[0:01] Good morning. This special meeting of

[0:03] June 22nd, 2026 of the Dubuque Community

[0:06] School District Board of Education is

[0:08] called to order.

[0:11] Our mission is to develop world-class

[0:13] learners and citizens of character in a

[0:15] safe and inclusive learning community.

[0:17] Roll call, please.

[0:18] >> Bradley

[0:19] >> Here.

[0:20] >> Hamel

[0:21] Hinchen

[0:22] >> Here.

[0:22] >> Parks

[0:23] >> Here.

[0:23] >> Prohaska

[0:24] >> Here.

[0:25] >> Samsel

[0:26] Whitman

[0:27] >> Here.

[0:28] I move the Board of Education approve

[0:30] the agenda as submitted.

[0:33] >> Second.

[0:33] >> It's been moved and seconded that the

[0:35] Board of Education approve the agenda as

[0:37] submitted. Is there any discussion?

[0:39] Seeing none, all in favor say I.

[0:42] >> I.

[0:43] >> Any opposed?

[0:44] That motion carries.

[0:46] Um so, the first thing up then is a

[0:49] resolution that's authorizing the

[0:51] execution of our escrow agreement and

[0:53] lease agreement with Keystone

[0:55] um

[0:57] Area Education Agency. So, we're looking

[0:58] at the real estate located right next

[1:00] door, um 2310 Cheney Road. Um I will now

[1:05] entertain a motion to approve this

[1:08] resolution.

[1:10] >> I move the Board of Education approve

[1:12] the resolution authorizing execution of

[1:15] an escrow agreement and a lease

[1:16] agreement with Keystone Area Education

[1:19] Agency. All related to the real estate

[1:22] located at 2310 Cheney Road as

[1:24] presented. And to authorize the Board

[1:27] President and Board Secretary to sign

[1:30] all final transaction documents.

[1:33] >> Second.

[1:34] >> It's been moved and seconded that the

[1:35] Board of Education approve the

[1:37] resolution authorizing execution of an

[1:39] escrow agreement and a lease agreement

[1:41] with Keystone Area Education Agency. All

[1:45] related to the real estate located at

[1:46] 2310 Cheney Road as presented. And to

[1:49] authorize the Board President and the

[1:51] Board Secretary to sign all final

[1:53] transaction documents. Is there any

[1:56] discussion on the resolution?

[1:59] >> I think today, you know, we were here we

[2:01] were we talked about the Keystone

[2:03] purchase agreement. And what we're

[2:06] talking about today is number one the

[2:08] lease agreement because as you know, we

[2:11] want to make sure that we continue to be

[2:13] great partners with Keystone cuz they

[2:15] will continue to serve the Dubuque

[2:16] County. And so we've worked with

[2:19] their current chief administrator Stan

[2:21] Rygens and their new chief administrator

[2:24] and I talked to say you know, what

[2:26] spaces could you use? Also knowing that

[2:29] there can be some flexibility, you know,

[2:31] because as we all go to move into a new

[2:34] place. They have to if if there's more

[2:36] or less space needed, we will be

[2:38] flexible as we as we learn to live

[2:41] together in a new way than we do

[2:43] currently.

[2:44] And then the second agreement is the

[2:45] escrow agree escrow agreement and that's

[2:47] really about how we'll be paying

[2:49] Keystone for our purchase of that

[2:52] building. And so

[2:54] you know, we're really excited for this

[2:55] new partnership. We're excited for the

[2:57] district to not only you know, gain this

[3:00] space for our online school for our

[3:02] re-engaged students, but also for us to

[3:05] look into the future for us to own all

[3:07] of this land because you never know in

[3:10] 10 15 20 years down the road

[3:13] what the district may need 17 acres of

[3:15] land for. So it's really a great

[3:17] investment for us as a district

[3:20] at the $1.9 million.

[3:23] >> Great. Any

[3:24] >> I have a question on

[3:25] one item. The the agreement here under

[3:28] no consideration

[3:30] there's no additional rent or monetary

[3:32] reimbursement for the school district on

[3:34] this. Is that correct?

[3:35] >> That is correct. So

[3:37] when we negotiated the price, we

[3:39] negotiated

[3:41] that they would be able to use utilize

[3:44] about 3,000 square feet of that space

[3:47] with no payments back and forth.

[3:49] >> is 7-year lease renewable?

[3:52] >> With a 2-year extension.

[3:53] >> With the two-year extension.

[3:54] >> two-year extension.

[3:55] >> Yeah. Yeah.

[3:57] >> Wait, so seven years to equal nine or

[3:59] seven years

[4:00] >> Sorry, two

[4:01] >> to be repeated.

[4:03] >> two seven years

[4:03] >> So it could be 14 years.

[4:05] >> It could be 21.

[4:06] >> Well, we thought it was 20.

[4:08] >> two renewals

[4:10] >> Yeah, I got it. Okay. And that really

[4:11] was

[4:13] the state requires you know, you can

[4:15] have up to seven years and then if you

[4:18] go over that then there needs to be

[4:21] different approvals throughout the

[4:23] state. So we

[4:24] met with our attorneys [clears throat]

[4:25] and said we'll do two

[4:28] Well, three seven year you know, if that

[4:31] makes sense.

[4:32] >> Do we have to have state approval at the

[4:35] in order to renew?

[4:36] >> No.

[4:37] >> Okay.

[4:37] >> But terms

[4:38] >> That is it right now.

[4:39] >> Terms could be negotiated renegotiated

[4:41] if needed at the end of each seven

[4:43] years?

[4:43] >> Correct.

[4:44] >> Okay.

[4:45] >> Yep.

[4:46] >> Amy, just for the public's consideration

[4:48] if they aren't aware yet, would you

[4:51] explain how it came to be that that was

[4:54] attached to this building? I think it

[4:56] was in 1995.

[4:58] And the land transfer was

[5:01] >> Yeah, so the district actually sold the

[5:04] land to Keystone for $1.

[5:06] >> Right.

[5:06] >> So they have then returned that favor

[5:09] back to us, which was great. So really

[5:12] that purchase price even though it was

[5:14] appraised at a little bit higher value,

[5:16] that was including the land. So when we

[5:19] did our negotiations it's really for us

[5:21] just to purchase back the building and

[5:24] the land at no value.

[5:26] >> Right. And at that time my understanding

[5:28] is the the agreement was that the

[5:30] Dubuque schools would have first right

[5:32] of refusal

[5:33] >> That is correct.

[5:33] >> at such time as that building might be

[5:35] sold.

[5:36] >> Yep. Anytime

[5:37] in the agreement that we had with them

[5:39] it showed that if they were going to

[5:41] sell it we had first right of refusal,

[5:43] which is when Stan came to us and said,

[5:45] "Hey, we're thinking about um selling

[5:48] our property, you know, are you

[5:49] interested? You know, is the district

[5:51] interested?" And then we moved forward

[5:53] with those conversations. So,

[5:55] um cuz Keystone has also sold some other

[5:57] properties within their landscape. Um

[6:00] >> Right.

[6:01] >> Um due to, you know, using building

[6:03] space and things like that. And so,

[6:06] um many of their staff are now working

[6:08] more in schools than [clears throat]

[6:10] working um off on different sites.

[6:12] >> Mhm.

[6:13] >> It's really benefiting us and them, so

[6:15] they're not spending so much on bricks

[6:17] and mortar.

[6:18] >> Absolutely.

[6:19] >> are out in the schools

[6:21] and we're benefiting by having more

[6:23] space for more departments

[6:25] and that it's all ours. You know, all

[6:28] this building, all this land.

[6:30] >> Absolutely.

[6:31] >> Yeah, it's a it's a it's definitely a

[6:32] win-win. And we work so closely with

[6:34] them right now. So, um I'm just happy

[6:37] that we can continue to have that

[6:39] partnership and um we're just kind of flip-flopping

[6:43] cuz we were we were leasing space from

[6:45] them prior to this. So, yeah, it's

[6:47] great.

[6:47] >> Not only the building, but the land. I

[6:49] see that as a very

[6:51] important part of this agreement. Cuz I

[6:54] go way back to when

[6:56] the district owned all the land all the

[6:58] way down to Kaufman. I think Does

[7:00] Kaufman go this way?

[7:01] >> That's Kaufman, yeah.

[7:03] >> And that then was sold to the developers

[7:05] that put in the condos or whatever. So,

[7:07] >> Okay.

[7:07] >> So, it's good to hold on to land.

[7:09] >> Didn't I know that?

[7:10] >> That's a history.

[7:12] That's how we bring him back, right?

[7:14] >> [laughter]

[7:16] >> I didn't know that.

[7:17] yeah.

[7:18] >> They're great neighbors, though.

[7:19] >> Amy, would you also comment on the our

[7:22] intended use of of the building once

[7:25] we're in possession?

[7:26] >> Yeah, [clears throat] so um one thing

[7:28] we're really excited about is our online

[7:30] school is currently housed at Jefferson

[7:32] Middle School. So, our online school

[7:34] staff will actually now be housed here

[7:37] at in that Keystone um area of the

[7:40] building.

[7:41] And um that's about

[7:43] Oh, how many spaces is that? I think

[7:45] it's 16 spaces, you know, that that

[7:47] they'll have. And then this will also

[7:49] give us an opportunity because we're

[7:51] still required by um, state code to do

[7:53] testing. And then we often time bring

[7:56] online students into the community so

[7:58] they can meet and have face-to-face

[8:00] interaction. We do that in public

[8:02] spaces, sometimes at the library or

[8:03] Panera things. And now we'll have a

[8:05] space to bring students in um, to expand

[8:09] on their learning and their social

[8:12] things within this within their

[8:13] classmates. Then our Re-Engage Center,

[8:16] our re-engagement center has currently

[8:18] been housed down at the Town Clock Plaza

[8:21] um, through NICC. And that area or that

[8:25] building has been renovated um, is being

[8:28] renovated as we as we speak. And so that

[8:31] we actually lost our space there um, in

[8:33] the beginning of March. So we were able

[8:35] to have conversations with Keystone and

[8:38] they allowed us to move our re-engage

[8:39] center there in March of this year. So

[8:41] we'll continue to house to use that

[8:44] space um, for that. And then we're

[8:46] actually going to be using the upstairs

[8:48] space for our special education

[8:50] department because um, a lot of the

[8:53] connections we have with Keystone is

[8:55] around special education. And so then

[8:57] they will take up the Keystone area and

[9:00] our special ed department will be

[9:01] upstairs so they'll be able to work um,

[9:04] very closely together um, in that new

[9:07] configuration. So yeah, so we're finding

[9:09] lots of uses for the space um, that will

[9:13] um, benefit the district for sure.

[9:15] >> I think as a I serve on both the

[9:18] Keystone AEA board and this board. And

[9:21] it's interesting to see how it is, as you said Lisa, how it is a

[9:25] benefit to both

[9:27] organizations.

[9:29] Keystone having had many

[9:31] um, [clears throat]

[9:32] budget cuts from legislative action in

[9:35] Iowa. And as you said earlier Amy this

[9:39] will be the third building that Keystone will

[9:42] have

[9:43] sold and not maintained

[9:47] ownership of

[9:48] so that's a great efficiency the cost of

[9:51] it and for us having the need for the

[9:53] space it's really perfect timing for

[9:55] both so I will be abstaining from the

[9:58] vote because of that

[10:01] >> That was my question I'm

[10:03] sure the desire is to have this done by

[10:04] July 1st has the Keystone board already

[10:06] approved this lease

[10:08] >> Yes

[10:09] >> I didn't know if it had to go to them

[10:10] next

[10:10] >> It did we did just within a few days

[10:12] >> Okay

[10:15] » And the public might not know but

[10:16] there's no repairs or

[10:20] build outs that need to be done right

[10:23] everything's okay the buildings flow

[10:25] that you know the doors open it's like

[10:27] it's one building

[10:29] >> Oh yeah we're connected yeah we're we're

[10:31] totally connected inside and

[10:33] >> We're we're going to have to change our

[10:34] keypads and things like that but yeah

[10:37] But [laughter] otherwise there's no

[10:38] extra expense for us to do any repairs

[10:40] or improvements it's it's moving ready

[10:44] >> Yeah and part of the agreement was you

[10:46] know furniture desk space and those

[10:48] things were also included in that

[10:50] purchase

[10:50] >> Yeah so we're fortunate for that for

[10:52] sure

[10:54] >> Wonderful anything else

[10:58] All [snorts] right let's have a roll

[10:59] call vote

[11:01] So President Parks Anderson Sancy just

[11:04] joined the meeting so I just wanted to

[11:05] let you know that

[11:07] >> Welcome Anderson

[11:08] >> Welcome

[11:10] >> Bradley

[11:11] >> Abstain

[11:13] >> Hamel

[11:14] Hinchen

[11:15] >> I

[11:15] >> Parks

[11:16] >> I

[11:17] >> Prochaska

[11:17] >> I

[11:18] >> Sancy

[11:20] >> I

[11:20] >> Whitman

[11:21] >> I

[11:23] >> That motion carries Congratulations both

[11:26] parties

[11:27] All right next on the agenda is the

[11:29] resolution to terminate the self-funded

[11:31] vision plan and authorize use of

[11:33] remaining funds to offset future vision

[11:35] benefit costs.

[11:39] I believe we are going to postpone this

[11:43] discussion.

[11:44] So, if someone would like to read that

[11:47] >> Read the motion? Okay, I'll read it. I

[11:49] move

[11:50] that consideration and action on the

[11:52] resolution to terminate in self-funded

[11:55] vision plan and authorize use of

[11:57] remaining funds to offset future vision

[11:59] benefits costs be post- postponed until

[12:03] a further

[12:04] future regular or special meeting of the

[12:06] board.

[12:07] >> Second.

[12:08] >> It's been moved and seconded that

[12:10] consideration and action on the

[12:11] resolution to terminate the self-funded

[12:13] vision plan and authorize use of

[12:15] remaining funds to offset future vision

[12:18] benefit costs be postponed until a

[12:20] future regular or special meeting of the

[12:22] board. Is there any discussion?

[12:25] >> I'll just bring a little bit of

[12:27] information to the to the board. Um, so

[12:29] in the past we were self-funded, um, and

[12:32] we looked at, um, that not being, uh, a

[12:35] viable thing for us anymore. So, we are

[12:36] looking or we have switched to a fully

[12:38] funded plan. And so, some of this is

[12:40] just kind of cleaning that up for the

[12:42] end of the year. We had hoped to have it

[12:44] in place for you guys, um, but our one

[12:46] of our attorneys was out and so, we did

[12:48] not get it in place for this meeting.

[12:49] So, we will bring it to you for a future

[12:51] meeting. But we do have some carryover

[12:53] funds that will be in there,

[12:54] um, that we would would like to ask you

[12:56] guys to use for, um, offsetting premiums

[13:00] for the, uh, fully funded plan. But more

[13:02] information to come as we continue to

[13:04] work through that process.

[13:05] >> Lisa, can you say a little bit about the

[13:07] difference between being self-funded and

[13:10] um, having a fully funded plan?

[13:13] >> So, self-funded is where we are

[13:14] collecting the money and we are paying

[13:16] out all of the claims. So, we are

[13:17] totally taking care of it all of

[13:19] ourselves and then we are looking to go

[13:21] with a provider to do that for us now.

[13:22] >> Got it. Thank you.

[13:23] >> It just didn't seem to be as feasible

[13:25] now.

[13:26] >> Sure.

[13:26] >> And then when we looked at other um

[13:27] options, it was all fully funded. So,

[13:30] looking at going through another carrier

[13:32] to do that.

[13:32] >> Will there be any disruption of benefits

[13:35] to our employees?

[13:36] >> No.

[13:37] They still have vision.

[13:38] >> And this is the only vision part of it,

[13:41] the only thing affected.

[13:42] >> Yes. Vision is the only one we're

[13:43] talking about that we were self-funded

[13:44] on.

[13:45] >> Uh-huh.

[13:45] >> Yeah, insurance is divided into three

[13:47] different sections. So, we have vision,

[13:49] dental, and then health.

[13:51] So, this is just the vision piece of

[13:53] that.

[13:54] So, and again, you know, we're trying to

[13:56] find efficiencies all the time and how

[13:58] we can make sure that we keep premiums

[14:01] um at a low cost for our employees

[14:03] um the best that we can. And this was

[14:05] one of the ways that we were able to

[14:08] you know, if we if we switched over to

[14:10] fully funded, it was going to help our

[14:13] employees with their premiums. So, it it

[14:15] made sense for us to do that piece. But

[14:18] again, we didn't realize, you know, we

[14:20] wanted to make sure that we're doing all

[14:21] the things and getting your permission

[14:23] to do so. Um we were trying to do that

[14:25] before the end of the fiscal year, but

[14:27] um

[14:29] didn't get that. We didn't get all that.

[14:30] >> Didn't work out.

[14:31] [laughter] as much as we

[14:32] planned, but it's all going to be.

[14:33] >> So, we'll come to you in the future.

[14:34] >> More to come.

[14:35] >> I assume I assume that all the that the

[14:38] new vision program was put out for bid,

[14:40] so to speak?

[14:42] >> To bid? Um

[14:43] we did ask for yes. We did go to a

[14:45] couple different carriers to look at

[14:46] yes.

[14:47] >> Very good.

[14:47] >> To give us different offerings, for

[14:49] sure. Yeah. And now our vision our plans

[14:52] used to switch over in July and now they

[14:55] switch over in January.

[14:57] >> Mhm.

[14:57] >> So, we're actually have

[14:59] time, you know, so um that was one of

[15:02] the shifts we made as well with our

[15:04] carriers. Again, just as we're looking

[15:06] at efficiencies to make sure that we're

[15:07] keeping costs as low as we can for our

[15:10] employees.

[15:14] » Anything else?

[15:16] All right. All in favor, say aye.

[15:19] >> Aye.

[15:20] >> Any opposed?

[15:22] That motion to postpone carries.

[15:25] Any other items?

[15:29] All right, seeing none, we are

[15:30] adjourned. Have a great day.

School Board Meeting - June 22, 2026

Transcript