School Board Agenda & Packet Summary – Adair-Casey Community School District – July 15, 2026

Source: Prepared from the July 15, 2026 Adair-Casey Community School District board meeting packet and supporting documents.

Meeting Information

• Public Body: Adair-Casey Community School District
• Organization Type: school-district
• Government Body: school-boards
• Meeting Title: Adair-Casey CSD July 2026 Regular Board Meeting
• Meeting Date: 2026-07-15
• City: Adair
• County: Adair County
• State: iowa
• Meeting Source URL: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36031391&MID=32050
• Meeting Listing URL: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36031391
• Public Body Website: https://www.acgcschools.org/page/ac-school-board
• Meeting Video URL: Not available
• Video Channel URL: Not available

What Community Members Should Know

The July meeting focuses on preparing the district for the 2026-27 school year while addressing long-term governance, finances, and the continuing partnership between Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center. Board members are expected to review major policy updates, consider operational changes affecting families, approve financial obligations, and discuss future organizational decisions.

One of the largest financial actions is approval of the final 2025-26 Whole Grade Sharing settlement between Adair-Casey and Guthrie Center. The invoice reflects hundreds of thousands of dollars exchanged for shared students, transportation, staffing, and other shared costs, making it one of the meeting's most significant fiscal items.

The board is also scheduled to discuss broader strategic topics, including possible whole-grade sharing or reorganization, whether eighth-grade students should be allowed to participate in high school athletics under new Iowa law, and the district's emergency operations plan. These discussions could influence future educational programming and district organization.

Additional agenda items include annual and statewide policy updates, scholarship fund management, facility projects, employment recommendations, routine financial reports, and preparations for the opening of the new school year.

Major Discussion and Action Items

Whole Grade Sharing and Future Organization

The board will discuss whole-grade sharing and broader reorganization issues affecting the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center partnership. While the packet does not outline a specific proposal, the topic suggests continued evaluation of how the districts share educational programs, staffing, and services and what future organizational options may exist.

The board is also asked to approve the final fiscal year 2025-26 Whole Grade Sharing invoice reflecting the financial reconciliation between the districts.

Eighth Grade Participation in High School Athletics

Board members will discuss whether to adopt a local policy allowing eighth-grade students to compete in high school athletics under recently enacted Iowa legislation.

The packet explains that state law now permits participation only if the local board adopts a policy. Local officials retain discretion over:

• Which sports are eligible.
• Whether participation is allowed at varsity, junior varsity, freshman, or other levels.
• Whether academic eligibility standards will apply.
• Whether participation will be limited by roster size or other local requirements.

Students who participate on a high school team during a season may not also compete on an eighth-grade team in that same sport.

Major School Board Policy Updates

The board will conduct a first reading of IASB Policy Primer Update #34 covering a large number of board policies.

The update includes revisions affecting:

• Equal educational opportunity.
• Board elections and conflicts of interest.
• Employee leave.
• Open enrollment.
• Student conduct.
• Student activities.
• Medication administration.
• Curriculum and instructional programs.
• Technology.
• Financial management.
• Purchasing.
• Federal grants.
• Records management.
• School nutrition.
• Public records.

Many changes are intended to keep district policies aligned with current Iowa law and IASB guidance.

Annual Required Policy Review

The board will also conduct the required annual review of selected policies that must receive periodic review under Iowa requirements.

Topics include graduation requirements, education records, directory information, long-range planning, parent and family engagement, and student library circulation records. The packet notes that remaining district policies are reviewed on a rotating schedule at least every five years.

District Operations and Summer Preparation

The superintendent reports that custodial staff continue extensive summer cleaning and maintenance before students return.

Current projects include:

• Installation of four new junior high heat pumps.
• Completion of improvements to the high school front stair railings.
• Investigation of a power issue affecting a parking lot light after nearby construction.
• Routine classroom cleaning, floor refinishing, carpet cleaning, and other seasonal maintenance.

The district is also preparing for Guthrie Center's RAGBRAI overnight stop, with school and community volunteers supporting the event.

Staffing and Employment

The consent agenda includes a contract recommendation for Karla Mahaffey in Marketing and Communications.

The superintendent also identifies multiple open positions, including coaching assignments, paraprofessionals, food service employees, an instructional coach for GC Elementary, and other extracurricular positions.

Financial Matters

The board will review June cash balances and monthly financial reports.

Reported cash balances include approximately:

• General Fund: $2.34 million.
• SAVE Fund: approximately $2.47 million.
• PPEL Fund: approximately $2.66 million.
• Management Fund: approximately $223,000.
• School Nutrition Fund: approximately $111,000.

The Preschool Fund continues to report a negative balance of approximately $58,505.

The final Whole Grade Sharing settlement is a major financial action. The invoice shows:

• Total due to Guthrie Center: $775,955.65.
• Total due to Adair-Casey: $720,684.40.
• Remaining balance owed by Adair-Casey after prior payments: $424,302.49.
• Remaining balance owed by Guthrie Center after prior payments: $416,778.68.

The board will also consider shifting online payment processing costs to parents or guardians. Currently the district pays both a $0.35 transaction fee and a 3.5% credit card processing fee for each Infinite Campus online payment.

Another financial item involves the Kuester Scholarship Certificate of Deposit. Staff recommend withdrawing $200 to fund upcoming scholarship payments and correct a prior $1.04 shortage while renewing the certificate for another 60 months at 2.75% interest through August 31, 2031. Interest would be paid directly to the district instead of compounding into the certificate.

Routine bills include insurance renewals, software subscriptions, utilities, instructional materials, facility maintenance, audit costs, membership dues, technology services, and school operations.

Policies, Ordinances, Resolutions, and Governance

Governance work is one of the meeting's largest agenda components.

The board is expected to complete first readings of numerous IASB policy revisions and required annual policy reviews before later adoption.

The policy package addresses legal compliance, governance procedures, student rights, employee policies, purchasing practices, financial controls, technology, educational programs, public records, and other operational topics.

Administrative policy update materials note that some revisions simply update legal citations or administrative references rather than making substantive policy changes.

Reports, Presentations, and Informational Updates

The superintendent's report highlights progress on summer maintenance, facility improvements, staffing needs, and community engagement through the upcoming RAGBRAI visit.

Financial reports include:

• Cash balances and bank reconciliations.
• Budget-to-expenditure comparisons.
• Student activity fund balances.

The student activity report shows athletics, concessions, student council, activity ticket, and other activity accounts with monthly balances and transactions.

The board will also receive principal and board reports, although detailed principal report content is not included in the extracted packet.

Personnel, Appointments, and Organizational Matters

Personnel items include:

• Contract recommendation for Karla Mahaffey in Marketing & Communications.
• Consent agenda consideration of resignations.
• Open enrollment matters.
• Continued recruitment for multiple coaching positions.
• Hiring needs for paraprofessionals.
• Food service vacancies.
• Instructional coach opening at GC Elementary.
• Junior High Student Council and cheer sponsorship opportunities.

The district encourages interested applicants to contact Human Resources.

Projects, Facilities, Infrastructure, and Operations

Facility work remains active throughout the summer.

Projects include:

• Installation of four new heat pumps at the junior high.
• High school front entrance improvements.
• Investigation of electrical service to the northeast parking lot light.
• Routine building preparation before the school year.

The board will also consider:

• AC/GC Emergency Operations Plan.
• GC Elementary asbestos abatement.
• Pay Application No. 1 for Caliber Concrete.

The packet identifies these items but provides limited supporting detail regarding project costs or schedules.

Public Hearings and Opportunities for Community Input

The meeting includes the standard public comment period during the Welcome Visitors/Public Comment agenda item.

The packet does not identify any formal public hearings.

Upcoming public-facing events include:

• New Teacher Meet and Greet on August 18 at 8:00 a.m. in the Junior High Library.
• Joint Regular Board Meeting on August 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Junior High Library.

Community Impact

Residents may see continued investment in facilities, building maintenance, and operational readiness before the new school year.

Students and families could be affected by future board decisions regarding eighth-grade participation in high school athletics and any longer-term changes involving whole-grade sharing or district organization.

Parents who use online payment systems could pay future credit card processing fees if the proposed fee change is approved.

Employees may see impacts from updated board policies, hiring efforts, and ongoing recruitment for instructional and extracurricular positions.

Taxpayers have an interest in the substantial financial reconciliation associated with whole-grade sharing, scholarship fund management, insurance expenditures, and continued capital maintenance.

Questions Community Members May Want to Ask

• What long-term options are being considered regarding whole-grade sharing or possible reorganization?
• How would allowing eighth graders to compete in high school athletics affect existing middle school programs?
• What criteria would determine which sports or teams eighth graders may join?
• How much annual revenue could the district save by passing online payment processing fees to users?
• What work remains on the emergency operations plan before implementation?
• What is the expected schedule for the GC Elementary asbestos abatement project?
• What work has Caliber Concrete completed under its first payment application?
• How will the updated IASB policies change district operations in practice?
• What factors contributed to the preschool fund's negative balance?
• Are additional facility improvements planned before students return for the fall semester?

Important Dates, Deadlines, and Next Steps

• July 15, 2026: Regular board meeting and consideration of policy updates, financial actions, staffing recommendations, and operational discussions.
• Before the 2026-27 school year: Completion of summer maintenance projects, HVAC work, and facility preparation.
• August 18, 2026: New Teacher Meet and Greet at 8:00 a.m. in the Junior High Library.
• August 19, 2026: Joint Regular Board Meeting at 7:00 p.m. in the Junior High Library.
• August 31, 2031: Proposed new maturity date for the renewed Kuester Scholarship certificate of deposit.

Key Takeaways

• The board will review significant governance and policy updates affecting many district operations.
• Final approval of the 2025-26 Whole Grade Sharing financial settlement is a major fiscal action.
• Discussion of possible whole-grade sharing and reorganization continues.
• The board will consider local implementation of Iowa's new eighth-grade athletics law.
• Parents could begin paying online credit card processing fees for district transactions.
• Summer maintenance projects are progressing ahead of the school year.
• The district continues recruiting for numerous instructional and extracurricular positions.
• Financial reports show more than $2.3 million in the General Fund and approximately $2.66 million in PPEL cash.
• Scholarship fund management includes renewal of a certificate of deposit at 2.75%.
• Additional facility work includes emergency planning, asbestos abatement, and construction payment review.

Official Sources

• Meeting source: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=36031391&MID=32050
• Meeting listing: https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/SB_MeetingListing.aspx?S=36031391
• Public body website: https://www.acgcschools.org/page/ac-school-board
• Meeting video: Not available
• Video channel: Not available

About the Public Body

• Name: Adair-Casey Community School District
• Organization type: school-district
• Government body: school-boards
• Location: Adair, iowa
• County: Adair County
• Provider: simbli

Keywords

Adair-Casey Community School District, July 2026 Regular Board Meeting, school board, Guthrie Center, whole grade sharing, reorganization, IASB policies, policy primer update, annual policy review, eighth grade athletics, HF2591, emergency operations plan, GC Elementary asbestos abatement, Caliber Concrete, Kuester Scholarship, certificate of deposit, summer maintenance, HVAC heat pumps, financial reports, cash balances, student activity fund, Infinite Campus, credit card processing fees, open enrollment, staffing, RAGBRAI, facilities, school governance