Key Items on the Agenda
High School DCAP Presentation
High School staff are scheduled to present their DCAP plan to the Board as part of the Teaching and Learning portion of the meeting. The packet does not provide additional details about the plan’s contents.
Personnel Changes
The agenda includes several proposed resignations and personnel actions. Staff recommends accepting resignations from Special Education Paraeducator Larissa Saunders, Head Varsity Softball Coach Ellie Tallman, Middle School Paraeducator and Middle School Weightlifting Advisor Jake Wulf, and Kids Club Lead Natalie Bohlken. The packet also lists revocation of an employment offer because of an unsatisfactory background check.
Separate personnel appointments and adjustments recommended for approval include four classified staff appointments and an assistant varsity volleyball coach.
Policy and Governance Items
Second Reading of Board Policies
The Board is scheduled to consider a broad set of policy changes on second reading, with the packet noting that most updates result from legislative changes. Staff recommends approval of the policies as presented.
The proposed changes span board governance, employment, student conduct, instruction, special education, technology, medication administration, public records, and other areas. Notable additions and changes include:
- New Policy 503.11 on disruptive behavior.
- New regulations 503.11R1 and 503.11R2 addressing removal procedures, including procedures for nonviolent behavior involving students with an IEP.
- A new technology adoption checklist associated with the district's one-to-one digital device program.
- A new regulation for the talented and gifted program.
- Proposed rescission of Policy 602.01 on multicultural and gender fair education.
- Proposed rescission of Policy 602.13 on global education.
Annual Policy Review
Policies 504.11, Title I Parent & Family Engagement, and 606.12, Insufficient Classroom Space, are scheduled for their annual review. The recommendation is to approve both policies as written.
Major Financial and Compensation Items
$35,016 Support Personnel Salary Supplement
The district has been allocated $35,016 through the Educational Support Personnel Salary Supplement program for hourly school employees. The district proposes using the same distribution approach as last year.
Under the proposal, contracted hourly full- and part-time non-probationary employees would receive a one-time payment of approximately $397 in November 2026. The final payment would depend on the number of eligible employees as of November 1; employees new in 2026–27 and hired by November 1 would receive payment after successfully completing a 90-day probationary period.
Grant Wood AEA Special Education Funding Amendment
The Board is scheduled to consider the first amendment to its contract with Grant Wood Area Education Agency for the transfer of State AEA Special Education Funding. The amendment specifies that transfers would occur in four quarterly payments each school calendar year, consistent with the state aid payment schedule of the Department of Management.
The amendment states that no other changes are being made to the original agreement.
Monthly Financial Reports
The consent agenda includes financial reports showing governmental fund cash balances along with activity in the district's activity, nutrition, and day care funds. The packet reports $2,554,547.37 in General Fund receipts and $396,453.93 in General Fund expenditures for the reporting period.
The nutrition program reports $162.75 in receipts, $3,810.98 in expenses, and a July 31, 2026 fund equity balance of $59,801.20.
Student Activities and Travel
Free Admission to Home Athletic Events
The Board is scheduled to consider a proposal making admission free for all K–12 Anamosa students at home athletic events, including football, volleyball, and cross country. Students in grades K–6 would be required to attend with a supervising adult.
Sales of student athletic and activity passes would be placed on hold through the fall. The proposal does not cover student admission to fall concerts, the musical, or other special events. The packet notes that reduced gate revenue could require additional Athletic Department fundraising or events, while the district hopes increased student attendance will strengthen school pride and participation.
ELP Trip to Chicago
The Board is expected to consider an out-of-state trip for ELP students during the 2026–27 school year. The packet describes a proposed November 2026 trip to Chicago for museums and educational opportunities and states that staff will present the trip to the Board.
Boys Cross Country Trip to Twin Cities
Varsity boys cross country is requesting permission to attend the GRIAK Invitational in the Twin Cities on Saturday, September 19. The proposed trip would include eight students and a $275 team entry fee, with an overnight hotel stay Friday and return after the Saturday meet.
The trip falls during Homecoming week. According to the packet, participating students would miss Friday's parade but would return for Saturday's dance.
Emergency Preparedness
Temporary Relocation Center Agreement
The district is being asked to enter into an agreement with the Linn County Emergency Management Agency to make Anamosa Community School District facilities available as temporary relocation centers during certain emergencies, including a radiological event involving the Duane Arnold Energy Center.
Under the proposed agreement:
- District facilities would be used only if affected areas were actually evacuated.
- The district would participate in requested emergency drills and exercises.
- The district would be reimbursed for costs resulting from use of its facilities during actual or simulated emergencies.
- Linn County Emergency Management and its training partners would provide necessary training materials.
- Either party could terminate the agreement with 90 days' written notice.
Staff recommends approval.
School Resource Officer Year-End Report
School Resource Officer Derek Kunkel is scheduled to present an informational year-end report covering the first year of the SRO program. The presentation compares calls for service and assaults between the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years.
For 2025–26, the presentation reports 87 total calls for service and four assaults, compared with 59 calls and nine assaults in 2024–25. The 2025–26 totals include 23 calls and one assault at the elementary school, 38 calls and one assault at the middle school, and 26 calls and two assaults at the high school.
The report also identifies one middle-school citation for a vape pen and three high-school arrests, including one drug arrest and two arrests for intellectual property counterfeiting. The SRO's stated 2026–27 goals include building relationships with students and staff, coordinating lockdown drills and safety presentations, clarifying the distinction between school disciplinary matters and SRO matters, and pursuing additional training.
Consent Agenda
The Board is scheduled to consider a consent agenda that includes:
- Minutes from the July 20, 2026 Regular Meeting and July 30, 2026 Special Meeting.
- Bills due and payable and bills paid between Board meetings.
- Monthly financial reports.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could have longer-term effects beyond the August meeting. The Board is being asked to consider a large package of policy updates driven largely by legislative changes, a new approach to free student admission at home athletic events, distribution of $35,016 in state support-personnel compensation funding, and an emergency relocation agreement with Linn County.
The meeting also includes informational presentations on the High School DCAP plan and the first-year results of the School Resource Officer program, giving the Board opportunities to review instructional planning and school-safety data without the packet describing those presentations as approval items.
