The West Delaware County Community School District Board is scheduled for a regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. on August 10 at the High School Library Media Center in Manchester. The agenda includes proposed FY2027 early-retirement incentives, a concurrent-enrollment contract with Northeast Iowa Community College, a second reading of multiple board policies, new student-handbook language required by state legislation, and an emergency relocation agreement.
Key Items on the Agenda
FY2027 Early-Retirement Incentives
The board is scheduled to consider a district-wide voluntary early-separation package for the 2026-27 school year covering administrators and directors, WDEA bargaining-unit employees, and WDESA bargaining-unit and other noncertified personnel. Staff recommends approval.
Across the three proposals, eligible employees generally must be at least 55 and have at least 10 consecutive years of district employment immediately before June 30, 2027. Applications are due to the district's Finance Director by 4:00 p.m. October 1, 2026, and the board would retain discretion to approve or disapprove applications.
The proposed benefits vary by employee group:
- WDEA bargaining-unit employees, including teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians, would be eligible for compensation equal to 50% of their 2026-27 teaching contract amount, excluding stipends and supplemental amounts. The payment would go to an individual Special Pay Deferral Plan no later than October 31, 2027.
- Administrators and directors would be eligible for compensation equivalent to 12 months of family health-insurance premiums at the Classic 200 plan rate for FY2027, with payment through a Special Pay Deferral Plan or, when applicable, a Premium Only Health Reimbursement Arrangement.
- WDESA bargaining-unit and noncertified personnel would receive payments for unused sick leave based on contracted weekly hours: $50 per day for employees working 35–40 hours per week, $40 per day for 20–34 hours, and $30 per day for 19 hours or less. The proposal uses a maximum of 120 unused sick days and also provides additional sick-leave days for qualifying employees contracted beyond 188 days.
The packet describes the programs as voluntary incentives intended to support orderly employee transitions, recognize service and anticipate district cost savings.
The board is scheduled to consider a 2026-27 concurrent-enrollment contract with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). The agreement would run from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 and is designed to make college courses available to district students under Iowa's Senior Year Plus program.
Students who satisfactorily complete participating courses would receive both high school and college credit. The district would provide approved textbooks, classroom materials, supplies, software access and equipment unless otherwise covered by a separate agreement.
For courses taught by qualifying district-employed instructors, the district would pay NICC 34% of NICC tuition, or $74.80 per credit, per student per course. For courses taught by a college-employed instructor, that charge would also include the instructor's direct salary and benefit costs. Individual students enrolled through Placement in College Credit would be charged under a separate structure of 70% of full tuition plus a $6-per-credit technology fee and applicable section fees.
Emergency Relocation Agreement
The board is scheduled to consider a letter of agreement with the Linn County Emergency Management Agency allowing West Delaware facilities to serve as temporary relocation centers if an emergency requires evacuation from areas in Linn County.
The agreement specifically addresses the possibility of a radiological emergency involving the Duane Arnold Energy Center and evacuation from its 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone. District facilities would be used only if covered areas are actually evacuated.
Under the proposed agreement:
- West Delaware would participate in requested periodic emergency drills and exercises.
- The district would be reimbursed for costs resulting from use of its facilities during actual or simulated emergencies.
- Linn County Emergency Management, working with training partners, would provide necessary training materials.
- Either party could terminate the agreement with 90 days' written notice.
Policy and Student Handbook Items
Second Reading of Board Policies
The board is scheduled to consider approval of the second reading of a group of policy revisions. The agenda identifies policies covering:
- Board of Directors' Elections — Policy 201
- Meeting Notice — Policy 210.05
- Equal Employment Opportunity — Policy 401.01
- Open Enrollment Transfers — Procedures as a Receiving District — Policy 501.15
- Student Expression and Student Publications Code — Policy 502.03
- Administration of Medication to Students — Policy 507.02 and related exhibits
- Private Instruction — Policy 604.01
- Religious-Based Exclusion from a School Program — Policy 604.05
- Student Guidance and Counseling Program — Policy 607.01
- Responsible Technology Use & Social Networking — Policy 713
- Stock Prescription Medication Supply — Policy 804.05 and related exhibit
- Public Examination of School District Records — Policy 901
These materials are identified in the packet as drafts for second reading, with staff recommending approval.
Classroom Removal Language Required by State Law
The board is also scheduled to consider adding language to the student handbook in response to Senate File 2428. The packet states that the change is required by state law and aligns with board policies approved at the July meeting.
The proposed handbook language distinguishes between nonviolent disruption and violent disruption. When a student is removed from a teacher's classroom more than once in a quarter, the proposed language calls for a meeting involving the teacher or teachers who removed the student, the principal, guidance counselor, parent or legal guardian when applicable, and the student to address the disruptions and establish a behavior plan and course of discipline.
For repeated violent removals, the proposed language provides for discipline that may include in-school or out-of-school suspension or a recommendation to the superintendent for placement in an approved alternative learning environment. The packet also specifies that removal and discipline involving students with disabilities must comply with applicable federal and state law.
Consent Agenda and District Finances
The consent agenda is structured for approval through a single motion unless a board member requests that an item be removed for separate consideration. It includes July 20 regular-meeting minutes, financial reports, personnel items and accounts payable.
The packet's selected 2025-26 line-item report shows a $18,155,812.42 selected budget, with $17,238,908.39 spent year to date, or 94.95%, leaving a reported balance of $916,904.03.
Personnel recommendations include two resignations and seven hires. The packet notes that additional personnel changes may be added at the meeting.
Board Development
The agenda includes an "At the Board Table" board-development discussion using Iowa Association of School Boards material titled "Whose Job Is It? Part 1." The exercise is designed as a 20–30 minute discussion about board and staff responsibilities, governance roles and micromanagement.
The material presents several scenarios for board discussion and identifies four indicators of micromanagement, including involvement in day-to-day operations, taking on work assigned to staff, operating outside the established chain of command, and individually undertaking work that belongs to whole-board deliberation.
Public Participation and Upcoming Meetings
The agenda provides public-comment opportunities. Comments are limited to three minutes, and the packet advises that the board cannot comment on or discuss matters that are not on the published agenda. It also asks speakers not to disclose confidential student or staff information publicly.
The packet lists the next scheduled board opportunities as:
- September 11 at 7:30 a.m. — Pre-Agenda Meeting with Buesing and Imsland
- September 14 at 6:00 p.m. — Regular Meeting
What to Watch at the Meeting
The most consequential proposed actions center on the district's workforce and instructional operations. The board will be asked to decide whether to offer three FY2027 early-separation programs with different benefits for licensed staff, administrators and directors, and noncertified employees.
The agenda also pairs longer-term operational matters with student-facing policy changes: the proposed NICC contract would govern concurrent college-credit opportunities for 2026-27, while the proposed handbook language would implement new classroom-removal requirements tied to Senate File 2428. The second-reading policy package places an additional set of governance, student, employment, medication and records policies before the board for consideration.
