Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors

Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors Regular Meeting of December 8, 2025 Attendees. Voting Members: Pres. Kelly Winfrey, VP Sabrina Shields-Cook, Art Baumgartner, Allen Bierbaum, Angie DeWaard, Aaron Rodriguez and Jennifer Tipton. Non-Voting Members: Scott Grimes, Sherri Ruzek and Student Representatives Vienna Rossmanith and Dania Tahir. Members Present/Acknowledge Quorum. Pres. Kelly Winfrey called to order the Regular Meeting of the Ames CSD Board of Directors at 5:31 pm. The meeting was hosted at the District Office, 2005 24th St., and open to virtual attendance in accordance with Open Meetings Laws. Approval of Agenda. Motion made by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Motion seconded by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Voting: Dr. Kelly Winfrey – Yes; Sabrina Shields-Cook – Yes; Art Baumgartner – Yes; Dr. Allen Bierbaum – Yes; Angie DeWaard – Yes; Aaron Rodriguez – Yes; Dr. Jennifer Tipton – Not Present. Public Forum. Judith Lemish and Susie Petra addressed the Board. Dir. Jennifer Tipton joined the meeting at 5:36 pm. Consent Agenda. All items listed under Consent were enacted by one motion. Approval as presented. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Motion seconded by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting; Financial Report; Claims and Payroll; Contract Approvals / Resignations / Changes; Open Enrollment; Out-of-State Travel Request; and Contracts and Agreements: 2026 Ames CSD-Story County Agricultural Extension Facility Use Agreement, 2025 Ames CSD-10Fold Amendment 21 to Professional Services Agreement - NW & 13th St. Property Development Project, 2025-26 Ames CSD-Terracon Consultants Task Order Amending Master Services Agreement, 2026-27 Ames CSD-Johnson Controls Service Agreement for High School Chillers, 2025-26 Ames CSD-Heartland AEA Service Agreement - E-Rate Managed Services and Ames CSD-Sigler Companies Licensing Agreement. Reports. Superintendent. Dropout Prevention Funding Report. Supt. Scott Grimes provided the annual report on Dropout Prevention Funding. He indicated that the modified supplemental amount for dropout prevention provides funds to assist the District with the unique needs of students who are potentially or returning students who have been pushed or pulled out of school. He noted the Dropout Prevention budget is approved by the Board annually and the information provided to the Board includes the number of students the District serves and the programs that are funded using the Dropout Prevention Funding. He reported that the Board is asked to approve modified allowable growth of $1,796,051 with a total Dropout Prevention budget of $2,394,735, because the District is required to provide a 25% match of the modified allowable growth from the General Budget. He noted the 25% match is $598,684 this year. He explained that some of the funds are used to support positions in the District such as Family Resource Support Advocates and SUCCESS teachers. Facilities. Supt. Scott Grimes reported that the garage structure and old three-story administration building at 13th St. and Northwestern have been demolished. He noted that he held a meeting at the AMES Center with residents in the neighborhood to answer questions about the property's redevelopment plans. He noted he received positive feedback regarding the improvements. Supt. Grimes referenced the Facilities Cmte meeting of December 2. At that meeting, plans to refresh the interior of Ames Middle School were discussed. The AMS cafeteria will be the first area of the building addressed. Staffing. Supt. Scott Grimes reported the District has received 11 early retirement notices. The early retirements will be effective at the end of the 2025-26 year. He noted that the deadline for applying for early retirement is December 12 and that there are 48 employees eligible for early retirement this year. Supt. Grimes indicated that early retirements and enrollment are two factors that will inform the budget process. He foreshadowed that the Board would begin receiving regular updates on enrollment and staffing trends starting in January. Gifts to the District. Supt. Scott Grimes acknowledged the gifts donated to the District. Student Representatives. There were no comments. Board Members. Pres. Kelly Winfrey noted that Board members attended the Iowa Association of School Boards' convention last month and engaged in learning that supports fulfilling their responsibilities. She thanked staff for their snow removal efforts, which often occur at uncommon hours. Old Business. Request to SBRC for Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Open Enrollment Out and Limited English Proficiency Instruction Beyond 5 Years. Approval as presented. Each request was voted separately. Motion #1: I move to approve the request to the School Budget Review Committee for modified allowable growth for increased enrollment out of $651,239. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Motion seconded by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Motion #2: I move the request to the School Budget Review Committee for modified allowable growth for limited English proficiency instruction beyond 5 years in the amount of $66,554. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Seconded by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Voting: Unanimously Approved. New Business. Gifts to the District. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board approve the gifts as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Dropout Prevention Funding. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the modified allowable growth of $1,796,051 with a total Dropout Prevention budget of $2,394,735. Motion made by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Motion seconded by: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Requests for Superintendent. There were no new requests. Board Planning Calendar. The next Regular Meeting is January 12 at 5:30 pm. Ames Accolades. Supt. Scott Grimes highlighted Ames Accolades. Work Session. The Work Session began at 5:53 pm. Attendees: Kelly Winfrey, Sabrina Shields-Cook, Art Baumgartner, Allen Bierbaum, Angie DeWaard, Aaron Rodriguez, Jennifer Tipton, Scott Grimes, Sherri Ruzek, Vienna Rossmanith, Dania Tahir, Dan Rader and JD Mitchell. 2026-27 Board Meeting Schedule. Pres. Kelly Winfrey introduced the proposed board meeting and agenda setting meeting schedules for 2026-27. The Board briefly discussed the schedules as well as the possibility of scheduling an additional retreat-style work session during July. At the time of the meeting, there were no known scheduling conflicts. Student Representative Vienna Rossmanith departed the meeting at 6:01 pm. Board Committees. Pres. Kelly Winfrey reviewed the purpose of board committees. She briefly provided an overview of the Board's current committees and noted that the School Improvement Advisory Committee is required by law. She identified the other external boards and committees on which Ames CSD Board members serve on and/or attend as representatives of the School Board. Supt. Scott Grimes noted that Iowa school boards typically have three principal committees: Policy, Facilities and Budget. Pres. Winfrey acknowledged that the Ames CSD Board has maintained morecommittees than is typical and opened the discussion to whether to dissolve the Teaching and Learning Committee. The Board generally discussed that the goal of committees is to accelerate the work of the Board, but that, in the past, the work performed by committees was replicated at Board meetings, creating redundancy lacking efficiency. The discussion highlighted that communication between the District and the Board has improved substantially over the past several years and with the establishment of a new board meeting format that includes regular reports from the Assoc. Superintendent, Superintendent, CFO and select administrators, as well as through other venues, Board members receive the information needed to make informed decisions. It was generally acknowledged that some work undertaken by committees was likely due to the need for the Board to receive additional information, and the committees were a mechanism for procuring that information. Dir. Allen Bierbaum proposed dissolving the Teaching and Learning Committee and encouraged the Board to consider the same for the Equity Committee. VP Sabrina Shields-Cook and Dir. Angie DeWaard concurred, and there were no objections from other directors. The discussion regarding the Equity Committee focused on the fact that achieving educational equity is embedded throughout the District's Strategic Plan. Asserting that the pursuit of educational equity is central to all the work of the District, there was consensus that the Equity Committee could be dissolved. Dir. Bierbaum proposed that the Board maintain the Policy, Facilities and Budget Committees. Supt. Grimes recommended that the Board change the name of the Audit & Budget Oversight Committee to the Budget Committee. He also emphasized that committees are meant to perform the internal work of the District and recommended removing requirements to include individuals who are external to the District on committees unless prescribed by law. Discussion yielded general consent to accept Supt. Grimes' recommendations. Pres. Winfrey opened discussion regarding the ad hoc Mental Health Committee. VP Shields-Cook reminded the Board that the Mental Health Committee was established at a time when the District had not yet determined a structure to oversee and advance the District's work related to mental health. She noted that, since that time, the District has created and implemented a Mental Health Plan. She asserted that the reasons for creating the Mental Health Committee have been met. Discussion yielded general support and no objections to dissolving the Mental Health Committee. Pres. Winfrey indicated that the Policy Committee will work on revising policy 208.1 Board Committees pursuant to the work session's discussion and make a recommendation to the Board at a future meeting. The Board proceeded to discuss tertiary roles, committees and boards such as the Board's legislative liaison, Conference Board and Ames Education Foundation, etc. Supt. Grimes advocated that the Ames Education Foundation's board should determine its membership, including non-voting membership, rather than the Ames CSD Board and that there is wisdom in ensuring the unencumbered autonomy of each entity. Pres. Winfrey requested that Board members consider the roles they wish to pursue and email her their respective preferences. Once received, Board leadership will set assignments. Dir. Bierbaum requested that he be assigned as the Board's legislative liaison, given his new role as a board director of the Iowa Association of School Boards. The Board briefly discussed the goals and goal-setting for Board committees, but it was quickly identified by the group that the three major committees' ultimate goals are self-evident. Supt. Grimes noted that the District is coordinating with United to schedule a joint work session with their school board. He provided a brief overview of the scope of the District's whole grade sharing agreement with United, and Board Secretary Sherri Ruzek noted that the joint agreement expires in 2027. Pres. Winfrey concluded the conversation by noting that the committees' new membership will be effective in January. Adjourn. Motion made by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Motion seconded by: Angie DeWaard. Voting: Unanimously Approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:44 pm. December 18 2025 LIOW0425517