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Decorah Community School District board meeting, Jun 8, 2026

2 h 20 min · 0 public speakers

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 2 h 20 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Decorah school board reduces management fund levy by 50% 1:14:16

  • The board tabled item C and approved the revised 26⁠-⁠27 calendar. 42:40
  • The board approved a shared agreement with Keystone Area Education Agency for work-based learning coordinator services after staff described growing state requirements and the possible effect on school rankings. 45:39
  • The board approved a motion to reduce the management fund levy by 50%, creating a grand total levy rate of $1,323.067. 1:13:55

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Item by item (15)
  1. Public hearings on solar lease and calendar 9:10
    • Cindy Goodner opened a public hearing on the solar energy lease easement, and no one in the room offered comment. 9:52
    • Cindy Goodner then opened a second hearing on the amendment to the 2026⁠-⁠2027 school calendar and closed it after hearing no comments. 9:52
  2. Opening, agenda, consent items and financial report 11:00
    • A speaker asked to add a time-sensitive item for a 12-passenger van with trade-in costing $29,402, which had been listed at $43,000 without a trade-in. 12:26
    • A speaker said the management fund had a fund balance by design and that the June balances would not be official until after the CAR is done. 15:37
    • Motions to add the item to the agenda and to approve the consent items carried. 13:30
  3. Closed session on personnel 16:44
    • Solar energy lease and easement agreement 41:39
      • A speaker said there was a little work left to be done between the Allers version and the Prairie Novak version and asked for a motion to table item C. 41:52
      • The motion to table the item carried. 42:35
    • Revised school calendar 42:35
      • A speaker said February 26th, a Friday PD day, was turned into a student contact day, moving the last day of school from May 18th to May 17th. 42:48
      • The speaker said the change leaves 4 snow days. 42:48
      • The motion to approve the revised 26⁠-⁠27 school calendar carried. 44:01
    • Keystone education agency agreements 44:17
      • A speaker said the shared work-based learning coordinator arrangement would generate revenue of 2 students times $8,148 and would cost about $5,000 more for 30 extra days. 46:06
      • A staff member said work-based learning is a growing part of state accountability formulas and rankings could suffer without dedicated resources. 51:36
      • A speaker said the state keeps adding more for CTE and called it an unfunded mandate. 55:24
      • Motions to approve the technology services agreement and the shared work-based learning coordinator agreement carried. 45:39
    • High school roof improvements 58:39
      • A speaker said bids came in about $200,000 less than expected and the work would cost $443,565. 58:56
      • The motion carried. ~59:51
    • Hearing on flexibility account transfer 59:51
      • A speaker said unobligated restricted funds, estimated at $700,000 or $699,000, could be moved to a flexibility account for any general fund purpose before June 30th, 2026. 1:00:16
      • One board member said the board needed to check everything it could to get the best possible rate. 1:03:31
      • A motion to set a public hearing for June 22nd at 12 PM carried. 1:06:10
    • Management fund levy and tax rate 1:06:35
      • A speaker said the management fund held close to $1.5 million and presented options to reduce the $300,000 levy. 1:07:36
      • One board member said the board should provide as much stability as possible and keep promises to the public. 1:11:05
      • A motion to reduce the management fund levy by 50%, for a grand total levy rate of $1,323.067, carried. 1:13:55
    • Annual financial and administrative approvals 1:14:41
      • A speaker said year-end claims could be paid through June 30th to ease bookkeeping. 1:14:49
      • A speaker said bank depository limits of $40 million reflect plans to borrow another $18 million for the school project. 1:15:55
      • Motions on year-end claims, bank depository permits and district legal counsel carried. 1:15:44
    • Staff handbooks and master contract 1:19:53
      • A speaker said the classified handbook added language on changing the method of payment for the '27-'28 school year. 1:20:10
      • A speaker said the master contract reduced service leave from 2 years to 1 and reflects a 190-day teacher work calendar. 1:23:44
      • Carole Sand said substitutes were difficult to find in the last month of school. 1:26:02
      • Motions to approve the staff handbooks and the master contract carried. 1:23:33
    • Tuition reimbursement and auditorium assessment 1:26:53
      • A speaker said settled flooring near the auditorium would be checked with ground penetrating radar, and a staff member said the auditorium is structurally fine. 1:29:44
      • Motions on the tuition reimbursement agreement and the Terracon contract carried. 1:29:23
    • Compensation agreements and consortium participation 1:32:54
      • Following an exempt session on bargaining, the board considered compensation agreements for non-union staff. 1:32:54
      • A speaker said all districts in the Crossroads Consortium had termination of participation on their agendas. 1:57:11
      • Motions on the compensation agreements, the RSVP memorandum and terminating Crossroads Consortium participation carried. 1:55:18
    • New school building updates 1:58:16
      • A speaker said a group visiting Solon would not recommend social stairs. 2:00:41
      • Cindy Goodner said yellow was removed from press release visuals and asked whether a more neutral color was possible on metal. 2:03:17
      • A speaker said the project was a week and a half ahead of schedule. 2:06:30
    • Van purchase and superintendent's report 2:10:19
      • A speaker said the all-wheel drive 12-passenger van would cost $29,402 with trade-in of a 10-passenger van. 2:10:35
      • A speaker said work would be done on an agenda for June 22nd. 2:17:11
      • The motion to purchase the van carried. 2:13:36

    Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

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    Video: posted by the district as “Decorah CSD School Board Meeting 06/08/2026”