Key Items on the Agenda
The Tripoli Community School District Board is scheduled to consider a mix of policy updates, 2026-2027 fees and handbooks, a dual-enrollment agreement, personnel matters, and a proposed timeline for placing a Voted Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) before voters.
The consent agenda includes previous meeting minutes, monthly financial reports and bills, the district emergency handbook, the FY27 fundraising calendar, and a proposed school photography agreement for 2026-2027.
School Photography Agreement
District staff recommend contracting with Ashley Mader of Retrospect Photography & Design for school photography during the 2026-2027 school year. The packet says Mader previously worked as the former photographer's assistant and is familiar with district needs.
The proposal covers school portraits, athletics, clubs and activity groups, school events, and other requested photography. It states that the district would pay no photography service fee, with invoices limited to necessary printing expenses for official school materials.
Personnel
Personnel items include:
- A resignation from Rowan Carlson for junior high football.
- A recommendation for Dalton Tonne to serve as a volunteer coach for high school volleyball and high school girls basketball.
- A reference to current Tripoli job openings.
Policy and Legislative Updates
First Reading of 2026 Policy Changes
The board is scheduled for a first reading of a substantial package of policy updates prompted by the 2026 Iowa legislative session. The package addresses subjects including public meeting notices, student conduct and disruptive behavior, technology use, physical education, gifted and talented programming, open enrollment, medication administration, student expression, employee practices, and public records.
Among the notable proposed changes:
- Meeting notices: Updated requirements call for public meeting notices to be posted both physically and online.
- Student behavior: New Policy 503.11 and accompanying regulations address removal and readmission of students following violent and nonviolent classroom disruptions, including specific provisions for students with IEPs.
- Technology: Proposed changes address classroom technology restrictions, one-to-one device programs, and a technology adoption checklist.
- Physical activity: Legislative guidance calls for 40 minutes of daily physical activity for grades K-4 and 30 minutes for fifth grade, along with Presidential Physical Fitness testing requirements subject to applicable guidance.
- Gifted and talented programs: Districts are expected to establish uniform procedures for screening, identifying, and serving gifted and talented students.
- Eighth-grade athletics: Updated policy language gives districts the option to permit eighth graders to participate in high school interscholastic athletics under a locally adopted policy.
The packet identifies numerous affected policies and regulations, including Policies 201, 210.05, 401.01, 409.02, 501.15, 502.03, 503.01, 504.06, 603.01, 603.03, 603.06, 604.03, 605.04, 713, 804.05, and 901, along with several new regulations and exhibits.
Eighth-Grade High School Athletics
HF2591 appears separately as an information and discussion item. The board is expected to provide its perspective and consider feedback from coaches before determining how the district should approach eighth-grade participation in high school sports.
State guidance included in the packet says participation is permitted only if the local board adopts a policy allowing it. Local districts may decide which sports and competition levels are eligible and may establish additional requirements. An eighth grader who participates at the high school level may not also compete on an eighth-grade team in the same sport during the same season.
2026-2027 Fees and Handbooks
School, Activity and Nutrition Fees
The board is scheduled to consider the district's 2026-2027 registration, activity, and nutrition fee schedule. The packet lists:
- K-5 breakfast: $2.00
- K-5 lunch: $2.80
- K-5 student fee: $110.00
- Reduced K-5 student fee: $27.50
- Grades 6-12 breakfast: $2.00
- Grades 6-12 lunch: $3.00
- Grades 6-12 student fee: $150.00
- Reduced grades 6-12 student fee: $37.50
- Milk: $0.50
- Reduced breakfast: $0.30
- Reduced lunch: $0.40
- Adult breakfast: $2.25
- Adult lunch: $5.14
- Adult athletic pass: $75.00
- Senior athletic pass: $45.00
Student fees include an activity pass.
Staff Handbooks
The board is also scheduled to consider the 2026-2027 certified and classified staff handbooks. Administration reports that changes to the certified handbook primarily update dates for the new school year.
The classified handbook likewise includes updated dates, along with changes to the inclement-weather policy intended to align the handbook with district policies and procedures.
The board is scheduled to consider a FY27 Joint Education Service Agreement with Hawkeye Community College for the 2026-2027 academic year. The agreement supports college-credit coursework for eligible Tripoli students and runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.
The packet says Tripoli does not offer concurrent courses taught by district teachers and that its students take concurrent coursework online. Under the agreement, students successfully completing eligible courses earn Hawkeye college credit and are not charged by Hawkeye or the district for the credit awarded through the agreement.
For courses taught by a Hawkeye instructor, the agreement generally calls for the district to pay 80% of Hawkeye's current tuition, excluding fees. Students enrolled in the Summer College Credit Program would carry no tuition or fees for the district under the agreement.
Voted PPEL and November Ballot Planning
The agenda includes a proposed resolution connected to placing a Voted PPEL question on the November ballot. However, the packet indicates that the resolution is information only at this stage and that legal counsel is being sought to prepare the official resolution.
Rather than approving the resolution in July, the packet asks the board to table approval until the August board meeting. District officials also report having consulted with Iowa Association of School Boards representatives about the timeline and say there is still time to submit the resolution to the Bremer County Auditor.
Emergency Planning
The Tripoli Emergency Handbook appears on the consent agenda. The accompanying Emergency Procedures Guide establishes an all-hazards approach to district emergencies and describes responsibilities for administrators, teachers, support staff, students, and parents.
The guide addresses emergencies including armed assailants, fires, severe weather, hazardous materials, cyberattacks, medical emergencies, missing students, transportation incidents, weapons, evacuation, shelter-in-place, and reunification. It also establishes procedures for emergency communications and coordination with law enforcement, fire, emergency management, and other community response partners.
School Finance and District Operations
The School Business Official and Board Secretary report notes that FY2026 year-end financial work is underway, including payroll accruals, expenditures, and reconciliation in preparation for the Certified Annual Report. The Certified Annual Report, Annual Transportation Report, and Special Education Supplement are all listed as due September 15.
A bank request for proposals is expected in October or November. A BMO credit-card application is on hold, with a second-semester trial identified as the current target.
School finance is also scheduled as an informational item. The packet provides background explaining Iowa school finance concepts, including spending authority, fund balance, enrollment-driven General Fund funding, restricted uses of different funds, and PPEL.
Superintendent and District Updates
The superintendent's report includes an update on the superintendent entry plan. Eight one-on-one meetings had been completed, with the report emphasizing relationship-building and learning about district staff and students.
The leadership team met July 7 to review onboarding, leadership, and communication materials, and the superintendent attended the SAI New Superintendent Institute in early July. The report also notes a meeting with the Iowa Association of School Boards concerning Tripoli's financial position and PPEL questions.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could shape district operations for the coming school year:
- How the board approaches the first reading of a broad set of policy changes resulting from the 2026 legislative session.
- Whether the board advances the proposed 2026-2027 fees, staff handbooks, Hawkeye Community College agreement, and other action items.
- How board members respond to the new option for eighth graders to participate in high school athletics.
- Whether the Voted PPEL resolution is tabled until August as recommended while legal language is prepared.
- How the district plans to implement new requirements involving student behavior, technology, physical activity, gifted and talented programming, and public meeting notices.
The packet lists a tentative next regular board meeting for August 12 at 5:30 p.m..
