Regular Board Meeting
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 — 6:00 p.m.
Central Office — Board Room, 304 1st Street, Van Horne, Iowa
Key Items on the Agenda
The Benton Community School District Board of Education agenda includes school improvement and administration reports, FY27 annual administrative assignments, business and financial items, a consent agenda, policy review, annual notices, and the superintendent's report.
School Improvement and Administration Reports
The school improvement portion of the packet includes:
- Video introductions of new staff members.
- An opening-session update.
- Student recognition. Supporting materials identify Calvin Daily, Kellen Dorman, and Madison Lacina as National Math Stars. The program recognizes Iowa third-grade students who score in the top 2% statewide in mathematics on the ISASP and invites nominees to apply to the National Math Stars program.
- An August 2026 administration report.
FY27 Annual Assignments
The board is scheduled to consider annual administrative assignments required by Iowa Code. The packet identifies Anna Selk as the district's homeless liaison, equity coordinator, Section 504 coordinator, and Title IX coordinator.
For investigations involving alleged abuse of students by school district employees, the packet identifies Shawn Pfiffner, Katie Bauder, and Anna Selk as Level I investigators and Dr. James Bieschke and the SRO/Benton County Sheriff for Level II responsibilities. Other administrative assignments are also included for consideration.
Major Financial Items
August Warrants and Financial Reports
Business Services materials include August GAAP and FY27 warrants, additional warrants, warrant summaries, general fund reports, an all-funds report, and the fall activity pay schedule.
The packet reports:
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August GAAP warrants: $544,389.59 total.
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General Fund: $63,262.70.
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Activity Fund: $5,734.99.
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SAVE Fund: $475,391.90.
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August FY27 warrants: $828,494.01 total.
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General Fund: $648,958.16.
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Activity Fund: $37,449.23.
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Management Fund: $4,227.00.
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SAVE Fund: $111,315.49.
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PPEL Fund: $24,488.00.
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Nutrition Fund: $1,857.25.
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Enterprise Fund: $198.88.
Among the larger individual expenditures listed in the warrant materials are $452,857.11 to Sprinturf, LLC for Turf Payment #2, $202,370.00 to Blue Ally Technology Solutions, LLC for 400 Dell Chromebooks, $109,332.50 to Grant Wood AEA for special education funds and communications support, $98,765.20 to Benchmark Education for a three-year subscription, and $55,120.00 to Apple, Inc. for 65 iPads.
Other capital-related expenditures include $19,534.79 for carpeting, $18,485.00 for MS/HS tables, $25,089.00 to Moose Mechanical LLC for underground rough-in work, and $21,248.00 in PPEL spending to Moose Mechanical for building maintenance.
Financial Reporting and FY25 Closeout
The Business Services update states that work continues on the Certified Annual Report. Final ending balances had not yet been published by the Department of Education, and the district was waiting for those reports and balances to close out FY25.
The July FY27 all-funds report shows a district-wide beginning fund balance of $17,814,643, July receipts of $2,957,631, July expenses of $2,553,696, and a reported ending fund balance of $18,218,577.
Consent Agenda
The consent agenda includes personnel changes, volunteers, prior meeting minutes, and contracts. The packet states that hires and volunteers are contingent on background checks, proper licensing, and release from a current contract when applicable.
Personnel
The board is scheduled to consider 14 hires covering special education associate, counseling secretary, transportation, coaching, and food-service positions.
The consent agenda also includes three resignations:
- Monica Blair — Associate and Bus Driver.
- Jordan Myers — Food Service, MS/HS.
- Robert McGee — Custodian, MS/HS.
A group of volunteers is proposed for marching band, varsity football, and assistant dance coaching. The packet lists no open-enrollment items.
Contracts and Agreements
The consent agenda includes:
- FS Propane Contract — second option: price per gallon of $1.549, with a listed total of $6,570.00.
- Mount Mercy University Student Teaching Agreement: a cooperative agreement covering the 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 academic years.
The Mount Mercy agreement establishes procedures for student-teaching and field-experience placements. Standard student-teaching assignments are eight consecutive weeks, while standard field experiences are approximately 11 weeks and 20–70 hours. Mount Mercy would compensate cooperating Benton Community teachers $165 for a standard eight-week student-teaching assignment; that compensation does not apply to field experiences.
The consent agenda also includes the July 15, 2026 board meeting minutes.
Policy / Governance Items
The board is scheduled to review a substantial group of policies, regulations, and exhibits. Several changes are identified as efforts to align district documents with Iowa Association of School Boards materials.
Second Readings
Three policies are listed for second reading:
- 503.11 — Disruptive Behavior.
- 804.05 — Stock Prescription Medication Supply.
- 607.01 — Student Guidance and Counseling Program.
Policy 503.11 addresses classroom disruptions, removal of students, due process, requirements involving students with IEPs or Section 504 plans, and support following violent or nonviolent disruptions.
The draft Stock Prescription Medication Supply policy establishes procedures for voluntarily maintaining emergency medications such as epinephrine delivery systems, bronchodilators and spacers, and opioid antagonists. It addresses medication storage, monitoring, staff training, emergency response, and required reporting.
The draft Student Guidance and Counseling Program policy provides for a kindergarten-through-grade-12 counseling program addressing students' social, academic, and career development.
Equal Educational Opportunity
The packet includes revisions to the district's Policy 102 — Equal Educational Opportunity framework, including:
- 102 — Equal Educational Opportunity.
- 102 R(1) — Equal Educational Opportunity — Grievance Procedure.
- 102 E(2) — EEO Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination.
- 102 E(3) — Notice of Section 504 Student & Parental Rights.
- 102 E(4) — Discrimination Complaint Form.
- 102 E(5) — Witness Disclosure Form.
- 102 E(6) — Disposition of Complaint Form.
The packet indicates that the core policy and grievance materials are being changed to align with IASB materials. It also proposes replacing older complaint, witness-disclosure, and complaint-disposition forms with IASB versions.
School Nutrition Program
Policy changes also cover the district's school nutrition program:
- 710.01 — School Nutrition Program.
- 710.01 R(1) — School Nutrition Program Civil Rights Complaints Procedure.
- 710.01 E(1) — School Nutrition Program Notices of Nondiscrimination.
- 710.01 E(2) — Child Nutrition Programs Civil Rights Complaint Form.
The proposed Policy 710.01 continues district participation in the National School Lunch Program, addresses free and reduced-price meals, provides for annual board review of meal prices, and sets administrative and procurement responsibilities. The accompanying materials add civil-rights complaint procedures, nondiscrimination notices, and a complaint form to align with IASB materials.
Annual Notices
The agenda includes annual notices that the packet states are required by law to be approved each year. The board is scheduled to consider the notices as an annual governance item.
Superintendent Report
The superintendent's report lists several informational topics:
- Memoriam.
- Employee years of service and awards.
- Facilities update.
- Bobcat Radio.
- Iowa Schools Joint Investment Trust (ISJIT).
Supporting materials also include Benton Community's 2026-27 opening-session presentation. It describes the district's Universal Design for Learning work, including professional learning planned throughout the school year, and discusses broader enrollment and education trends affecting Iowa schools.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several packet items carry financial, operational, or policy significance:
- Policy changes: The board is scheduled to consider second readings of policies covering disruptive behavior, emergency stock medications, and K-12 counseling, along with a larger set of equal-opportunity and school-nutrition revisions.
- Capital and technology spending: August warrant materials include major expenditures for synthetic turf, Chromebooks, iPads, carpeting, building work, and other facilities and technology needs.
- Financial closeout: Business Services reports that the district is still awaiting Department of Education information needed to complete FY25 closeout work.
- Personnel: The consent agenda includes 14 proposed hires, three resignations, and numerous volunteers as the 2026-27 school year begins.
- Student teaching: The proposed Mount Mercy agreement would establish a three-year framework for placing university students in Benton Community classrooms for student teaching and field experiences.
- Annual compliance responsibilities: The agenda includes FY27 administrative assignments and annual notices tied to statutory or regulatory requirements.
