South Hamilton Regular Session Board Meeting Summary
Meeting Overview
Meeting: Regular Session Board Meeting
Date and Time: August 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Location: Board Room, South Hamilton Junior/Senior High, 315 Division St., Jewell, IA 50130
This summary is based only on the available meeting packet text. The packet outlines the meeting agenda, discussion topics, and items scheduled for consideration. It does not include meeting minutes, recorded discussion, or final outcomes unless specifically stated in the packet.
Meeting Structure
The meeting agenda included standard board meeting opening procedures, including:
- Call to Order by the Board President.
- Roll Call attendance conducted by the Board Secretary.
- Approval of the agenda, including possible agenda changes or removal of items from the consent agenda according to board procedures.
Public Participation
The agenda included a Public Forum/Visitors section.
Residents of the district, students, parents or guardians, and district staff members may address the Board about topics relevant to the district. Speakers must sign up at the beginning of the meeting, and participation is limited to three minutes once per board meeting.
The agenda notes that comments from community members do not necessarily represent the views of the Board, district administration, or staff. It also notes that Iowa law limits discussion of specific employees or students and their performance during public comment.
Consent Agenda Items
The meeting packet listed the following consent agenda categories:
- Minutes
- Financial Reports
- Bills and Prepaids
- Flexible Benefit Reimbursements
- Open Enrollments
- Fundraisers
- Pitney Bowes Lease Renewal – Postage Machine
- Updated District Coordinator/Investigator Appointments
The agenda explains that consent agenda items are generally considered together through one motion, but any board member may request that an item be removed for separate discussion or action.
District Coordinator and Investigator Appointments
The packet included updated district coordinator and investigator appointments.
Listed responsibilities and appointments included:
- Equity Coordinators: Responsible for ensuring compliance with federal and state civil rights and nondiscrimination laws. The appointments listed were Abby Bublitz for programs and Lisa Ziesman for employment.
- Title IX Coordinator: Responsible for overseeing investigation processes related to allegations of sex discrimination and sexual misconduct. The appointment listed was Abby Bublitz.
- Level I Investigator: Responsible for investigating allegations of abuse. The appointment listed was Heather Holm.
- Affirmative Action Coordinator: Responsible for compliance with equal opportunity employment and affirmative action laws and policies. The appointment listed was Lisa Ziesman.
- Homeless Coordinator: Responsible for identifying students as homeless and coordinating available services. The appointment listed was Joeigh Eaton.
- Section 504 Coordinators: Responsible for ensuring compliance with Section 504 requirements. The appointments listed were Ruth Eley for PK-6 and Joeigh Eaton for grades 7-12.
Reports
The agenda included reports from:
- Superintendent
- Secondary Principal
- Elementary Principal
- Activities Director
- Buildings and Grounds Director
The packet provides the report categories but does not include report details.
New Business
Handbook Updates
The Board agenda included presentation of handbooks for the 2026-2027 school year.
The listed handbooks included:
- Employee Handbook
- Jr/Sr High Student Handbook
- Jr/Sr High Teacher Handbook
- Jr/Sr High Course Description Handbook
- Elementary Student Handbook
- Elementary Staff Handbook
- Preschool Handbook
- Substitute Handbook
- Coaches Handbook
- Emergency Operations Plan
The packet stated that the Emergency Operations Plan had been updated to reflect current staffing.
Lau Plan
The Lau Plan, which provides the district plan for English language instruction for English learners, was included for annual update and review.
The packet stated that minor changes were made to reflect staff name changes.
Talented & Gifted Plan
The packet stated that the only update to the Talented & Gifted Plan was a revised nondiscrimination notice.
Jewell Golf Facilities Agreement
The Board was scheduled to consider the Jewell Golf Facilities Agreement for the 2026-2027 school year.
According to the packet:
- The agreement would provide South Hamilton student-athletes access to Jewell Golf Course.
- The facilities would support golf practices, golf meets, and cross country meets.
- The agreement was described as a one-year agreement.
- The annual cost listed was $3,000.
Substitute Teaching Rates
The agenda included discussion of substitute teaching rates.
The packet stated:
- Current substitute teacher pay was $125 per day.
- Many nearby school districts paid higher rates.
Examples listed included:
- Gilbert: $140
- Nevada: $140 for the first 30 days, then $150
- Roland-Story: $150
- Webster City / Stratford: $150
- Hubbard Rad / South Hardin: $150
- Ames: $155-$165
- Ankeny: $165
The packet stated that an increase could improve the district’s ability to recruit and retain qualified substitute teachers, maintain classroom coverage, minimize disruptions to student learning, and remain competitive in the regional substitute labor market.
Policy Updates from Legislative Session
The agenda included a second reading of policy updates connected to the 2026 Iowa legislative session.
The packet stated that the legislative session concluded on May 3, 2026, and policy updates were organized by the House or Senate file that prompted each update.
Topics listed included:
HF 2490 – Public Notice Requirements
Updates related to meeting notice requirements and public examination of records.
HF 2501 – Conduct of Elections
Updates related to school board candidate filing procedures.
HF 2591 – Open Enrollment and Transfer Athletic Eligibility
Updates related to eighth-grade student participation options in high school athletics.
HF 2670 – Summative Assessment and Curriculum Changes
Updates related to instructional program language and counseling program requirements.
HF 2676 – Iowa’s “Make America Healthy Again”
Updates related to physical education, technology and instructional materials, digital device programming, and technology use policies.
HF 2754 – Charter School and ESA Omnibus
Updates related to open enrollment transfers and private instruction definitions.
SF 2218 – Verification of Employee Identity
Updates related to employee eligibility screening language.
SF 2220 – Gifted and Talented Programming
Updates related to screening, identification, and service procedures for gifted and talented students.
SF 2231 – Protected Free Speech
Updates related to student expression and religious-based exclusion policies.
SF 2428 – Disruptive Student Behavior
Updates related to disruptive behavior policies, regulations, student removal procedures, IEP-related provisions, employee leave requirements, student conduct, and special education requirements.
Personnel
The agenda included a Personnel section with:
- Resignations
- Recommendations to Hire
The packet lists these agenda categories but does not provide additional details.
Closing Items
The agenda included:
- Additional Announcements/Concerns
- Adjournment
Key Takeaways From the Packet
The August 10, 2026 South Hamilton Regular Session Board Meeting packet focused on:
- Annual updates to district handbooks and operational plans.
- Review of district coordinator and compliance-related appointments.
- Consideration of athletic facilities access through the Jewell Golf Facilities Agreement.
- Discussion of substitute teacher compensation compared with neighboring districts.
- Review of policy updates connected to recent Iowa legislative changes.
The packet provides agenda information and summaries of planned discussion items. It does not provide meeting outcomes, final votes, or board decisions beyond the items described for consideration.
