Special Meeting at a Glance
The board is scheduled to hold a special meeting at 12:15 p.m. on August 14, 2026, with participation available by Zoom and an in-person location at the EJH Beard Administration Center, Conference Room 105A/B, 1302 1st Ave W, Newton. The agenda centers on elementary school construction projects and the starting date for the 2026–2027 school year.
Key Items on the Agenda
Elementary School Construction Projects
The board is scheduled to receive a discussion item updating construction projects at Aurora Heights Elementary and Thomas Jefferson Elementary. The packet provides milestone histories for both projects and includes proposed timeline documents.
For Aurora Heights Elementary, the packet lists these previously completed milestones:
- October 24, 2024: Bid opening.
- October 28, 2024: Public hearing and resolutions.
- October 28, 2024: Contract awarded to Graphite Construction Group of Des Moines for $12,895,000.
- November 6, 2024: Pre-construction meeting.
- November 10, 2025: Walking tour of the project.
The supporting Aurora Heights timeline identifies project phases including schematic design, design development, construction documents, bidding, contracts, construction and occupancy. It also identifies September 23 for board construction-document approval, an October 24 bid milestone and October 28 contract approval.
For Thomas Jefferson Elementary, the packet lists these previously completed milestones:
- September 26, 2024: Bid opening.
- September 30, 2024: Public hearing and resolutions.
- September 30, 2024: Contract awarded to Bi-State Contracting, Inc. of West Burlington for $5,492,748.
- November 6, 2024: Pre-construction meeting.
Together, the two construction contracts identified in the packet total $18,387,748.
2026–2027 School Year Starting Date
The agenda includes the starting date for the 2026–2027 school year as a discussion/action item. The superintendent is identified as the contact person for the item.
The packet links to both a 2026–2027 PreK calendar and a 2026–2027 K–12 calendar, but the extracted packet text does not state the proposed starting date or specify what action the board is being asked to take. The meeting is therefore expected to clarify the proposed date and any action associated with it.
Consent Agenda
The board is also scheduled to consider a consent agenda. The packet's recommendation states that the board approve the listed consent item, identified as the agenda.
This is a staff recommendation for the upcoming meeting; the packet does not document approval of the consent agenda as an already-completed action.
What to Watch at the Meeting
- Construction status: The elementary construction update may provide current information beyond the milestone histories included in the packet.
- Aurora Heights: The packet records a $12.895 million construction contract and a November 2025 project walking tour, while the supporting timeline extends through 2026.
- Thomas Jefferson: The packet records a $5.493 million construction contract and includes a separate proposed project timeline as supporting material.
- School-year start: The board has a discussion/action item specifically addressing the 2026–2027 starting date, but the extracted packet does not identify the proposed date or recommended action.
