The Ames Community School District Board Meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 13. The packet includes proposed action on a 14-policy package, a $132,750 professional-services amendment for the Northwestern Avenue and 13th Street redevelopment, changes to the district's school transportation contract, the 2026-27 Comprehensive Assessment Plan, and a range of consent-agenda contracts and personnel-related items.
Key Items on the Agenda
Northwestern Avenue and 13th Street Redevelopment
The board is scheduled to consider Amendment #22 to its Professional Services Agreement with 10FOLD Architecture and Engineering. The amendment would formalize the scope and schedule for Phase 2 of redevelopment at the Northwestern Avenue and 13th Street property, following the board's prior approval of 10FOLD's Phase 2 proposal at its June 15 regular meeting.
The amendment carries an estimated cost of $132,750. The project materials identify Phase 2 as parking and driveway work and outline a schedule extending through construction administration ending August 31, 2027.
The facilities report also notes several related updates:
- Soil boring at the Northwestern Avenue and 13th Street property is underway.
- Painting at Ames Middle School has begun.
- New cafeteria furniture for the middle school has been delayed until September.
- New scoreboards are scheduled to ship at the end of July.
- American Tower Corporation has proposed options involving its cell-tower lease on the Ames High campus; district administration is considering those options for a future Facilities Committee discussion.
School Transportation Contract Changes
The board is scheduled to consider Amendment No. 2 to the district's contract with First Student, Inc. The proposed amendment would make several changes to the existing school bus agreement:
- Increase rates by 2.7%, based on CPI, effective July 1, 2026.
- Guarantee contractor payment for 169 operating days, even when school transportation is canceled.
- Add insurance, liability, and facility-lease provisions.
- Clarify responsibilities involving athletic trips, vandalism, and employee pay.
Staff recommends approval of the amendment as presented.
2026-27 Comprehensive Assessment Plan
The board is expected to review and consider approval of the district's 2026-27 Comprehensive Assessment Plan, which establishes the testing framework used to collect instructional data and monitor student growth.
The plan includes assessment windows throughout the school year. Among the listed assessments are iReady, STAR, CogAT, ELPA21, alternative assessments and the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. The packet says assessment costs vary and that individual contracts are brought to the board separately.
Policy and Governance
14 Policies Scheduled for Action
The agenda places 14 policies under "Policies for Action," with a recommendation that the board approve the package as presented. The subjects range from bullying and student expression to support-staff employment rules, meal programs and artificial intelligence.
The policies listed for action are:
- 104 — Anti-Bullying/Harassment
- 208.1 — Board Committees
- 401.12 — Employee Use of Cell Phones — no change
- 411.2 — Support Staff Qualifications, Recruitment, Selection
- 411.5 — Support Staff Assignments and Transfers — no change
- 412.2 — Support Staff Wage and Overtime Compensation
- 412.4 — Support Staff Tax Deferred Retirement (403b) Plans
- 413.3 — Support Staff Suspension — no change
- 413.4 — Support Staff Dismissal
- 413.5 — Support Staff Reduction in Force
- 502.3 — Student Expression and Student Publications
- 605.8 — Artificial Intelligence in the Education Environment — new
- 710.4 — Meal Charges
- 710.5 — Procurement of School Meal Program — no change
New Artificial Intelligence Policy
Proposed Policy 605.8, Artificial Intelligence in the Education Environment, would establish district-level principles for the use of generative AI by students and staff.
The draft recognizes potential uses of AI for classroom organization, individualized learning, teaching, assessment, research and educator professional development, while emphasizing risks including inaccurate information, bias and accessibility limitations. It states that human oversight and decision-making must lead the selection, use and review of AI tools.
The proposal also says AI tools would never be the sole determining factor in decisions concerning student learning, assessment, academic integrity or behavior. Those decisions would remain with appropriate licensed staff and would be based on a broader review of available evidence.
Privacy requirements are another major component. The draft generally prohibits sharing personally identifiable information about other students or staff with AI tools without appropriate consent, with an exception for district-approved tools governed by a formal data privacy agreement. The policy's timeline lists committee consideration on May 19, discussion on June 15 and projected action on July 13.
Consent Agenda
The consent agenda is structured for approval through a single motion unless an item is removed for separate consideration.
Open Enrollment
For the 2026-27 school year, the packet recommends:
- Approving 5 requests to open enroll into the Ames School District: four kindergarten students and one fourth-grade student.
- Approving 9 requests to open enroll out of the district across several grade levels.
- Denying 4 additional requests to open enroll out because the applications do not meet pervasive-harassment criteria.
Staff Handbook and Pay Correction
The consent agenda includes the updated 2026-27 Certified Staff Handbook, which staff recommends approving before certified employees return for the coming school year.
A separate item seeks to correct the FY27 starting pay rate for the Facilities Support Specialist to $24 per hour.
Online Learning and Credit Recovery
The district proposes continuing two Edmentum arrangements:
- EdOptions Academy: $62,500 for enrollment subscription licenses supporting 25 full-time online students in grades 6-12 during 2026-27.
- Edmentum Courseware: approximately $27,650 from Dropout Prevention funds for 180 program licenses used by Ames High for credit-recovery courses.
The packet says the Courseware licensing cost is slightly lower than the previous year because Ames High did not exceed its allotted seats during 2025-26.
Cybersecurity Services
A proposed master service agreement with Martin Yarborough and Associates would continue the district's cybersecurity vulnerability-management work. The packet says the partnership supports the district's continuing work toward the NIST 800 standard.
The estimated cost is approximately $7,000, funded through PPEL.
AP and PSAT Registration Services
The district proposes an agreement with Advanced Placement Testing Services to manage functions associated with PSAT and AP exam registration, including family communications, payment tracking, reporting and troubleshooting.
The proposed service fees are:
- $3 per AP exam registration processed.
- $2 per PSAT exam registration processed.
- $1 per exam refund processed.
Middle School Athletic Services and Cooperative Agreements
A proposed three-year agreement with McFarland Clinic would provide athletic trainer services as needed for Ames Middle School activities. The hourly rates would rise over the agreement:
- $25 per hour in 2026-27.
- $35 per hour in 2027-28.
- $40 per hour in 2028-29.
The consent agenda also includes cooperative-sharing agreements with St. Cecilia Catholic School and Ames Christian School for grades 7-8 athletics. The agreements would make students from those schools eligible to participate in interscholastic athletic programs at Ames Middle School.
Trademark Licensing
Three licensing agreements would allow outside vendors to continue using district marks to sell branded products. The agreements involve Rauen, Inc., doing business as 1-800-TSHIRTS; Sign Pro; and BSN.
District Reports
Enrollment and Staffing
The superintendent's report says enrollment remains little changed since the June 15 regular meeting while the district continues registering students and new kindergartners.
Staffing also remains little changed. The district continues hiring for positions vacated through routine resignations and retirements and expects to welcome 31 new certified staff members in 2026-27.
Disposal of Obsolete Orchestra Instruments
The board is scheduled to consider a recommendation to dispose of more than three dozen obsolete Ames High Orchestra instruments.
According to the packet, estimated repair costs are nearly comparable to replacement costs, while prospective resale proceeds are unlikely to cover the administrative cost of selling the instruments. Rather than pursuing resale, staff recommends donating them to a service project intended to create an instrumental music program in La Victorie, Haiti. The packet lists the cost of the proposed disposal as $0.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items would set or formalize plans extending beyond the July meeting:
- Whether the board approves the $132,750 10FOLD Amendment #22 for Phase 2 of the Northwestern Avenue and 13th Street redevelopment.
- Whether the board accepts the First Student contract amendment, including its 2.7% rate increase and 169-operating-day payment guarantee.
- Whether the full 14-policy package advances as presented, including the district's new artificial-intelligence policy.
- Whether the board approves the 2026-27 Comprehensive Assessment Plan.
- Whether the proposed donation of obsolete orchestra instruments moves forward.
The packet lists the board's next regular meeting for August 10 at 5:30 p.m.
