for in their next principal and that process. So that'll happen right after break prior to uh
005reviewing um reviewing applicants. Also looking at we're starting to put post and not post depending on positions and we still have someone not one way or the other still as I've mentioned before as well as last year. This just gives the board an indication of the process. Understanding as I mentioned at most board meetings, this goes into account through one our SSA which we know that dollar amount. Um we talk about um increases with all of our staff within the district. We are expecting to have increases or they're expected to have an increase. And then looking at class size and shifts. The example that I've been using the last couple board meeting meetings is our fifth grade class right now is our smallest class within the district. That class is now moving to the middle
006school. That's caused some conversations as well as understanding that we're going to need to look at how we're replacing the two sixth grade teachers that have retired and resigned from that position. And although they are labeled as sixth grade math teachers, it does not identify that we are not going to have math teachers in our middle school. Although that's the word on the street, but I want to understand that it is our ultimate goal to ensure that we are hiring uh and that we have staff that are certified for the positions. I myself as a sixth grade teacher in the past, I taught language arts uh in math three times. one year the next year due to staffing I taught math and science and math and science and reading um due to sections so it's
007whether it's a four section three section or paired teaching um so I personally understand the stresses that sixth grade is going in right now knowing that there's a bubble class moving through please understand that bubble class is not only going to affect the sixth grade but we are looking at what's that going to do for seventh grade and then eighth grade ninth 10th and understand these These are just ways we have to work with. Um, and that's part of the yeses and nos on the document. The other conversation we're having within the elementary is we're unable to project what our kindergarten numbers are. And so we will be holding some elementary positions and not posting to ensure that we have a place if we were to have to displace a kindergarten teacher due to not
008having enough um enrollment. As I mentioned with administrators, uh that enrollment not only is based on Story County, but it goes back to birth rates uh from about five to six years ago, which we'll look at knowing that we have less students in Story County. So, we can't just reduce the students. It's a matter of maintaining the cost we have with the enrollment we have coming in for part of that projection. Um as you can see there's already some positions. Um also within looking at special ed at the bottom you have some new positions. Those are ensuring looking at our numbers already. We also know that it's tough times when you try to hire some of the staffs and special ed especially. So we want to get ahead of the game on some of those.
009And then as I've talked about the fifth grade teacher at MER and the fifth grade in Sawyer, that is an increase of a section so that the board can maintain the class sizes from last year. Please know that those are actually being posted as fourth grade positions because we had a fourth grade teacher move from fifth grade back to fourth and we're giving them the opportunity to move back to fifth internally. So I mean there's a lot of stuff that goes into the staffing document. um that is very detailed and as I say done in a way that hopefully respects our current staff and also knows that some staff are making some adjustments to support due to the staff sizes and that they're kind of getting back into their home base or where they started
010with a year ago. That's a lot and I could go for a lot more, but try to be as transparent as I can with the information. If you ever have questions, I'll be sure and reach out. I know staff have reached out on some of the questions as well. All right, there are no questions for Scott. Um the anything from our student representative? >> Hi everybody. in a little while. So, uh, happy daylight savings time. >> It's not happy. >> I feel like it's been reflecting on everyone's moods, like nice outside. So, I noticed that. And then I had a personal anecdote I wanted to share. Um, so recently friends and I were talking. She brought up how she wanted like more internshipy slashcareer focused learning. Like we have stuff at the high school now,
011but really delve into the career aspect of things. And I thought back to PK 12 and beyond and try to poorly explain how like future generations will hopefully be able to have that. Pretty cool. >> I'm glad you thought of PK and Beyond. I'm sure Mr. Grimes is too old here. Superintendent Grimes heart just grew three sizes. >> This is what it's about. This is why I do the caffeine. >> No, it is. Thank you. Um, anything from our board members? All righty, then let's move to new business. Our first item is the renewal of the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Gas. I move the board approve the renewal of the district participation and the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Gas Program for 2026 27 as presented. Second. Any discussion? There
012are no if there's no questions or discussion. Um it was moved by Shields Cook, seconded by the Ward. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Nay. Passes 6. Grant award. Next item. I move the board to approve the grant award of $10,000 from the Minnesota Vikings for the procurement of uniforms and equipment for a girls flag football club at Ames High. Second any discussion or I just feel like hey let's let's be excited and a grant >> be purple and yellow >> um no >> black and gold no >> I don't think that's the right one either black and orange okay so all now Um, it was moved by Deward, seconded by Shields Cook. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Nay. That passes 6. >> I do not have any
013requests for the superintendent noted. Our next meeting, we will have a special meeting at 5:30 on March 23rd. Uh, that is our public hearing meeting. Correct. Um and then right after that at 5:45 we will start our regular meeting and we will now move to our work session to hear from secondary principles and activities. And so board will move over there and we'll end our Zoom broadcast here. Everyone else is welcome to stay. Please take your um your mics.