Oelwein Comm School District Packet Summary — 2026-08-24
Meeting: 08/24/2026 - 05:30 PM Meeting of the Board of Directors Board Meeting
Meeting Date: August 24, 2026
Location: Oelwein CSD Central Office, 307 8th Ave SE, Oelwein, Iowa
The Board of Directors is scheduled to consider a consent agenda covering district operations, agreements, policy updates and other routine business, followed by two separate action items. The most significant individual proposal would relocate Oelwein Online School and the Odyssey Behavior Program to the Regional Tech Center, with an estimated project budget of $258,500.
Key Items on the Agenda
Oelwein Online and Odyssey Relocation to Regional Tech Center
The board is scheduled to consider a proposal to use the Regional Tech Center (RTC) as the new location for Oelwein Online School (O2) and the Odyssey Behavior Program. The proposal requests authorization to proceed with the relocation, negotiate dissolution of the district's current lease arrangement with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), and engage Atura Architecture for design services.
The recommended motion would:
- Approve a proposed timeline and $258,500 project budget.
- Authorize administration to negotiate lease dissolution with NICC effective December 31, 2026.
- Authorize agreements with Atura Architecture for design services.
The preliminary budget includes:
- $100,000 for general trades.
- $70,000 for flooring.
- $25,000 for architecture, permits and fees.
- $20,000 for cabinets and casework.
- $10,000 for plumbing.
- $10,000 for electrical.
- $23,500 for a 10% contingency.
The proposed schedule calls for layout work in September and October 2026, subcontracting in November, equipment removal in December, and construction from January through March 2027. Target physical move-in dates are March 22–24, 2027, immediately before planned non-school days on March 25, 26 and 29.
2026-27 Activities Handbook
The board is separately scheduled to consider the 2026-27 Activities Handbook. The packet recommends a motion approving the handbook as presented and identifies the item with Strategic Goal IV — Participation.
Consent Agenda
The packet proposes handling the consent agenda through one motion unless an item is removed for separate discussion. The recommended action is approval of the consent items as presented.
Items include:
- Minutes from the July 20, 2026 regular meeting, August 10, 2026 work session, and August 10, 2026 special meeting.
- Claims and accounts.
- August 2026 personnel matters.
- Contracts and agreements.
- August open-enrollment matters.
- Second readings of multiple board policies.
- An early-graduation request.
- A Middle School Building fundraiser request.
- Board correspondence concerning the BRIDGE lease.
Contracts and Agreements
The consent agenda includes a group of agreements affecting student programs, food service, transportation, legal services and interdistrict partnerships.
Oelwein Online Agreement with Wapsie Valley
A 2026-27 tuitioned-in agreement would allow specified Wapsie Valley Community School District students to attend Oelwein Online (O2). Enrollment status would be mutually agreed upon by the districts' superintendents.
Wapsie Valley would pay 95% of the Regular Program District cost per pupil, calculated in the agreement as a $43.01 per diem rate, with billing at the end of each semester. Special education students would be billed at full special-education weighting. The agreement runs from August 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027, unless terminated earlier.
NICC Concurrent Enrollment
The consent agenda includes a contract with Northeast Iowa Community College for the 2026-27 academic year to provide college-credit opportunities under Iowa's Senior Year Plus framework.
For qualifying courses taught by a district-employed instructor, the district would pay NICC 34% of NICC tuition, or $74.80 per credit, per student per course. For specified college-taught courses, that charge would also include the instructor's direct salary and benefit costs. The contract runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Transportation Services
The proposed FY27 agreement with Northeast Iowa Community Action Corp./EARL Public Transit would provide demand-response transportation for district clients from August 24, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
The agreement specifies weekday round-trip service at $4.50 per occupied-fare-distance mile per student. The stated rate is based on unleaded gasoline with ethanol remaining below $2.50 per gallon; the transit provider may seek to renegotiate if that fuel price rises above $3.00 per gallon.
Pawsitively Oelwein
A proposed agreement with Pawsitively Oelwein would make comfort dogs available to district students and permit trained comfort dogs and handlers on district premises during school-related activities at the discretion of district and building administration.
The agreement defines comfort dogs as trained and certified animals providing emotional support, well-being, comfort or companionship and distinguishes them from ADA-defined service animals. The proposed term runs from August 24, 2026 through August 24, 2031, subject to the agreement's conditions and termination provisions.
Dance Team Sharing Agreement
The packet includes a 2026-27 joint sharing agreement among Oelwein, West Central, Wapsie Valley and Independence for one competitive high school dance program.
Under the agreement:
- The team would compete as the Oelwein Huskies using Oelwein-approved colors.
- Oelwein would serve as host district and fiscal agent.
- Oelwein would coordinate scheduling, transportation and competition.
- Oelwein would provide the coach and be responsible for ongoing operating costs identified in the agreement.
- The agreement would run from September 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Food Service Agreements
The consent agenda includes food-service arrangements for Head Start and Little Husky Childcare & Preschool.
The Little Husky Childcare & Preschool agreement lists charges of $4.55 per enrolled-participant breakfast, $2.65 per lunch/supper and $0.80 per snack. It describes meal preparation and service requirements under the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
A separate agreement with Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation covers food service for Oelwein Head Start and Child Development. The packet lists charges of $1.55 per enrolled-participant breakfast and $2.65 per enrolled-participant lunch/supper.
Northeast Iowa Food Bank BackPack Program
The packet includes a 2026-27 Northeast Iowa Food Bank BackPack Program agreement. The program provides nutritious, easy-to-prepare food for children to take home for weekends and school vacations when other resources may not be available.
Participating sites receive food and backpacks at no charge and agree to requirements covering student eligibility, distribution, recordkeeping, background checks, food safety and reporting.
Legal Services Amendment
The consent agenda also includes an amendment to the district's legal-services agreement with Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP (F3 Law).
The amendment adds provisions governing the firm's potential use of generative artificial intelligence in providing legal services. It states that AI use must comply with professional, confidentiality, privacy and security requirements and that lawyers will review and validate AI-generated work before use.
The amendment also replaces the professional rate schedule. Listed rates include:
- Associates: $270–$300 per hour.
- Partners: $320–$355 per hour.
- Senior partners: $370–$380 per hour.
- Senior counsel/of-counsel: $335–$355 per hour.
- Paralegals: $185–$270 per hour.
- Consultants: $265–$295 per hour.
- Specialized support services: $50–$150 per hour.
The amendment states an effective date of July 1, 2026.
Policy and Governance Items
The consent agenda includes second readings of 10 board policies, with packet summaries connecting the revisions to recent Iowa legislation.
- 210.05 — Meeting Notice: Updated to reflect public-notice changes associated with HF 2490.
- 409.02 — Employee Leaves of Absence: Updated for leave requirements associated with SF 2428 for teachers physically recovering from injuries caused by a student's violent disruption while performing work duties.
- 502.03 — Student Expression and Student Publications: Updated in response to SF 2231 and current free-speech requirements.
- 603.01 — Basic Instruction Program: Updated in response to HF 2670, including statutory language changes concerning educational programming.
- 604.01 — Private Instruction: Updated for definition and criteria changes associated with HF 2754.
- 604.03 — Program for Gifted and Talented: Updated for SF 2220 requirements concerning uniform procedures to screen, identify and serve gifted and talented students.
- 604.05 — Religious Based Exclusion from a School Program: Updated in connection with SF 2231 and free-speech requirements.
- 605.04 — Technology and Instructional Materials: Updated for HF 2676 requirements involving digital instruction and one-to-one digital-device programming.
- 607.01 — Student Guidance and Counseling Program: Updated for HF 2670 requirements concerning the design of counseling programs and collaboration with parents or guardians, students, teachers, support staff and administrators.
- 713 — Responsible Technology Use and Social Networking: Updated to address compliance requirements and applicable laws governing technology use under HF 2676.
Because these are identified as second readings, the packet presents them as policy items already advanced to this stage of the district's review process.
Financial Items
Claims and Accounts
Claims and accounts are included on the consent agenda. The claims report lists a $660,888.93 Operating Fund total, $207,102.49 Capital Projects — Sales Tax Fund total, $63,004.91 Physical Plant & Equipment Fund total, and $17.50 Regular Education Preschool Fund total, producing a $931,013.83 checking-account total for that portion of the report.
Separate sections list a $10,130.17 School Nutrition Fund total and $12,656.95 Student Activity Fund total.
The claims include expenditures for utilities, special-education billing and tuition, instructional technology and software, facility work, equipment, transportation, school supplies and other district operations. Among the larger listed capital-project expenditures are $86,900 to Data Center Warehouse, including Chromebook purchases and technology/security equipment; $39,960 to Apple Computer Inc.; and $23,983 for a 2024 Chrysler Voyager.
Cash Balances
The packet's July 31, 2026 cash-balance report lists an ending General Fund balance of $7,148,927.40 and General Fund CD balance of $3,231,754.21.
Other reported ending balances include:
- Middle Activity: $10,080.03.
- Senior Activity: $294,514.16.
- Management: -$259,879.93.
- SAVE: $998,547.58.
- PPEL: $675,462.23.
- Debt Service: $79,138.94.
- Lunch Fund: $298,742.49.
- Preschool: -$4,036.59.
- Insurance: $53,435.48.
Other Consent Items
Early Graduation
The consent agenda includes an early-graduation petition for Emma Wilker. The petition states a plan to complete diploma requirements by the end of the first semester of the 2026-27 school year, with six credits planned during the first semester of Grade 12.
Middle School Fundraiser
The packet recommends approval of a Middle School Building fundraiser with Pizza Ranch, scheduled for September 4 through September 14. The recommendation notes that it would occur before mass fundraiser approval at the September regular meeting.
BRIDGE Lease Correspondence
Board correspondence reports that the Keystone AEA Board of Directors approved the BRIDGE lease on August 18. The correspondence instructs participating districts not to sign until their own school boards formally take action on the lease.
The supporting lease covers approximately 7,400 square feet in Building A at Keystone AEA's Elkader property for educational services to special-education students. It specifies a term through June 30, 2036, quarterly rent of $27,000, and currently estimated quarterly utility and service costs of $11,500, subject to annual reconciliation.
Public Participation and District Reports
The agenda provides an Open Forum for district residents who want to speak about an agenda item. Community members are allotted up to three minutes, unless the board votes to extend the limit.
The board is also scheduled to receive reports concerning issues affecting education in the district, including:
- Principals' Report.
- Business Office report.
- Superintendent's report.
Closed Session
The agenda includes a proposed closed session titled “Investigation of Unauthorized Spending.” The recommended motion cites Iowa Code section 21.5(1)(g) and describes the purpose as avoiding disclosure of specific law-enforcement matters, including current or proposed investigations or inspection or auditing techniques or schedules, when disclosure could enable law violators to avoid detection.
The agenda calls for a roll-call vote on entering closed session and includes a separate motion for returning from closed session. The packet does not state an outcome because this is a scheduled agenda item.
What to Watch at the Meeting
The most consequential standalone decision scheduled for consideration is the proposed $258,500 relocation of Oelwein Online School and the Odyssey Behavior Program to the Regional Tech Center. The proposal combines a facility move, construction and renovation work, architectural services, and planned dissolution of the NICC lease by the end of 2026.
The consent agenda is also substantial, combining multiple 2026-27 operating agreements with second readings of 10 board policies, an amended legal-services agreement, transportation and food-service arrangements, an interdistrict Oelwein Online agreement, and other routine district business. Any consent item could be removed for separate consideration before the board acts on the consent agenda.
The agenda lists the next scheduled meetings as a work session at 6:00 PM on September 14, 2026 and a school board meeting at 6:00 PM on September 28, 2026, both in the Central Office Board Room.
Civic Translator summarized publicly available meeting materials for Oelwein Comm School District.
