Key Items on the Agenda
The Guthrie Center Community School District Board is scheduled to consider a broad set of action items at its August 19 regular meeting, including policy updates, the district's 2024-25 audit, staff and student handbooks, and several equipment and facility expenditures. The agenda also includes transportation, administrative and financial reports, along with routine consent items.
Virtual Reality Welding Equipment
The board is scheduled to consider purchasing virtual reality welding equipment from Realityworks for AC/GC High School. The packet describes the equipment as a way for students to practice welding techniques in a safer environment before using traditional equipment, while also reducing material waste.
- The Realityworks quote totals $29,089.96, including shipping and handling.
- The package includes four guideWELD VR stations under a promotion providing one of the four units at no charge.
- The 10 Squared Men’s Club awarded $21,000 toward the purchase.
- Staff recommends approval of the equipment as presented.
New Choral Risers
The board is also scheduled to consider replacing aging choral risers with a StageRight FR-36 system. The packet says the replacement risers would be easier to move and improve safety for students and staff; the recommended model is the same type already used at the Adair-Casey campus.
The supporting quote lists five three-level FR-36 risers, five fourth-level add-on steps and freight for a net total of $12,525.00. Staff recommends approval of the StageRight risers as presented.
High School Front Steps Handrails
Artistic Iron has completed fabrication and painting of handrails for the new high school front steps, and the board is scheduled to consider the related invoice. The invoice totals $7,360.00, including $5,610 for fabrication, shop-coat painting and delivery of six steel stair rails and $1,750 for installation. Staff recommends approval of the invoice as presented.
2024-25 Audit
The board is scheduled to consider approval of the district's 2024-25 audit report. The independent auditor issued an unmodified opinion on the district's financial statements, stating that they present fairly, in all material respects, the district's financial position and changes in financial position.
The audit reports several notable financial changes for the year ended June 30, 2025:
- General Fund revenues increased from $6.72 million to $7.68 million, while General Fund expenditures decreased from $7.28 million to $6.71 million.
- The General Fund balance increased from $349,726 to $1,315,803.
- Total district net position increased from $3.76 million to $5.20 million.
- Total revenues increased 11.28%, while total expenses decreased 3.21%.
- Long-term debt stood at $1,884,092, down 12.96% from the prior year.
The audit identifies segregation of duties as a material weakness, citing the district's limited staffing and instances in which one individual controls multiple stages of financial processes. The district responded that it is working to improve segregation of duties.
The audit also notes sales tax paid on some district credit-card purchases, late fees and interest charges, an overstatement of supplementary weighting by 0.017, and a School Nutrition Fund deficit. An interfund loan of $19,500 from the General Fund to the School Nutrition Fund remained outstanding as of June 30, 2025; the district's response states that the loan was repaid in full on January 22, 2026, following board approval.
Policy and Governance Items
IASB Policy Primer Updates — Second Reading
The board is scheduled to consider the second reading of a large group of Iowa Association of School Boards policy updates. Staff recommends approving the updates as presented.
The proposed changes span board governance, student policies, personnel, instruction, finance, records, technology and other areas. Among the subjects covered are conflict of interest, open enrollment, student conduct, disruptive behavior, medication administration, purchasing and bidding, federal awards compliance, technology and data security, responsible technology use, and public examination of district records.
Several financial-policy changes stem from an IASB review of finance policies and federal funding requirements. The packet includes new policies addressing Federal Awards Compliance (Policy 705.05) and Time and Effort Reporting (Policy 706.04), along with revisions to policies covering fiscal management, debt, investments, purchasing and financial records.
The 2026 legislative policy update also addresses topics including open-meeting notice requirements, classroom technology use, disruptive student behavior, and gifted and talented programming.
Annual Policy Review — Second Reading
A separate action item covers policies subject to required periodic review. The packet explains that certain policies must be reviewed annually, while the remainder of board policies must be reviewed at least every five years. Staff recommends approval of the second reading of the required annual-review policies.
The materials include policies and regulations addressing long-range needs assessment, graduation requirements, parent and family engagement, education records and student directory information. A graduation-credit document in the packet outlines proposed graduation requirements that vary by class, including 62 credits for seniors, 64 for juniors, 66 for sophomores and 70 for freshmen and subsequent classes.
Transportation Report
The packet includes a 2025-26 Adair-Casey transportation review. It reports that all bus drivers have been retained for the coming school year, with part-time drivers also available for route and activity coverage.
Bus-fleet mileage increased from 55,973 miles to 64,727 miles during the recently completed fiscal year, attributed to Adair-Casey's coverage of two afternoon shuttles and transportation for high school activities. Four-wheel vehicle mileage moved in the opposite direction, falling about 35%, from 58,749 miles to 38,755 miles, which the report attributes to reduced special-education travel outside the district.
The report identifies Bus No. 7, a 2007 Blue Bird with 139,576 miles, as the principal fleet concern because of its age and exterior rust. A new Blue Bird bus is estimated at approximately $147,500, while three-year-old buses coming off lease are expected to cost approximately $75,000 with 35,000 to 45,000 miles.
The transportation report also describes a proposed Hotsy pressure washer priced at $8,852.83 after a $2,213 promotional reduction. It reports that Oshea Westphal has completed yellow-bus driver requirements and has a part-time driving contract, adding flexibility to the district's transportation staffing.
Consent Agenda
The consent agenda includes the July 15 board meeting minutes, monthly and prepaid bills, open-enrollment requests, personnel changes and a dance-team fundraiser.
Personnel items include resignations from paraprofessionals Jasmine Sandoval and Wendy Beeler, along with multiple contract recommendations. Two coaching recommendations specify stipends:
- Cole Larsen, assistant varsity wrestling coach — $3,406.50
- Bill Messinger, junior high wrestling — $2,081.75, with the packet noting the Adair-Casey expense is to be paid on the whole-grade-sharing bill.
The packet reports no gifts in July. It also includes a Dance Team fundraiser involving cookie or popcorn sales and online donations, with proceeds intended for choreography, registration and costume expenses.
Staff, Student and District Operations
The board is scheduled to consider approval of the 2026-27 certified and classified staff handbooks and the 2026-27 student handbooks. The student materials cover the high school, activities, junior high, Guthrie Center Elementary, Adair-Casey Elementary and an eighth-grade-to-high-school contract.
The superintendent's packet update reports 12 new staff members joining the district and describes back-to-school onboarding and staff activities. It also reports that staff met with architects to provide input on remodeling the junior high and elementary entryways, office spaces and restrooms; the architects are working on initial plans and a corresponding cost estimate.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The most consequential scheduled decisions include the second readings of extensive policy revisions, acceptance of the 2024-25 audit and its findings, and proposed purchases for welding instruction, choral performances and high school facilities. The transportation report also highlights longer-term capital questions, particularly the aging bus fleet and the significant price difference between purchasing a new bus and acquiring a three-year-old vehicle coming off lease.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at the AC/GC Junior High Library, 3384 Indigo Avenue, Adair, Iowa.
