Belmond-Klemme Community School District School Board Agenda Explained — August 20, 2026. Civic Translator infographic generated from public meeting materials.
About this summary
Generated from official public meeting materials.
This summary was created from publicly available agenda, supporting documents, reports, attachments, packets, and other official pre-meeting materials published for the Belmond-Klemme Community School District School Board meeting.
Civic Translator uses automated and AI-assisted publishing workflows. Official government records, agendas, packets, minutes, recordings, and notices remain the authoritative source.
The Belmond-Klemme Community School District Board is scheduled to consider a broad agenda that includes a new strategic plan, federal grant renewals, a large set of policy revisions, personnel recommendations, contracts, financial reports, and school-readiness updates.
Key Items on the Agenda
Strategic Plan
The agenda includes the district's 2025–2027 Strategic Framework, "Building Our Future, Together." The plan grew out of a strategic-planning process launched in fall 2025 with participation from teachers, students, and community members.
The framework identifies four overarching pillars: Learning, Connections, People, and Facilities. More detailed priorities emphasize academic achievement, community partnerships, and staff attraction and retention.
Academic achievement: By June 2027, the district aims to increase English/Language Arts proficiency, with targeted improvement for English Learners and students with IEPs. Strategies include stronger Professional Learning Communities, Science of Reading practices, aligned curriculum and assessments, Tier 2 interventions, and improved supports for English Learners.
Connections: The plan calls for stronger two-way communication with families, increased use of ParentSquare, in-person support for families using district systems, and partnerships with local businesses. One target is to increase active family engagement from 60% to 80% by the end of the 2026–2027 school year.
Staff attraction and retention: The district proposes work on culture, morale, workload, professional growth, compensation and benefits, certification pathways, and structured staff feedback. The plan specifically identifies exploration of a potential four-day school week as one possible strategy rather than an adopted change.
The strategic plan is listed as an action item, although the agenda text does not state a specific recommended motion.
Federal Title Program Renewals
The board is scheduled to consider renewal of federal Title I and Title IIA grant applications and authorization to transfer Title IV funding for the 2026–2027 fiscal year.
Belmond-Klemme received $173,742 in Title I funding last year through Title IA Basic and Title I School Improvement. The coming year's allocation was not yet known when the packet was prepared.
The district currently employs two full-time Title I reading teachers and an interventionist aide at an approximate combined cost of $220,000, supplementing Title I resources with Teacher Salary Supplement and Early Reader funding.
The district received $24,862 in FY2026 Title II funding and plans to continue using that program for class-size reduction.
The district received $10,003 in FY2026 Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment funding. The packet says Title IV funds were transferred to Title II last year and proposes doing so again.
Staff recommends approving the Title I and Title IIA applications and authorizing the Title IV transfer.
Policy and Governance Items
Second Reading and Proposed Adoption of Major Policy Revisions
The board is scheduled to consider the second reading and adoption of an extensive group of policy changes, along with rescission of several policies being consolidated elsewhere in the policy manual.
Among the proposed changes:
Policy 203 — Conflict of Interest: Increases the conflict-of-interest threshold to $20,000 and incorporates provisions allowing part-time or temporary employment of a board member as permitted by Iowa Code.
Policy 409.02 — Employee Leaves of Absence: Adds a requirement for three days of paid leave for employees assaulted by a student and consolidates several existing leave policies.
Policy 501.15 — Open Enrollment: Adds notification requirements when open enrollment into the district is denied and provides for rescinding open enrollment for a student who is truant.
Policies 503.11 and regulations — Disruptive Behavior: Establish procedures allowing teachers to remove students for violent and nonviolent disruptions. The packet states students would not return to class for 30 minutes in grades K–5 or until the next day in grades 6–12, with additional procedures addressing students with IEPs.
Policy 504.06 — Student Activity Program: Adds provisions allowing eighth-grade students to participate in high school sports under specified regulations.
Policy 603.06 — Physical Education: Adds a requirement that students take the presidential fitness test.
Policy 604.03 — Talented and Gifted: Adds an annual report to the board on TAG students' academic progress.
Policy 605.04 — Technology and Instructional Materials: Limits technology use in grades K–5 to 60 minutes, subject to listed exceptions, and adds a checklist for evaluating the district's one-to-one device program.
Policy 901 — Public Examination of School District Records: Adds language concerning legal remedies when dealing with a "vexatious person."
The recommended action is to adopt the listed policies and regulations and rescind policies 206.04, 409.04–409.08, 414.02, and 414.04–414.08 as part of the consolidation and revision process.
First Reading of Additional Policies
A separate group of policies is scheduled for first reading:
401.07 — Employee Travel Compensation: Proposed mileage reimbursement increase from $0.25 to $0.40 per mile.
407.06 — Licensed Employee Early Retirement: Removes details of an incentive plan from the standing policy and would allow future incentive plans to be approved at regular or special board meetings.
701.03 — Financial Records: Reorganizes the policy for clarity and ease of use.
705.01 — Purchasing/Bidding: Removes language concerning targeted small-business purchases and reporting to the Department of Education.
705.01-R(1) and R(2): Update references to current federal code.
These items are presented as first readings rather than final adoption items.
Contracts and Technology
Several contracts appear on the consent agenda.
IXL Learning Renewal
The district has a one-year renewal quote for the IXL Personalized Learning Platform covering Math and English Language Arts for 375 K–12 users plus IXL Spanish for 100 users.
Renewal period: August 15, 2026–August 15, 2027
Math and ELA: $7,312.50
Spanish: $500
Total: $7,812.50
Health-e Pro Menu Planning
The packet includes a proposed 36-month Health-e Pro agreement for school food-service menu planning and production. The package includes menu planning and production software, menu publishing, mobile-app access, data transfer from Fairfield Community School District, and initial activation and training.
First-year total: $5,850
Successive annual payments: $3,930
Contract term: 36 months
Early customer termination would carry a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the remaining payments due.
The agreement would begin on the first day of the month following signature.
Eocene Air Monitoring
The consent agenda includes an agreement with Eocene Environmental Group for air monitoring and project observation associated with Room 112 at the high school.
The agreement describes monitoring connected with asbestos-removal work, including area sampling, containment-entry sampling, HEPA exhaust sampling, project observation, and final clearance sampling.
Estimated duration: 2 days
Rate: $1,500 per day
Estimated total: $3,000
K12Docs / Software Unlimited
The board is also scheduled to consider a licensing agreement with Software Unlimited for K12Docs, a cloud-based electronic document-storage system. The packet includes the end-user licensing agreement and a FY2026–27 fee schedule based on enrollment.
The agenda does not state a district-specific contract total for this item, so no specific proposed expenditure can be established from the packet text.
Personnel and Staffing
The consent agenda includes several personnel recommendations.
Five para-educator appointments at Jacobson Elementary are proposed, with hourly rates ranging from $17.33 to $17.50.
Alexis Gomez is recommended as the 7–12 English Learner Teacher, contingent on appropriate licensure and endorsements, at an annual salary of $50,000, prorated for days worked.
The packet proposes appointments for the Jr/Sr High Student Council Advisor, National Honor Society Advisor, and Head Speech Coach.
An additional $875 coaching stipend is proposed for Ryann Sander because of a partially filled position and additional duties.
Dawn Sander is recommended for a 60% payment of $1,320 for serving a partial season as JH Volleyball Coach.
The board is asked to accept the resignation of Magnolia Willms, a Jr/Sr High para-educator.
The board is also scheduled to consider teacher lane advancements for Austin Lich and Ethan Krogman, contingent upon documentation of graduate credits. The packet states that moving from one salary lane to the next provides $2,100 in additional salary.
Other consent recommendations include substitute bus-driver contracts and appointment of anti-bullying investigators for Jacobson Elementary and the Jr/Sr High.
Financial Items
Bills and Fund Reports
The consent agenda includes July financial statements, reconciliation reports, regular board bills, and supplemental board bills.
The regular invoice listing shows a report total of $934,513.72. Larger entries include:
$222,422 — EMC Insurance, insurance renewal
$146,124.18 — Garner Hayfield Ventura CSD, second-semester special education
$77,600 — Mid-West Roofing Company, roof project
$60,319.08 — Meteor Education, Jr/Sr High School furniture
$55,526 — Central Rivers AEA, FY27 products and services
$51,384.29 — Cady Business Tech, Mitel phone system
$45,900.14 — Forest City CSD, second-semester special education
$42,712.45 — Clear Lake CSD, second-semester special education
$29,407.92 — Visual Edge IT, printer lease buyout
$24,050.08 — In Step Flooring, carpet for six rooms and VCT flooring for one room
The supplemental invoice listing totals $38,359.26 and includes $10,320 for laptop repairs, $8,510 for 10 iPads for science/administrative use, and $9,150 for an annual Software Unlimited fee.
These expenditures appear within the packet's financial and consent materials; the packet summary does not establish meeting approval or payment outcomes.
Special Education Tuition Contracts
The consent agenda also includes annual special education tuition contracts. The packet explains that when students receive special education services outside their resident district, contracts with the service provider require school-board authorization.
Belmond-Klemme is listed as receiving students for special education services from CAL, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, and West Fork. The packet lists CAL, CAM, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Clear Lake, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Red Oak, and NeuroRestorative Chicagoland Academy as currently providing services to Belmond-Klemme students.
Staff recommends approving contracts for resident students attending elsewhere and non-resident students receiving services through Belmond-Klemme.
School Readiness and Administrative Reports
The reports portion of the agenda includes updates from district administrators and department leaders as the new school year gets underway.
Scheduled reports include:
Curriculum Director
Activities Director
Transportation Director, including school-readiness information
Food Service Director, including the summer program and school readiness
Building and Grounds Director, including school readiness
Technology Director, including school readiness
Principals
Superintendent
The packet does not provide substantive written detail for these reports, so the topics that may be presented beyond the agenda descriptions are not established.
Public Participation and Board Planning
The agenda provides a public-comment period under Welcome Visitors / Communication. District procedures allow speakers three minutes for remarks and state that the board will not respond to comments during that session.
The board's discussion agenda also includes Board Comments and Future Agenda Planning. The packet notes that IASB BoardCon 2026 is scheduled for November 18–20, 2026, at the Iowa Events Center.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could have longer-term implications beyond routine monthly business:
The strategic plan establishes district priorities through 2027, including academic targets, family engagement, workforce retention, and exploration of a possible four-day school week.
The board is scheduled to consider final adoption of a large policy package affecting student discipline, employee leave, technology use, open enrollment, student activities, records, curriculum, and other district operations.
The proposed Health-e Pro agreement would create a three-year commitment for food-service planning software, while the IXL proposal would renew instructional software for one year.
Federal grant decisions would continue support for reading intervention and class-size reduction while transferring Title IV resources into Title II.
Financial materials include significant spending related to insurance, special education services, roofing, furniture, technology, flooring, and other preparations for district operations.
Source Information
The packet materials were obtained from the official public-body meeting source for Belmond-Klemme Community School District through Simbli.
