[5:23] I lo in. Go ahead and call the meeting

[5:26] to order.

[5:28] And

[5:30] our first item is approval of the

[5:33] agenda. So moved. I guess technically

[5:36] our second.

[5:39] All right. Moved by Deard, seconded by

[5:41] Shields Cook. All in favor say I. I.

[5:43] >> I. Oppose. Nay.

[5:46] Passes. What are we at? 6 today.

[5:49] >> Um, and then next we have our statement

[5:50] on public forum. Residents of the

[5:53] district, students attending the

[5:54] district, parents or guardians of

[5:55] students attending the district, and

[5:57] district staff members may address the

[5:58] board about any topic relevant to the

[6:00] district, whether on the current agenda

[6:02] or not. Those who wish to speak must

[6:04] sign up at the beginning of the meeting.

[6:05] Speaker participation is limited to

[6:07] three minutes once per item. The views

[6:09] and opinions of citizens addressing the

[6:11] board do not necessarily reflect those

[6:12] of the board. District administration or

[6:14] staff. Speakers are to remember that

[6:16] Iowa law prohibits the board from

[6:18] discussing specific employees students

[6:20] for their performance. Student speakers

[6:21] will state their name and school. Others

[6:23] will state their name and address. And

[6:25] we do not have anyone signed up for

[6:28] public forum. So, we'll go ahead and

[6:29] close that

[6:33] and move to our consent agenda.

[6:37] I move the board approve the consent

[6:38] agenda as presented.

[6:42] » Second.

[6:44] >> All right. Moved by Ward, seconded by

[6:46] Bombgartner. All in favor say I.

[6:48] >> I.

[6:49] >> Oppose. Nay.

[6:51] >> Passes 6. And then we'll move to our

[6:54] reports and start with our associate

[6:57] superintendent, Dr. Hawkins on the

[6:59] comprehensive assessment plan.

[7:01] >> Good evening. Uh thanks for the

[7:03] opportunity to talk about our plan to

[7:05] organize our assessments of students um

[7:08] over the course of the next year. Um

[7:11] largely this plan is uh pretty typical

[7:14] for what you've seen as a board for the

[7:16] last several years. I think okay with

[7:18] you. I'm just going to address some of

[7:19] the changes that you uh that see in this

[7:22] plan from what we've done previously. Um

[7:25] the first of those changes is um we'll

[7:28] be uh delivering the the KOAT, one of

[7:31] the tests that we use to help identify

[7:33] students for our talented and gifted uh

[7:35] or extended learning programs. We're

[7:37] only doing that at the second grade

[7:38] level this year. Uh we've done that at

[7:41] multiple grade levels in the past and by

[7:43] doing it at the second grade level, we

[7:44] will have second through fifth grade

[7:46] students at the elementary that have

[7:48] taken that assessment uh for that

[7:50] identification purpose.

[7:52] As you well know, we've adopted a new

[7:55] literacy curriculum uh this last year.

[7:57] And so, we will be using the uh the

[8:01] assessment that comes with that literacy

[8:03] curriculum for our uh literacy screener

[8:07] um at the kindergarten through uh sixth

[8:09] grade levels. Uh I'm sorry, kindergarten

[8:12] through fifth grade levels. Um and we're

[8:15] actually using that screener. It comes

[8:18] from Curriculum Associates, the company.

[8:19] It's called the I Ready Inform. will be

[8:21] using it for both math and literacy um

[8:24] in the upcoming year. As you may

[8:26] remember from some of the reports I've

[8:28] given, we've been using it for math for

[8:30] the last several years and seeing really good growth uh from students from

[8:35] that screening assessment. Uh but again,

[8:37] we'll be using it for literacy as well.

[8:39] Our teachers are going to be getting

[8:40] trained on how to do that uh coming up

[8:42] in August.

[8:44] Um, for the secondary, however, grades 6

[8:47] through 11, uh, we're also, um,

[8:49] investing in,

[8:51] uh, you'll see the reference to a STAR

[8:54] assessment screener there. Um, it's one

[8:57] of the state approved screeners. Um, and

[9:00] the the middle school and high school

[9:03] did a pretty considerable amount of work

[9:05] this last year, really thinking through

[9:06] what did they want to get out of the

[9:08] screening process. As you may know, past

[9:10] sixth grade were not actually required

[9:12] to screen students, but those uh those

[9:15] buildings wanted to screen students so

[9:17] that they could help identify them, run

[9:19] interventions, and help improve outcomes

[9:21] for students. And so they were

[9:23] interested in a screening tool that

[9:25] provided them a little bit more data

[9:27] around how students might be grouped,

[9:29] where interventions might be most

[9:31] effective, and actually gave them

[9:32] examples of interventions to use. and

[9:35] STAR does all that for for those uh

[9:38] those buildings and for those students.

[9:39] And so we've gone with that. We're

[9:41] actually working with that company right

[9:43] now to arrange uh training for a core

[9:45] group of teachers on how to administer

[9:46] it and how to use it. Well, so that's

[9:48] what's going on there. And then lastly,

[9:51] as you might remember from two

[9:53] legislative sessions ago, um this year

[9:55] is the first year that will be put in

[9:57] place the required civics test that

[9:59] students must pass in order to graduate.

[10:01] Um, I will say that when the uh test was

[10:05] released last year, there was some some

[10:07] initial piloting that we chose not to

[10:09] participate in. And then uh once they

[10:11] got that test set, they released it for

[10:14] uh schools if they wanted to start

[10:16] practice giving it. How was it going for

[10:18] students? Uh there were a few uh courses

[10:20] at the high school that did give that

[10:21] and it went relatively well for our

[10:23] students. And so um the the the high

[10:26] school is approaching this with a lot of

[10:27] optimism that students will be

[10:29] successful with that. Uh but you'll see

[10:31] that uh civics assessment worked into

[10:33] the cap. Those are the major differences

[10:35] that you'll see this year in our

[10:37] approach to assessment.

[10:39] Do you guys have any questions about our

[10:41] approach to assessment?

[10:43] >> I'm going to ask you a quick question.

[10:45] So I the required civics test is it they

[10:49] just had do they just have to take it

[10:50] once and pass?

[10:51] >> They have to pass it once.

[10:53] >> Okay. So it's listed four times. So

[10:55] basically they can have a few runs at it

[10:57] to

[10:57] >> correct if there were students that it

[10:59] could be taken as many times as desired.

[11:01] So it's not as if if you didn't pass it

[11:03] your freshman year, we have to wait till

[11:04] your sophomore year. We could give it

[11:06] multiple times during the freshman year,

[11:07] but we listed it in every grade level

[11:09] because our graduating seniors will have

[11:12] to take it and pass it this year.

[11:15] >> And so I I believe the intention is to

[11:18] have it taken by if I if I recall

[11:20] correctly, give me a little bit of grace

[11:21] here. It's either freshman or

[11:22] sophomores, but I think it's our

[11:24] sophomore students is where they're

[11:25] planning on giving it. But this next

[11:27] year, of course, we're gonna have to

[11:28] give it in every grade level because the

[11:30] no one's grandfathered in. Everybody has

[11:32] to to pass it to graduate.

[11:34] >> Okay.

[11:35] >> Thank you.

[11:36] >> Yep.

[11:38] >> Any other questions, comments?

[11:42] >> All right. I guess you got off easy.

[11:44] >> All right. Thank you.

[11:45] >> Um, next is our superintendence report.

[11:48] And obviously, Superintendent Grimes

[11:50] couldn't be with us tonight. Uh attached

[11:52] to the agenda is the enrollment and

[11:55] staffing reports. Um there's not really

[11:58] much change there. The staffing, you

[12:00] said 31 new certified staff um for this

[12:04] school year and we'll see. Um I imagine

[12:08] things are pretty much falling into

[12:09] place as we get closer. Obviously

[12:12] beginning of August, we'll be pretty

[12:14] much sure, right?

[12:16] I think we look good. Um, so we'll go

[12:18] ahead and I'll pass it over to Sherry,

[12:21] our CFO.

[12:25] » Okay. So, I'm going to go over um our

[12:27] facilities report. We did hold a

[12:30] facilities committee last week. Time

[12:34] sure flies. Um, and so I'll just

[12:36] highlight kind of over what we went

[12:37] over. Um, the minutes to the facilities

[12:42] meeting are attached to the agenda as

[12:44] well, but um, Dr. or Director Addie

[12:48] talked about the northwestern and 13th

[12:51] Street um location. The soil boring at

[12:54] the property is underway. Um and later

[12:57] in the agenda, there is um a

[13:00] professional services agreement with

[13:02] Tenfold um to formalize their proposal

[13:05] and to schedule for design and project

[13:07] management.

[13:09] So that'll take place later in the

[13:10] evening or in the agenda. Um for project

[13:13] updates, the middle school painting has

[13:15] begun and um they started in the

[13:18] hallways and then are going to move to

[13:20] more the cafeteria area. Um he did um

[13:24] let the facilities committee be aware

[13:26] that the cafeteria

[13:29] furniture is being delayed and he kind

[13:31] of talked about um that he and um

[13:34] principal Miller do have a plan on how

[13:37] the they can get the furniture all put

[13:39] together um in September when it comes

[13:42] in. So without having to, you know, shut

[13:44] that cafeteria down and so on. Um the he

[13:48] reported that the new scoreboards boards

[13:50] are scheduled um to be shipped the end

[13:52] of July and I know that I have seen some

[13:55] paperwork from Media Quest and NI for

[13:57] the installs on that some POS that went

[13:59] out. So, I think he's getting all that

[14:01] um together and that the ground crew

[14:05] identified a small sinkhole at the high

[14:07] just north of the high school. Um that

[14:09] appeared during the heavy rainfalls and

[14:12] the cause was traced to a a

[14:14] decommissioned storm sewer line. Um that

[14:17] was being addressed by the contractor

[14:19] who was originally responsible for

[14:21] capping that. So, I think that that

[14:23] should all be taken care of. And then

[14:26] director Kurt Jason um joined our

[14:29] facilities meeting and met the

[14:32] committee. So that was nice to see his

[14:34] face on there. Um Dan also attended that

[14:36] last meeting before he left. So and then

[14:40] like I said the tenfold contact track

[14:42] will be on there. And then I talked a

[14:43] little bit about our American Tower or

[14:46] Verizon um cell tower lease that's

[14:48] located at the high school. And so in

[14:52] 2030, our um lease agreement with them

[14:56] expires. And so we're we're working kind

[14:58] of ahead on trying to um get a new lease

[15:01] in place for that. Um they had

[15:04] approached us with purchasing an

[15:06] easement or purchasing the land around

[15:08] it that we would have, you know, no

[15:10] control over,

[15:12] you know, what would go on there and so

[15:14] on. And so, um Director Addie wasn't

[15:16] really interested in that approach. And

[15:18] so now we're working on terms for a new

[15:21] lease. So I just want that to be on your

[15:22] radar that that is something that we're

[15:24] working on.

[15:27] >> Any questions

[15:29] facilities committee?

[15:32] >> All right. Thank you. Okay. So next I

[15:36] have um

[15:38] first student. So our first student

[15:40] amendment um will be later on in the

[15:42] agenda as well. So, I thought that I

[15:45] would just kind of go over we've gone

[15:47] back and forth several times and

[15:49] director Sundermire myself and then

[15:51] several different representatives from

[15:53] first student trying to come to terms

[15:54] with in amendment and after you know one

[15:57] year um being in service with them you

[16:00] know we we both identified a few I

[16:02] wouldn't even call them issues just

[16:04] little things that we thought that would

[16:05] be both bene beneficial to both sides

[16:08] and so you know we kind of talked about

[16:10] all that so some of the highlights are

[16:12] um you know part of the original lease

[16:14] was is that the rates would increase the

[16:18] lease rates would increase according to

[16:19] CPI and so that's you know the first

[16:22] thing is 2.7% was CPI for like the

[16:26] transportation industry and so on. Um

[16:28] another thing is is that um we're

[16:30] guaranteeing payment for 169 days even

[16:33] if school is canceled. So, like we

[16:35] cancel for weather, we, you know, cancel

[16:37] for other emergencies. Um, like when the

[16:39] water pipes broke, you know, a couple

[16:40] years ago at the high school, like that

[16:42] was a a cancellation that we found out

[16:44] in the morning and we just they just

[16:46] can't go without payment like that. So,

[16:48] we kind of went back and forth on the

[16:50] number of days that we were going to

[16:52] agree to. So, we agreed to 169 days. And

[16:55] then with that, it's like

[16:59] there will be days that we're going to

[17:00] have to pay, but we want them to

[17:03] guarantee payment to their

[17:06] staff then if we're paying them and then

[17:09] we want their staff to be able to do

[17:10] some professional development for that

[17:12] pay. So that was kind of like they want

[17:14] payment. We our side was let's provide

[17:17] them some PD then on that, you know,

[17:19] whether it's, you know, behavior

[17:21] management for the monitors or, you

[17:22] know, safety for the drivers or whatever

[17:24] it is. but we wanted something for for

[17:26] our money. So, that's kind of where we

[17:28] settled on that. Um, then we talked

[17:31] about athletic and supplemental

[17:33] transportation.

[17:35] And

[17:38] one of the things is that like there's

[17:41] some days that we have we need like

[17:43] seven buses for activities, but yet, you

[17:45] know, school we still have to provide

[17:46] after school transportation and so on.

[17:48] And so, we talked a little bit about um,

[17:52] you know, how how the shortage in and

[17:54] transportation would be handled. Um, and

[17:58] how many buses they could, you know, how

[18:01] many buses they could allow us to have without

[18:07] shorting them transportation, you know,

[18:09] after school. So, we found out that

[18:11] number is five. Okay. So, we do have

[18:13] days that are are at seven. And so it

[18:15] gives um our activities directors the

[18:18] first right to say you know what we want

[18:20] you to transport these kids and then we

[18:23] will hire this you know out to CIT or

[18:26] you know some other transportation

[18:28] company or maybe the buses can leave you

[18:31] know 15 minutes 20 minutes later and

[18:33] then we can all get on the road. So, um,

[18:36] just like I said clarified, you know,

[18:38] how how how the shortages will work and

[18:40] who's responsible to pay.

[18:43] Um,

[18:46] what else do we we talked about all

[18:48] kinds of things I think in that privacy

[18:50] protection. So that that's one thing

[18:52] they wanted and I understand that they

[18:54] wanted to know like if they turn over

[18:56] their videos equipment to us, you know,

[18:58] like a tape that um that we will comply

[19:02] with all the privacy laws and that and

[19:06] that we agree to defend um for a student

[19:08] if the district mishandles those

[19:11] recordings. So, um, and like I said, I I

[19:14] totally understand why they wanted that

[19:16] and it and where it places the

[19:18] responsibility if something is leaked

[19:20] out of the confidential records or

[19:22] whatever. And then

[19:26] the district will maintain $2 million in

[19:28] general liability insurance. And

[19:30] actually, we do that. We just did not

[19:32] have first student named as an

[19:33] additional insured.

[19:37] See, and then we talked about vandalism.

[19:41] you know, if a if a student or staff

[19:43] member vandalizes or, you know, destroys

[19:47] a bus somehow, um, who's who's

[19:50] responsible for for that? And if it's a

[19:53] student, you know, what repercussions

[19:55] does or student have if the student does

[19:59] do that? Can they seek restitution? Can

[20:01] we say you're not allowed on the bus,

[20:04] you know, until the restitution's paid

[20:06] and so on? So, all that's kind of um

[20:09] outlined in there. And then a guarantee

[20:11] of six-hour um pay for the monitors

[20:15] and with that they will be required to

[20:17] um attend weekly training. Most route

[20:20] most of the time it's about four hours

[20:22] for a route. They're at six hours. Um

[20:25] that was something um director

[20:26] Sundermire really wanted was to just pay

[20:28] them for the hours that they work and

[20:30] they were afraid that they would lose um

[20:33] a lot of their employees and we

[20:34] understand that but we also want them to

[20:38] work for the money that they receive and

[20:39] so um there's going to be some

[20:43] um weekly required training that to

[20:45] count for towards their extra time.

[20:48] Um one of the biggest um changes was um

[20:52] a property lease. So, we did not have a

[20:54] formal lease agreement for them to use

[20:56] our facility at Bell Street, Bell

[20:59] Avenue. And so, um, we did come up with

[21:01] a lease and, um, they will be paying us

[21:04] $1,000 a month to lease our facility.

[21:12] And that's about like I said there's

[21:16] quite a bit few changes to the to the

[21:19] contract but after a year you just kind

[21:21] of see all the little things and then

[21:22] you can clean some things up. So and

[21:24] that's what we have tried to do. Any

[21:27] questions on any of that?

[21:31] >> Yeah, there was a there's a couple

[21:33] incidents with I think a soccer bus from

[21:36] earlier this year. Has this contract

[21:38] addressed any of those or are those kind

[21:39] of going on in the background? Um

[21:41] >> right. So that was so that's that's some

[21:44] of where um

[21:46] the shortage of buses was because like I

[21:49] know one of those buses doesn't go like

[21:50] over 55 miles an hour or whatever. So we

[21:53] and we put it out on the road and we

[21:54] probably and they probably shouldn't

[21:55] have. And so that's where some of this

[21:57] is being handled at. Sure.

[21:58] >> Because that was a day that there was

[21:59] like many trips and then they put a bus

[22:01] out on the road they shouldn't have.

[22:03] >> Gotcha.

[22:03] >> And so we're like well you have to tell

[22:05] us this in advance and then and so then

[22:07] that's how we came up with this. Um we

[22:09] have five buses that can go out on the

[22:11] road other than our that are not used

[22:14] for um after school routes.

[22:16] >> Excellent. Excellent. Thank you.

[22:17] >> You're welcome.

[22:21] » Thank you for your work and to director

[22:23] cine too for um

[22:26] working out all these skinks in the

[22:28] contract. You make it sound easy, but I

[22:30] know that there's a lot of back and

[22:31] forth and communication involved. So I

[22:33] appreciate it.

[22:36] All right. Um then next uh any items or

[22:40] reports from board members?

[22:44] All right, we'll move to old business.

[22:46] First, we have policies for action.

[22:48] These were the policies we discussed at

[22:50] the last meeting.

[22:52] >> I move the board approve the policies as

[22:54] presented.

[22:55] >> Second.

[22:57] >> Any discussion?

[23:01] Right. Moved by Shields Cook, seconded

[23:03] by Tipton. All in favor say I. I oppose.

[23:07] Nay

[23:09] passes 6.

[23:11] Then

[23:13] go down to new business. And we have the

[23:16] uh first student contract.

[23:18] >> One more.

[23:20] >> Business.

[23:22] >> Old business. B.

[23:23] >> Oh, 10fold. Thank you.

[23:26] >> I move the board approve amendment 22 to

[23:29] the district's professional services

[23:30] agreement with Tenfold Architecture and

[23:32] Engineering as presented.

[23:34] Second.

[23:38] » All right. Any discussion?

[23:41] Move by Shields Cook, seconded by

[23:43] Rodriguez. All in favor say I.

[23:45] >> I.

[23:46] >> Oppose. Nay. That passes 6. Now we can

[23:50] go to new business. And this is the

[23:53] first student contract amendment.

[23:57] >> I move the board to approve amendment

[23:58] number two to the district's contract

[24:00] with First Student, Inc. as presented.

[24:04] Second.

[24:06] >> Any discussion?

[24:09] Thought we just what we just discussed.

[24:11] All right. Moved by War, second by

[24:12] Bombgardner. All in favor say I.

[24:15] >> I. Oppose. Nay. Passes. 6. Next is our

[24:20] disposal of obsolete equipment.

[24:23] I move the board approve the disposal of

[24:25] equipment as presented.

[24:27] >> Second.

[24:29] >> All right. And um there any discussion?

[24:34] >> I think this was the quick Yeah, if you

[24:35] want to do the quick summary, that's

[24:36] fine.

[24:37] >> Right. No, I did ask um Miss Driscoll. I

[24:40] said, "How did you learn about this

[24:41] organization and so on?" because I

[24:43] thought maybe you guys would ask me

[24:44] that. And so she told me that she heard

[24:46] about it when she was at the All State

[24:47] Music Festival and um

[24:51] the prior band director from Mason City

[24:54] was talking about it and she said that,

[24:56] you know, and I know that we have

[24:58] replaced several orchestra and band

[25:00] instruments, you know,

[25:02] >> within the last two years. Um and she

[25:05] said, you know, we have a closet full of

[25:06] these and I thought it would be a a good

[25:08] use. And I said, well, who repairs them?

[25:10] How do they get there? And so on. She

[25:12] told me that she and some of the

[25:13] students will be um repairing as many as

[25:17] they can, you know, to their ability,

[25:20] repair them, and some are too broken to

[25:22] send and will probably just need to, you

[25:23] know, be disposed of. So,

[25:26] >> nice.

[25:26] >> It's good to have

[25:28] >> those things go on.

[25:30] >> Yeah. To find new uses.

[25:34] >> Um All right. So, that was moved by

[25:36] Shields Cook, seconded by the Ward. All

[25:37] in favor say I.

[25:39] >> I.

[25:40] >> Oppos? Nay

[25:42] passes 6. And then last, our

[25:45] comprehensive assessment plan.

[25:50] I move the board approve the 202627

[25:52] comprehensive assessment plan as

[25:54] presented.

[25:55] >> Second.

[25:58] Any discussion?

[26:01] Right. Move by Shields Cook, seconded by

[26:02] Tibson. All in favor say I.

[26:05] >> I.

[26:06] >> Opposed? Nay. Passes 6. I don't have any

[26:10] requests for the superintendent at this

[26:12] time. Our board planning calendar, our

[26:15] next meeting will be August 10th. Um,

[26:18] and

[26:20] August 31st will be a meeting with a

[26:23] work session where we'll talk about

[26:24] board goals. So, I'll probably send some

[26:26] things out before then to look over um

[26:29] to facilitate that work session, but

[26:31] it's really just be putting it in my

[26:32] brain so that I can remember to tell you

[26:34] that later.

[26:36] Um that move we adjourn. Second move by

[26:41] Shields Cook, seconded by Dward. All in

[26:43] favor say I.

[26:44] >> I.

[26:45] >> Pass it. Nay. Passes 6. Okay. And it is

[26:51] 5:52 p.m.

[26:57] Make sure we let Scott know how long it

[26:59] took.

Ames CSD - School Board Meeting - July 13th, 2026

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