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Lewis Central Community School District board meeting, Oct 5, 2026

1 h 34 min · 0 public speakers

AI in schools ▶ 1:16:02Reading and test scores ▶ 16:56

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 1 h 34 min.

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What happened

What happened at this meeting

Board hears strategic plan update and motions on gym tarp, Ventrac, HVAC purchases 16:50

  • District staff presented the first quarterly strategic plan update, covering literacy screening data, the solvency ratio and the unspent authorized budget. 16:55
  • The board discussed a gym floor tarp system, a Ventrac purchase and an HVAC unit at Kraft. 49:21
  • Greg Sturm asked for a motion to go into closed session on an employee request for leave, and a motion and a second followed. 1:20:34
  • Motions were made to buy the tarp system for $50,742. 12 cents, the Ventrac for $38,275.52 and the HVAC unit for $33,755.20. 1:29:41

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Item by item (12)
  1. Opening and agenda approval 3:19
    • Greg Sturm called the meeting to order, and a staff member took roll. 3:19
    • A motion was made and seconded to approve the October 5th, 2026 agenda. 3:42
    • A staff member called the roll, and each name called drew a yes. 3:57
  2. Commendations and good news 4:11
    • A staff member recognized community donations, including Special Olympics t-shirts, dictionaries for 3rd grade students and over $2,000 in cash and prizes from the Fraternal Order of Eagles, which donated $500 to each school. 4:53
    • The staff member said the college fair had 50 colleges and programs represented. 8:02
    • The staff member said show choir had 55 singers, compared with 24 last year. 12:21
  3. Consent agenda 13:05
    • A staff member said about 8 students were going online and that the district had started its online program. 14:22
    • Asked about bus drivers, a staff member said the district had hired another one last week. 15:28
    • Greg Sturm moved to approve the consent agenda, and the motion was seconded. 16:23
    • On the consent agenda motion, each name called on the roll drew a yes. 16:23
  4. Strategic plan quarterly update 16:50
    • A staff member said the K through 8 literacy average on FAST screening data was 63%, up from 60% last year, against a goal of 80%. 17:35
    • A staff member said major referrals stood at 238, compared with 291 at this time last year, and one board member said hearing from Titan Hill teachers about how it doubled would be of interest. 24:00
    • A staff member said the district ended FY26 with a solvency ratio of 16.86% and an unspent authorized budget of $3.9 million, or 9%. 30:14
  5. Gym floor tarp system discussion 49:21
    • A staff member said the new gym floor cost about $300,000, refinishing costs $50,000 and the tarp system comes with a 15-year warranty. 50:24
    • The staff member said the system would cover both gyms, and one board member said knowing that made the price feel a little better. 51:41
  6. Spending authority request for English learners 54:29
    • A staff member said the request covers excess costs for English language learners because funding arrives a year behind enrollment. 54:42
    • Another staff member said the amount is a little higher than last year because of new EL curriculum and salary increases. 55:07
  7. Ventrac equipment purchase discussion 55:31
    • A staff member said the Ventrac works on wet ground and hills, has more than 40 attachments and would give the district redundancy with its current unit. 56:12
    • Alec Sorenson asked about adding another mower, and a staff member said a 91-inch mower would cost $7,000 or $8,000. 1:01:49
    • One board member said, "I think I'm okay with this." ~1:03:07
  8. Kreft gym HVAC replacement discussion 1:08:25
    • A staff member said the 20-ton unit is about 27 years old, had been working on 10 tons, developed a leak and quit working. 1:08:48
    • A staff member said ordering equipment carries a 10-week delay into December, so a temporary heating solution may be needed. 1:09:10
    • Alec Sorenson asked whether other HVAC units are 20-some years old, and a staff member said there are a lot of them. 1:10:16
  9. Board policy series first reading 1:16:02
    • A staff member said the series includes 2 new policies related to AI, requiring a human component and clearance of AI platforms through the curriculum director. 1:16:10
    • The staff member said it was a first reading with no approval. 1:18:21
  10. Closed session on employee leave 1:20:34
    • Greg Sturm said a closed session was recommended under Iowa Code 21.5 to discuss an employee's leave request and that the employee had requested it. 1:20:34
    • Each name called on the vote drew a yes. 1:21:47
  11. Action items on purchases and requests 1:29:34
    • Alec Sorenson moved to approve the gym floor tarp system from Anthem Sports for $50,742. 12 cents and the request to the SBRC for EL excess cost of $123,022.73. 1:29:41
    • Motions were made to buy a Ventrac from Ty's Outdoor Power and Service for $38,275.52 and, by Alec Sorenson, an HVAC unit for Kreft from Advanced Electric for $33,755.20. 1:30:40
  12. Future meetings and events 1:31:50
    • A staff member said the next board meeting is October 19th. 1:31:59
    • A staff member said a couple of hotel rooms were booked for IASB in case people want to go. 1:32:12

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 “October 5, 2026 School Board Meeting”