The Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District Board of Education is scheduled for a regular meeting at 5:15 p.m. on August 12 at the Estherville Lincoln Central Administration Building, 1814 7th Ave. S. The packet centers on the next phase of the district's bleachers and press box project, a large group of policy updates, temporary school-business consulting support, a stadium change order, and a boys' swimming sharing agreement.
Key Items on the Agenda
Bleachers and Press Box Project
The board is scheduled to consider several related actions for the Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District Bleachers and Press Box Improvement Project. The packet includes proposed resolutions covering the project's plans and specifications and the award of a construction contract.
Bids were received and publicly opened on August 6. The bid tabulation identifies Graves Construction as the apparent low bidder at $1,341,420, compared with other submitted totals of $1,358,099, $1,358,400, and $1,394,520.
The agenda recommends that the board:
- Adopt the plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of cost for the project.
- Review the construction bids.
- Award the construction contract to Graves Construction.
The packet's proposed contract-award resolution describes the selected bid as the lowest responsive, responsible bid. Because these materials are presented for the August 12 meeting, the proposed resolutions and award should not be treated as completed board action based on the packet alone.
Stadium Entrance Change Order
A separate construction item involves Change Order No. 5 for the ELC Stadium Entrance project. The change is tied to relocation of the shot put area after the original location was found to leave insufficient room when the footprint of the new bleachers was considered.
The supporting change order identifies $2,524.50 for regrading the field-events area. It lists an original contract price of $2,506,475, a contract price of $2,466,300.34 before this change order, and $2,468,824.84 with the change included. The agenda recommends approval of Change Order No. 5.
Policy and Governance
Extensive Policy Update Proposed
The board is scheduled to consider a broad set of policy revisions that the packet says were updated by the Iowa Association of School Boards to meet current state and federal law. The proposed changes span board governance, employment, student conduct and programs, medication, instruction, financial management, procurement, technology, records, nutrition, and other district operations.
Among the subjects represented in the draft policies are:
- Anti-bullying and harassment.
- Board elections and conflicts of interest.
- Equal employment opportunity and employee benefits.
- Open enrollment.
- Student expression, conduct, and disruptive behavior.
- Medication administration and stock prescription medication.
- Special education, physical education, talented and gifted programming, and private instruction.
- Technology, instructional materials, data security, and responsible technology use.
- Fiscal management, accounting, debt management, purchasing, federal awards compliance, and financial reporting.
- School district records and public examination of records.
The recommendation is to waive the first reading and approve the policies as presented. It also calls for rescinding Policies 603.04, 603.10, and 703.03. Policy 703.03, Governmental Fund Balances, is identified as being replaced by draft Policy 701.04, Governmental Accounting Practices & Regulations.
Financial and Administrative Items
School Business Office Consulting Support
The district is proposing a consulting agreement with KW School Business Consulting LLC for the remainder of the 2026-27 school year. According to the packet, the service is intended to help the incoming School Business Official after the timing of the hiring and retirement left insufficient time for the desired transition and training.
The district anticipates needing approximately 4 to 8 days of consulting assistance per month, depending on monthly needs. The agreement describes potential services including year-end closing assistance, financial consulting, budget development, audit preparation, School Business Official and board secretary support, training, and mentoring. The agenda recommends approval of the contract.
Finance Reports
The consent agenda includes district finance reports. The July 31, 2026 cash-basis statement reports:
- $11,798,868 in beginning balances across all funds.
- $3,507,801 in revenues received to date.
- $15,306,669 in total funds available.
- $2,206,659 in disbursements to date.
- $13,100,010 in ending balances across all funds as of July 31.
These figures are presented in the packet as financial reporting information associated with the consent agenda.
Student Programs and Activities
Boys' Swimming Sharing Agreement
The district has received a request to share boys' swimming with Spencer for the 2026-27 school year. The packet says the arrangement would cost $500 per student-athlete, with students and families responsible for transportation to practices and meets.
The district anticipates one student participating. The team would compete as the Spencer Tigers, and the packet identifies Spencer, Sioux Central, Okoboji, Graettinger-Terril, Spirit Lake, and Storm Lake as participants in the sharing arrangement. Staff recommends approving the agreement.
Stadium Project Donation
The agenda also includes a gifts, grants, and bequests item involving a pledge or donation from Bob and Jean Grems for the Phase 2-3 Stadium Project. The packet recommends accepting the donation as presented but does not state an amount in the agenda text.
Consent Agenda and Personnel
The consent agenda is structured for routine items to be considered together unless an item is removed for separate consideration. It includes meeting minutes, bills, finance reports, and personnel matters.
Personnel listed in the packet include proposed hires for elementary and middle school teacher associate positions, a middle school football coaching position, and mentor assignments. The personnel section also lists three resignations.
Among the supporting hiring recommendations, proposed hourly pay includes:
- $14.25 for Addison Mingus as a Demoney Elementary Teacher Associate.
- $14.50 for Asher Molacek as a Demoney Elementary Teacher Associate, reflecting previous district experience.
- $14.50 for Alexander Sheridan as a Demoney Elementary Teacher Associate, reflecting previous district experience.
- $14.25 for Kaylin Fehlman as a Demoney Elementary Teacher Associate.
- $14.25 for Valerie Ball as a Demoney Elementary Teacher Associate.
- $14.25 in the supporting recommendations for middle school teacher associate candidates Noah Danner, Madyson Jewell, Emerson Martinez, and Kendall Molacek.
The agenda also lists the resignations of Katie Egeland, Jersie Nitchals, and Michael Schmeling from teacher associate positions.
The meeting agenda provides an opportunity for public input on agenda items. Visitors who want to speak are asked to complete a card, and comments are limited to three minutes per speaker. The packet specifies that this period is for public comments rather than dialogue or questions between the board and speaker.
The agenda also calls for mentors to introduce new teachers and staff serving in elementary, middle school, high school, and district positions.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The most consequential scheduled decisions center on the district's facilities work and policy framework. The board is expected to consider whether to move the bleachers and press box project forward with the proposed construction documents and a $1,341,420 contract award to Graves Construction, while separately considering the $2,524.50 stadium entrance change order.
The board is also being asked to act on a substantial package of policy revisions in a single meeting by waiving the first reading, including three proposed rescissions. Other items to watch include the consulting arrangement designed to support the School Business Official transition and the proposed boys' swimming sharing agreement with Spencer.
