Meeting: 08/24/2026 - 06:00 PM Board Work Session Board Meeting
Location: Mount Pleasant Community District Office Board Room, 100 Blk. West Franklin Street
The Board Work Session agenda centers on four topics: fundraising guidance, a proposed media and broadcasting partnership with Amplify-MP, superintendent goals, and a proposed committee and leadership-group structure. The packet provides substantial supporting material for the Amplify-MP proposal and committee structure, while offering more limited detail on fundraising guidance and superintendent goals.
Key Items on the Agenda
The board is scheduled to review a proposal from Amplify-MP, an initiative of HedgePost LLC, for a districtwide media, broadcasting, marketing, and live-event partnership. The proposal is designed to increase the district's visibility, support enrollment, improve event experiences, and create a professional media operation without adding ongoing operational expenses to the district's general operations budget.
Under the proposed structure:
- The district would fund and own permanent broadcast and production infrastructure, including cameras, cabling, lighting, control systems, and related technology.
- The proposal identifies PPEL, SAVE, or other eligible capital funding as potential sources for district infrastructure costs.
- Amplify-MP would staff and operate the media system and cover ongoing costs including personnel, software, streaming platforms, content distribution, and production equipment not owned by the district.
- Amplify-MP would produce livestreams of athletics and other student activities, in-game experiences for indoor winter sports, weekly district features, daily-program integration, and social-media-ready content.
- The district would retain final approval over district-branded content and responsibility for alignment with district policies, student privacy requirements, and community standards.
- Amplify-MP would manage advertising and sponsorship opportunities and work with the district on shared sponsor fundraising efforts.
The proposal identifies four primary goals: understanding and influencing enrollment, enhancing district branding and public relations, increasing event attendance, and establishing a sustainable, self-funded media model. One stated performance target is a 10% increase in event ticket sales and door counts.
Proposed Financial Commitment for Broadcast and Event Infrastructure
The Amplify-MP proposal estimates $575,000 in district infrastructure expenditures across three phases:
- Phase A — $175,000: $75,000 for high school gymnasium livestreaming infrastructure and $100,000 for Mapleleaf Athletic Complex livestreaming infrastructure. The proposal lists August 2026 as the recommended approval period.
- Phase B — $300,000: Football field video board, with January 2027 listed as the recommended approval period.
- Phase C — $100,000: $25,000 for Chapel Auditorium sound, lighting, and video technology and $75,000 for a Luxedo system in the gym, with September 2027 listed as the recommended approval period.
Amplify-MP proposes that the board consider approving all expenditures at one time, arguing that combined approval could support discounted bids, faster installation when possible, and potential pledge matching from athletic boosters. The proposal also acknowledges the size of the expenditure and presents phased approvals as an alternative.
The packet states that the athletic boosters may provide a funding match toward the proposed football field video board and Luxedo projection system, but it does not specify a guaranteed match amount.
Proposed Annual Value to the District
Amplify-MP estimates that its promotional services would provide $24,000 annually in value. The proposal also calls for Amplify-MP to contribute $15,000 annually to the Activities Department.
As an alternative to that $15,000 contribution, the district could choose $15,000 in marketing campaigns, media production, or consulting services. Examples in the proposal include an orientation video for Spanish-speaking families or a teacher-recruitment marketing campaign.
Proposed Implementation Timeline
The proposal outlines a staged rollout beginning in 2026:
- August 2026: Partnership begins, with board consideration of infrastructure expenditures and Amplify-MP beginning weekly MPCSD features, a shareable content archive, and social-media distribution.
- August–September 2026: Amplify-MP would work with district activities and technology staff on infrastructure design, RFPs as needed, and technology purchasing agreements.
- September–October 2026: High school gym livestream equipment would be installed and tested, with the proposal anticipating broadcasts for late-season varsity volleyball as appropriate, followed by basketball and wrestling.
- February 2027: The proposal anticipates livestream production expanding to non-sports activities, subject to licensing, potentially including concerts, theater, prom, graduation, and award ceremonies.
- March 2027: Livestream infrastructure would be installed at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex for football, baseball, and softball facilities, with portable equipment proposed for soccer coverage.
The packet's timeline also lists installation of new event lighting and sound equipment in Chapel Auditorium as January 2026, although that date appears within a future implementation sequence. The packet does not provide clarification or a corrected date, so the stated date should be treated as written rather than inferred.
Policy and Governance Items
Superintendent Goals and Evaluation
The agenda includes superintendent goals as a work-session topic. The packet specifically states that the board will refer to Board Policy 302.05, Superintendent Evaluation, and also provides a link to the Iowa Superintendent Performance Review.
The packet does not provide additional substantive detail about proposed superintendent goals, performance targets, or changes to the evaluation process.
Proposed Committee and Leadership-Group Structure
The board is scheduled to review a proposed structure covering district committees and leadership groups. The supporting document describes six groups, their membership, meeting frequency, and responsibilities.
- School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC): Focused on student learning and school goals. Its work would include reviewing learning data, developing recommendations for district goals, helping establish student-success goals, and gathering parent and community input. The document anticipates three meetings per year and limits board participation to three members.
- Facilities Committee: Focused on master planning, including implementation of the facility master plan and consideration of new or existing spaces. It would meet at least twice annually, with additional meetings depending on the master-plan timeline.
- District Insurance Committee: Focused on developing and executing a long-range insurance plan, understanding employee benefit options, establishing a benefits vision, and providing input on plan options and services. It would meet at least twice annually and more frequently as needed.
- Facilities Leadership Group: Focused on master planning, buildings and grounds, and safety. The group would meet monthly, with responsibilities including repairs and upgrades, safety needs, facility use, and leadership of the broader Facilities Committee.
- Policy Leadership Group: Focused on board policies and legal compliance. Responsibilities would include writing and updating policies, checking compliance with state law, reviewing existing policies, and reviewing handbooks. Meetings would occur as needed.
- Personnel Leadership Group: Focused on staffing, compensation, benefits, and possible reductions in force. Responsibilities would include reviewing employment rules and contracts, assessing staffing needs, participating in insurance work and district negotiations, and discussing early-retirement incentives when appropriate.
The proposed structures generally limit board participation on the listed committees and leadership groups to three board members.
Other Work Session Topic
Fundraising Guidance
The agenda includes Discussion Regarding Fundraising Guidance as a work-session item. The packet text does not provide supporting detail describing a specific policy change, recommendation, fundraising proposal, or requested board action.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The Amplify-MP proposal presents the most substantial potential financial and operational commitment in the packet. Key questions for the work session include how the board approaches the proposed $575,000 infrastructure plan, whether expenditures would be considered together or in phases, and how the proposed district-funded infrastructure would support the longer-term media partnership.
The proposed committee structure also gives the board an opportunity to review how members, administrators, employees, parents, community members, and other participants would be organized around facilities, insurance, policy, personnel, and school-improvement work. Superintendent goals and fundraising guidance are also scheduled for discussion, but the packet provides less detail about the specific issues or potential next steps associated with those topics.
