Union Comm School District Packet Summary — 2026-07-22
Meeting: School Board Meeting
Scheduled: July 22, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Board room at Union High School, 200 Adams St., La Porte City, Iowa
Key Items on the Agenda
2026–2027 School Fees
The board is scheduled to consider approval of school fees for the 2026–2027 school year. The agenda identifies the fees as a new-business item but does not provide individual fee amounts or describe proposed changes from the prior year.
Student Athletic Eligibility Policy
The agenda includes discussion and possible approval of new Board Policy 504.06, described as addressing eighth-grade eligibility for high school sports and aligning district policy with Iowa House File 2591.
This item is separate from the packet's first-reading policy list and is specifically presented under new business for possible action at this meeting.
District and School Handbooks
The board is scheduled to consider a group of handbooks and manuals for the 2026–2027 school year:
- District Handbook
- Union High School Handbook
- Union Middle School Handbook
- La Porte City Elementary Handbook
- Dysart-Geneseo Elementary Handbook
- Union CSD Preschool Handbook
- Union Community School District Employee Benefits and Procedures Manual
The agenda calls for approval of each document but does not detail specific revisions in the extracted packet text.
2026–2027 Bus Routes
The board is scheduled to consider approval of the district's 2026–2027 bus routes. The extracted agenda does not provide route-level details.
High School Piano Purchase
The agenda calls for the board to consider approval of a quote from West Music for a new piano at Union High School. The extracted packet text does not state the quoted price.
Larry H. Fleshner Trust Gift
The board is scheduled to consider approval of a monetary gift from the Larry H. Fleshner Trust. The agenda does not specify the amount or intended use of the gift.
Starting Hourly Pay Rates
The board is scheduled to consider approval of starting hourly pay rates for 2026–2027. Specific proposed rates are not provided in the extracted agenda.
The agenda includes consideration of a joint agreement between Union Community School District and Hawkeye Community College for the 2026–2027 school year. The extracted packet text does not provide the agreement's terms.
Policy / Governance Items
Second Reading of Board Policies
The consent agenda includes second-reading approval of 24 policies and related regulations. The subjects include postsecondary and dual enrollment, foreign students, online courses, instructional-material selection and reconsideration, financial management, investments, federal purchasing and awards compliance, financial reporting, records, and technology and data security.
Among the policies listed for second reading are:
- 603.12 — Postsecondary Enrollment Counseling
- 604.07 — Dual Enrollment
- 604.08 — Foreign Students
- 604.10 — Online Courses
- 604.11 — Appropriate Use of Online Learning Platforms
- 605.01 and 605.01R1 — Instructional Materials Selection
- 605.02 — Instructional Materials Inspection
- 605.03 and associated exhibits/regulations — Objections and Reconsideration of Instructional Materials
- 701.02 — Transfer of Funds
- 701.03 — Financial Records
- 701.05 — Fiscal Management
- 704.03 — Investments
- 705.01R2 — Purchasing/Bidding Using Federal Funds
- 705.04 — Expenditures for Public Purpose
- 705.05 — Federal Awards Compliance
- 706.04 — Time and Effort Reporting
- 707.01 — Presentation of Financial Information
- 708 — Care, Maintenance and Disposal of Records
- 712 — Technology and Data Security
First Reading of Board Policies
The consent agenda also includes first-reading approval of a larger set of policies covering board governance, employment, student conduct and health, instructional programs, technology, information resources, and public records.
Notable subjects include board elections and meeting notices; equal employment opportunity and employee leaves; open enrollment; student expression and conduct; disruptive behavior; medication administration; special education; physical education; talented and gifted programming; instructional-material challenges; library and instructional-material access; technology and internet use; class size; guidance and counseling; responsible technology and social networking; stock prescription medication; and public examination of records.
Several first-reading items specifically address access to or objections involving educational materials, including forms for requesting that a student be prohibited from accessing specific library or instructional materials.
Personnel Items
The consent agenda includes approval of resignations, transfers/reassignments, and new hires. The new hires are identified as pending completion of all requirements.
Resignations listed in the packet are:
- Laurie Burke — La Porte City Elementary Kitchen Assistant
- Nicole Dylhoff — La Porte City Elementary Special Education Associate
- Eric Jesse — Union High School 9th Grade Baseball Coach
- Harold Youngblut — Union Middle School 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Coach
Proposed new hires are:
- Collin Arndt — Union High School Student Success Coordinator / 9–12 Activities Director
- Stephanie Estling — La Porte City Elementary Professional Partner
- Sophya Taylor — Union High School Assistant Girls' Tennis Coach
- Erin Wittenburg — Union High School Head Girls' Tennis Coach
The agenda also includes transfers/reassignments and open enrollments but does not provide details for those items in the extracted text.
Major Financial Items
July Board Bills
The packet contains the district's July 2026 board-bills report. The report shows $1,221,261.56 in the primary checking account across several funds.
Fund totals listed in that account include:
- General Fund — $672,608.30
- Management Fund — $167,539.01
- SAVE Fund — $211,358.74
- PPEL Fund — $169,255.51
- Debt Service Fund — $500.00
Separate reports list $18,217.36 in Activity Fund expenditures and $14,574.52 in Nutrition Fund expenditures.
Selected Larger Expenditures
Among the larger individual entries in the July bills are:
- Businessolver.com, Inc. — $240,355.84 for July 2026 insurance
- Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission — $130,827.01 for the FY27 natural gas program
- Wicks Construction — $125,151.83 for a paving project
- Denovo LLC — $66,971.09 for construction manager services
- Central Rivers Area Education Agency — $62,098.40 for EL services
- Waterloo Community School District — $60,095.15 for final special education billing
- Thys Chevrolet Blairstown — $41,000.00 for a 2021 Chevy van
- Warehouse Auto — $37,900.00 for a 2023 Ford van
- Storm Protection Fund — $36,712.00 for 2026–2027 storm insurance
- Hudson CSD — $30,738.59 for 2025–2026 sharing
- North Tama County CSD — $29,002.47 for final special education billing
- CAM Community School District — $27,977.29 for open enrollment
- Cedar Falls Community Schools — $26,377.94 for final FY26 River Hills costs
- Capturing Kids Hearts — $21,995.00 for 2026–2027 LeadWorthy
- Jesup CSD — $21,338.12 for open enrollment
The bills report documents expenditures presented with the packet; it does not by itself establish separate board action on each individual payment.
Proposed Flexibility Account Hearing
The board is scheduled to consider setting a public hearing for Monday, August 17, 2026, at 5:55 p.m. concerning the transfer of categorical funds to the flexibility account.
The July 22 agenda is therefore asking the board to consider setting the hearing, rather than conducting the hearing or approving the transfer at this meeting.
The agenda provides an opportunity for public comment. Community members are asked to limit remarks to three minutes or less, and comments may address matters within the board's authority even when they are not on the agenda.
The packet notes that the board is prohibited from discussing items that are not already on the agenda.
Other Agenda Business
The consent agenda also includes approval of the June 18, 2026 board minutes, financials, and fundraisers. The meeting agenda separately provides for correspondence, a superintendent report, presentations, and announcements and communications.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Several agenda items could shape district operations for the coming school year. The board is being asked to consider the 2026–2027 school fees, multiple district and school handbooks, bus routes, starting hourly pay rates, and the annual agreement with Hawkeye Community College.
Policy work is also a substantial part of the packet, with numerous policies at either first or second reading and a separate proposal concerning eighth-grade eligibility for high school sports. The board is additionally scheduled to decide whether to set an August public hearing on transferring categorical funds to the district's flexibility account.
