What was decided about the 2026-2027 certified budget?

The board approved the FY2027 certified budget at the April 13, 2026 meeting, confirming a tax rate of $14.86796.

When is the next regular board meeting?

The next regular board meeting is Monday, April 27, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. at the Partnership Center in Tama.

What actions did the board take regarding district properties?

The board reviewed bids for three district properties, discussed reposting a property for sale, and considered possible demolition and a June 11-13 garage sale for FFE disposal.

May 8, 2026 Public Hearing: Partnership Center, Tama, IA

Q: Were any new courses approved for next school year?

Yes, the board approved a new course, Foundations of Computer Science, for grades 9-12 beginning 2026-2027.

PUBLIC HEARING AND REGULAR SESSIONOF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THESOUTH TAMA COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT The Board of Directors of the Community School District of South Tama County met on April 13, 2026 for a Public Hearing on the 2026-2027 Certified Budget at the Partnership Center, Tama, Iowa beginning at 5:00 p.m. with some members of the community attending electronically through Google Hangouts.On call of the roll the following were present: Elizabeth Dolezal, Rick Hopper, and Joe Hanus. Danya Keahna and Megan Thiessen were absent. Quorum Present. Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Mary Mixdorf, Gerald Husak, Cheryl Husak, Jill Kienzle, Lonnie Upah, Crystal Hass, Ben Adams, Dixie Forcht, Steve McAdoo, and members of the community through Google Hangouts.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the agenda of the Public Hearing. All Ayes. The motion carried.Public Hearing - 2026-2027 Certified Budget: President Dolezal opened the Public Hearing for the 2026-2027 Certified Budget at 5:00 p.m. Director of Finance Katie Mathern provided a brief overview of the proposed budget and tax rate of $14.86796. President Dolezal asked for public comments. Hearing none, President Dolezal asked for a motion to close the Public Hearing.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to close the Public Hearing at 5:03 p.m.The Regular Session was called to order at 5:03 p.m.The Board and guests stated the “Pledge of Allegiance” and the District's mission statement.On call of the roll the following were present: Elizabeth Dolezal, Rick Hopper, and Joe Hanus. Danya Keahna and Megan Thiessen were absent. Quorum Present. Also present were: Superintendent John Cain, Board Secretary Katie Mathern, Mary Mixdorf, Gerald Husak, Cheryl Husak, Jill Kienzle, Lonnie Upah, Crystal Hass, Ben Adams, Dixie Forcht, Steve McAdoo, and members of the community through Google Hangouts.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the agenda with the removal of the two closed sessions and exempt session. All Ayes. The motion carried.Public Comment - Rick Hopper discussed school choice, funding, and student enrollment. He emphasized the importance of understanding why students leave the district and focusing on improvement to attract and retain families, noting the role of academics and opportunities in parent decisions.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the following consent agenda items: March 23, 2026 Public Hearing, Regular, and Exempt Session minutes; March 25, 2026 Work Session minutes; bills for payment; EMS LINQ quote; D & N Fence Co., Inc. Quote; and early graduation requests from Danielle Castro Ramirez - December 2026 and Marina Chaves Sanchez - December 2026. All Ayes. The motion carried.Ben Adams and the high school team presented the DCAP, including progress on ICAP goals, updates to career pathways and work-based learning, and plans to expand IRCs and student opportunities.Superintendent Cain provided updates on the end-of-year calendar, operational sharing, negotiations, and legislative items.The Board discussed the PPEL and SAVE multi-year plan, including future projects, priorities, and long-term fund balance considerations.The Board discussed bids received for the sale of the three district properties, including review of bid amounts and next steps.The Board discussed the Old Middle School, including plans for FFE disposal through a potential garage sale June 11-13. The Board also discussed reposting the property for sale and considerations related to demolition.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the following personnel requests. All Ayes. The motion carried.Hires: Mattison Pladsen - Middle School Paraeducator, Shayne Holtzman - Middle School Paraeducator, and Susan Arifi - Elementary Level III Special Education TeacherResignations: Stacy Moore - Middle School Concessions, Ryan Cassady - 9th Grade Football Coach, Alexis Munoz - Elementary Kitchen Staff, and Brenon Chyma - 7th Grade Football CoachOfficials: Mark Hebdon - High School SoccerMotion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve compensating those special education teachers with extra in their caseloads $25.00 per point over 110 points in their caseloads. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the ViPS payment application, in the amount of $709.78, for furniture, fixtures, and equipment. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the Kay L. Chapman invoice, in the amount of $7,750.00, for final FY25 payment and audit hours. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the Frontline Education renewal quote, in the amount of $22,928.10, for absence & time solution. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to accept the bread bid from Pan-O-Gold. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to accept the milk bid from A&E. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the Johnson Hardware Company invoice, in the amount of $5,656.50, for door hardware/access components. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the SHI pricing proposal, in the amount of $19,895.68, for device management software licenses through JAMF. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the Riverside Technologies Inc. quote, in the amount of $6,475.00, for 5 environmental monitoring sensors (Wybots) for the District. A majority of this will be covered by E-Rate. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the Great Minds quote, in the amount of $11,700.00, for professional development and coaching for teachers using the Wit & Wisdom curriculum. This will be covered by TSI Year 2 funding. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the Amplify price quote, in the amount of $12,800.00, for teacher training and coaching for the Amplify ELA curriculum (2nd Edition). All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the 95 Percent Group quote, in the amount of $122,266.80, for full K-5 elementary literacy (reading/phonics) program implementation. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the Milestone Outdoor Company proposal, in the amount of $16,164.00, for summer lawn and athletic field maintenance services. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the Simon Construction, Inc. estimate, in the amount of $36,072.00, for adding/upgrading large garage doors at the bus barn. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to approve the FY2027 Certified Budget as published. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the addition of a new course, Foundations of Computer Science , for grades 9-12 beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the first reading of the following policies: 503.10 - School Safety Assessment Team (new), 600 - Goals and Objectives of the Education Program (updated), 602.01 - Curriculum Development (updated), 602.02 - Curriculum Implementation (updated), 602.03 - Curriculum Evaluation (updated), 602.04 - Pilot-Experimental-Innovative Projects (new), 603.02 - Summer School Instruction (FKA 602.14), 603.03 - Special Education (FKA 602.15), 603.04 - Multicultural/Gender Fair Education (FKA 602.02), 603.05 E1 - Health Education -Human Growth and Development Student Excuse Form (new), 603.06 - Physical Education (FKA 602.06), 603.07 - Career Education (FKA 602.04), 603.09 - Academic Freedom (new), 603.09 R1 - Academic Freedom - Teaching Controversial Issues (new), 603.10 - Global Education (FKA 602.03), 603.11 - Citizenship (FKA 602.05), 603.12 - Postsecondary Education Counseling (FKA 602.09), 605.04 - Technology and Instructional Materials (updated), and 713 R1 - Responsible Technology Use & Social Networking - Regulation (new). All Ayes. The motion carried.Motion by Hopper, second by Hanus to approve the second reading of the following policies: 102 - Equal Educational Opportunity (updated), 102 E1 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Annual Notice of Nondiscrimination (updated), 102 E2 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination (updated), 102 E3 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Notice of Section 504 Student and Parental Rights (updated), 102 E4 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Discrimination Complaint Form (updated), 102 E5 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Witness Disclosure Form (updated), 102 E6 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Disposition Complaint Form (updated), 102 R1 - Equal Educational Opportunity - Grievance Procedure (updated), 104 - Anti-Bullying/Harassment Policy (updated), 208 - Board Committees (updated), 208 R1 - Board Committees - Regulation (updated), 211 - Open Meetings (updated), 501.03 - Compulsory Attendance (updated), 501.09 - Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy (updated), 503.09 - Students Use of Personal Electronic Devices (updated), 503.09 R1 - Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices - Regulation (updated), 710.01 E1 - School Nutrition Program - School Nutrition Program Notices of Nondiscrimination (updated), 710.01 E2 - School Nutrition Program - Child Nutrition Programs Civil Rights Complaint Form (updated), and 710.01 R1 - School Nutrition - School Nutrition Program Civil Rights Complaints Procedure (updated). All Ayes. The motion carried.Superintendent Cain provided an update on upcoming events and activities across the district. High School ISASP testing is taking place this week. The district has a full schedule of spring activities, including multiple golf, track, soccer, and tennis events at both the middle school and high school levels. Additional highlights include the Elementary Concert and Senior Cap and Gown photos on April 16, the WaMac Art Contest on April 22, and the Thespian Induction and Awards on April 25.Each Board member presented a “positive” they have witnessed in the District or their role as a Board member.The next regular Board meeting will be on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., at the Partnership Center, Tama, IA.Motion by Hanus, second by Hopper to adjourn the meeting at 7:51 p.m.Elizabeth Dolezal, Board PresidentKatie Mathern, Board SecretaryPublished in the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle May 8, 2026 L80035

Public Hearing — Partnership Center, Tama, IA

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Related Notices

South Tama County CSD board met April 27, 2026 to approve personnel changes, budgets, contracts, and to set public hearings on conveyance of three district properties and a budget amendment for May 26, 2026. Multiple hires, resignations, and wage adjustments were approved.

South Tama Community School District will hold a public hearing on May 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM to consider conveying a parcel of real estate to H & H Housing, LLC for $1.00 and other consideration. The board may accept, reject, or modify the proposal after public comment.

South Tama Community School District will hold a public hearing on May 26, 2026 at 5:00 P.M. to consider conveying several described parcels in Tama to H & H Housing, LLC for $2,500 and other consideration. The board may accept, reject, or modify the proposal after hearing public input.

The South Tama Community School District will hold a public hearing on May 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM to consider conveying Block Two, McRoberts First Addition (Toledo) to H & H Housing, LLC for $100 and other consideration; the board may accept, reject, or modify the proposal.

Tama County Board of Supervisors adopted the FY2026-2027 budget levying $13,507,904 in property taxes, approved HomeBase Iowa guidelines, transferred $448,420 from Vienna TIF to Debt Service, and accepted a revised public health budget amid program decertification.

The South Tama County Community School District board held a special session on April 16, 2026, including two closed personnel-evaluation sessions and an exempt session on negotiation strategy; meetings began at 7:00 a.m. and adjourned at 8:35 a.m.