Calamus-Wheatland Comm School District Packet Summary — 2026-08-10
Meeting: Board of Education Regular Meeting
Date: August 10, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Calamus Wheatland Community School District, Library/Media Center, Wheatland
The Calamus-Wheatland Comm School District Board of Education is scheduled to consider a mix of financial, staffing, school-safety, instructional, early-childhood, career-academy, policy, and legislative items. The agenda also includes consideration of setting a public hearing related to a solar lease agreement.
Key Items on the Agenda
School Resource Officer Agreement
The board is scheduled to consider a memorandum of understanding with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office for a School Resource Officer. The proposed agreement describes the SRO as a limited, part-time assignment because the officer also serves as the DARE deputy for multiple schools in Clinton County.
The agreement is intended to clarify the roles of the district and law enforcement and support a safe school environment. Among the proposed SRO responsibilities are:
- Responding to necessary law-enforcement matters while on duty at the school.
- Serving as a liaison among school administrators, families, law enforcement, juvenile services, and other community agencies.
- Assisting school officials with plans to prevent or minimize dangerous situations.
- Presenting law-enforcement and safety topics to students.
- Supporting prevention and intervention efforts.
- Participating in school discipline when needed to prevent a disruption that could place students, faculty, or staff at risk; other student discipline would remain the district's responsibility.
The MOU also addresses confidentiality, including compliance with district policy, Iowa Code Chapter 22, FERPA, and other applicable laws. The SRO program would be assessed annually by the district and Sheriff's Office, and either party could terminate the agreement with 30 days' written notice.
Online Spanish Courses
The board is scheduled to consider a possible agreement with Logra Learning for Spanish I–IV online courses in fall 2026. The proposal identifies Logra Learning as an Iowa Department of Education-approved private provider of online Spanish courses and describes a blended program covering reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
The quote is based on 55 students at $285 per student for the fall semester, totaling $15,675. Materials are included. The proposal states that the school would provide computers and an on-site proctor for assessments, while Logra Learning instructors would provide instruction, feedback, grade reporting, and student support.
Warrior Early Learning Center Fees
The agenda includes Warrior Early Learning Center fees for 2026–27. Packet projections compare maintaining current rates with increases of $10 or $20 and show how enrollment assumptions and rate changes could affect the center's finances.
The packet estimates:
- No rate change: FY27 revenue of $475,283 against $550,989.03 in expenses, producing an annual shortfall of $75,706 and an estimated accumulated balance of -$51,656.17.
- $10 increase: FY27 revenue of $509,176 against $550,989.03 in expenses, producing an annual shortfall of $41,813 and an estimated accumulated balance of -$17,763.22.
- $20 increase: FY27 revenue of $543,069 against $550,989.03 in expenses, producing an annual shortfall of $7,920 and an estimated accumulated balance of $16,129.73.
The packet notes that the estimates depend on currently known enrollment. It also states that if enrollment remains at projected levels, part-time staffing may need to be adjusted to avoid negative fund balances.
EICC North Career Academy Agreement Addendum
The board is scheduled to consider an amendment to the Career Academy Cooperative 28E Agreement with Eastern Iowa Community College District. The underlying agreement is identified as running from September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2032.
Under the proposed amendment, participating districts would guarantee annual student enrollment commitments. Cal-Wheat is listed for eight students per year. The financial model would include:
- A fixed $2,000 per-student facility and operations charge for students within the district's guaranteed enrollment commitment.
- Tuition equal to 30% of the applicable EICCD tuition rate.
- Applicable instructional costs based on the EICCD academic calendar.
- A reduced $1,000 facility and operations charge for each additional student after a district fulfills its guaranteed annual enrollment commitment, with the 30% tuition charge and applicable instructional costs continuing to apply.
The amendment would become effective upon execution by the parties.
Major Financial Items
August Bills
The board is scheduled to review and approve August 2026 bills for payment. The packet's August expenditure breakdown totals $344,820.67, including:
- General Fund: $310,455.01
- PPEL/Capital Projects Fund: $27,522.19
- High School Activity Fund: $3,899.97
- Hot Lunch Fund: $2,943.50
Among the larger listed August expenditures are $94,160.31 to Central DeWitt CSD for second-semester open-enrollment and special-education tuition, $63,913.51 to HMH Education Co. for math curriculum, $49,461.38 to United Healthcare for health, dental, and vision premiums, and $30,165.25 to Mississippi Bend AEA for first-quarter flow-through funding and forms.
Propane Contract
The packet includes a River Valley Cooperative commercial propane contract dated July 31, 2026. It covers 8,500 gallons at $1.47 per gallon, for a contract total of $12,495.
The contract identifies a September 1, 2026 start date and lists terms governing contracted volumes, payment, deliveries, unused prepaid funds, and other conditions.
Consent Agenda
The board is scheduled to consider a consent agenda that includes minutes from the July 13 regular meeting and July 31 special meeting, the district's financial recap through July 31, open enrollment, contracts and letters of assignment, and resignations or retirements.
Open Enrollment
The packet lists five open-enrollment requests for 2026–27:
- Two students to Central DeWitt.
- Two students to Davenport.
- One student to Iowa Virtual Academy.
Personnel Assignments
Proposed contracts or letters of assignment include:
- An elementary mentor TLC stipend of $2,000.
- A high school Student Council adviser assignment at $1,340.
- A junior-high math long-term substitute position at $140 to $170.79 per day, subject to the licensing conditions described in the packet.
- An elementary special-education teaching position at a $50,000 beginning-teacher salary, also subject to the licensing conditions described in the packet.
The packet states that the two teaching positions remain advertised and open for a BOEE-certified teaching candidate under Iowa Department of Education and Board of Educational Examiners guidelines.
Policy, Reporting, and Legislative Items
Board Policies and Annual Reporting
The agenda includes a final reading of board policy review items and annual reporting requirements. The annual-reporting material identifies district responsibilities and designated contacts across areas including civil rights, Title IX, Section 504, special education, bullying and harassment, federal Title programs, homelessness, curriculum, transportation, testing, technology, and other compliance functions.
Legislative Priorities
The board is scheduled to consider legislative priorities associated with the Iowa Association of School Boards and Rural School Advocates of Iowa.
The RSAI materials ask districts to evaluate issues for the upcoming legislative session, including school funding, staff shortages, preschool, local school-board authority, increasing student needs, whole-grade sharing and reorganization incentives, operational sharing, formula equity, property-tax reform, and rural access to Area Education Agency services. The materials also ask respondents to identify up to five top priorities.
Public Hearing and Other Agenda Items
Solar Lease Agreement
The agenda includes an update on a solar lease agreement and a new-business item to set a public hearing for the Solar Lease Agreement. The packet text does not provide additional substantive terms of the proposed solar lease.
Tree Removal
Tree-removal quotes appear in the information section, with tree removal also listed under new business. The packet text does not provide the quoted amounts or additional details.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items involve choices that could affect future district costs or services. The board is expected to consider the structure of the School Resource Officer relationship, the proposed $15,675 fall Spanish-course arrangement, Warrior Early Learning Center fee options amid projected operating shortfalls, and the EICC Career Academy amendment with its eight-student annual commitment for Cal-Wheat.
The solar lease item is also procedural: the agenda calls for the board to consider setting a public hearing rather than taking final action on the lease itself.
The agenda lists the next board dates as a 5:00 p.m. work session on August 17, 2026, and a 5:00 p.m. regular meeting on September 14, 2026.
Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials.
