Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors

Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors Regular Meeting of January 26, 2026 Attendees. Voting Members: Pres. Kelly Winfrey, VP Sabrina Shields-Cook, Art Baumgartner, 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: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Celebrations and Recognitions. Pathfinder Program - National Math Stars Theo Traxel and Arthur Wang. Director of Communications Amy DeLashmutt celebrated Theo Traxel (Mitchell Elementary) and Arthur Wang (Fellows Elementary), who were among 21 additional Iowa students selected to join the Pathfinder Stars Program that is part of the National Math Stars Program. Public Forum. Barb Pedersen addressed the Board. Consent Agenda. All items listed under Consent were enacted by one motion. Approval as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting; Financial Report; Contract Approvals / Resignations / Changes; Open Enrollment; Student and Family Handbooks; and Contracts and Agreements: Two-Year Southern Minnesota Inspection Quote and Frontline Training Subscription. Reports. Superintendent. Enrollment. Supt. Scott Grimes reviewed current and projected enrollment. Based upon the Board's goals for class sizes, he highlighted that projected elementary enrollment without kindergarten projections indicate preliminarily a potential section decrease in a grade and an addition to another grade at Fellows Elementary and Mitchell Elementary, as well as an additional section to a grade at Meeker Elementary and Sawyer Elementary. He cautioned that State legislation and available new funding will need to be monitored while assessing the addition of sections. Overall, projections suggest elementary enrollment may decrease by six students next year, compared to the decrease of 131 elementary students this year. Student Representative Dania Tahir joined the meeting at 5:41 pm. Supt. Grimes highlighted that the secondary schools have larger outgoing classes than incoming classes next year. Overall, the secondary enrollment is projected to decrease by approximately 88 students--62 at the middle school and 26 at the high school. Supt. Grimes asserted that these numbers are shared for transparency and awareness for the Board and staff alike. He acknowledged the Board's effort last year to decrease the target class size goal for the elementary schools and foreshadowed that each teacher that is added or removed from a staff roster is roughly estimated to impact the budget by approximately $75K. He noted that enrollment projections will be regularly reported to the Board through the end of the school year. Staffing. Supt. Scott Grimes reported on certified staffing changes that impact the 2026-27 school year. He explained how the certified staff changes will be tracked, deliberated upon and reported. He further explained that anytime there is a resignation, a series of factors must be considered—whether the position is needed, whether the position is a wish, or if the resignation is an opportunity to make changes or adjustments to programming? Supt. Grimes reported that hiring for the position of Director of Teaching and Learning has been on hold but that the District plans to proceed with filling the position. He highlighted the areas positively affected by the hiring of a permanent Director of Student Services. He explained that the Teaching and Learning Department staff and the Assoc. Supt. have absorbed the work that had been performed by the Director of Teaching and Learning. He explained that a Teaching and Learning Department Coordinator recently left the District to assume a role with the Iowa Department of Education and that that position will be put on hold rather than filled next year. As a result of these changes, there will be work to realign the responsibilities of coordinators in order to meet the District's needs. He provided a brief overview of how human resources will be re-organized to meet needs and noted that he will provide the Board with an organizational chart at a later date. He indicated that the District will refrain from posting positions for at least a couple of weeks while next year's Supplemental State Aid is debated and additional work is performed internally to align available funding with student needs. Facilities. Supt. Scott Grimes noted that the demolition and grading is finished at 13th St. and Northwestern Ave and that the District is working with the City to rezone the property to Government Use. He foreshadowed that the Board is asked to act upon the Substantial Completion of the High School Track and Bleacher Improvements Project. Too, he noted staff will be working on a 10-year facility plan to present to the Facilities Cmte. Gifts to the District. Supt. Scott Grimes acknowledged the gifts donated to the District. Pres. Kelly Winfrey thanked the donors. Chief Financial Officer. Taxable Valuation January 1, 2025. CFO Sherri Ruzek reviewed taxable valuations that are the basis for the FY27 budget. She indicated that regular valuation increased by 6.56%. In summary, she reported property valuation increases as follows: Residential 2.7%, Commercial 11%, Industrial 29.5%. She identified significant increases in property valuation for utilities pursuant to Senate File 614 and the assessment of the Northern Natural Gas pipeline. New Money Calculations Based on Various SSA Amounts. CFO Sherri Ruzek provided the Board with estimates for new money in FY27 based on various Supplemental State Aid (SSA) amounts. She reported that the Governor has recommended setting SSA at 2%. Dir. Ruzek highlighted that 2% SSA would result in 1% new money or $364,442 and a budget guarantee amount of $172,693. She reported that the Ames CSD will be on a budget guarantee, which is funded by property tax dollars, if SSA is set under 2.49%. She indicated that 199 school districts in Iowa will be on a budget guarantee if SSA is set at 2%. In summary, her new money estimates were: 1.5% SSA results in 1% new money or $364,443 and a budget guarantee of $351,449; 2.0% SSA results in 1.0% new money or $364,443 and a budget guarantee of $172,693; 2.49% SSA results in 1% new money or $366,037; and 3% SSA results in 1.51% new money or $549,262. Dir. Ruzek cautioned that 3% SSA would not be enough to satisfy annual raises to insurance costs and wages. The Board generally discussed enrollment calculations, new money estimates and budget guarantees. Supt. Grimes noted that there is discussion at the Capitol about the possibility of legislation being proposed that would mandate the State to cover the school district's budget guarantees for one year only. FY27 Certified Budget Proposed Timeline. CFO Sherri Ruzek reported the timeline for reviewing and certifying the FY27 budget. She highlighted the two required public hearings on tax statements and the budget, that the FY27 budget will be discussed at the Work Session on February 9 and the Board will take action on the budget at the Board Meeting of April 20. Pres. Kelly Winfrey reminded the Board that statute requires SSA to be set 30 days after the Governor submits her budget proposal but that that deadline is generally not met, resulting in the District having to publish proposed tax rates prior to knowing the amount of funding it will receive from the State. Dir. Aaron Rodriguez confirmed with Dir. Ruzek that when SSA is not set prior to publishing tax rates, the District must assume 0% SSA growth since the tax rate published cannot be higher than the actual tax rate that is determined after the State sets SSA. The Board generally discussed SSA. Student Representatives. Student Representative Dania Tahir confirmed the high school student body is relieved semester finals concluded. Board Members. Day on the Hill. Pres. Kelly Winfrey highlighted the annual lobbying event hosted by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) known as Day on the Hill that was held at the State Capitol today. She noted that four Board members attended the event to learn more about the legislative session and advocate for public education. Based upon the event, she asserted that school funding would be a challenge, SSA growth would be insufficient for most districts, property tax proposals could affect SAVE revenues and that there are potential limitations to the use of management funds forthcoming. She emphasized that it is early in the session and the proposed legislation may be amended and/or refined throughout committee work. She encouraged the public to contact local legislators as well as members of the education committees. Dir. Jennifer Tipton, who recently attended an IASB advocacy webinar, encouraged the public to attend forums and contact legislators with impact stories. She reported that 296 bills were introduced in the first week of the session and 25 education bills were introduced in the first two days of the session. New Business. Policies for Discussion. VP Sabrina Shields-Cook introduced the policies for discussion. She highlighted that the proposed revisions to policies are memorialized in the Policy Committee Minutes of January 22. She emphasized that revisions were driven by recommendations from the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB), changes to State code and aligning policy to practice. Dir. Art Baumgartner inquired about the policies recommended for rescindment. VP Shields-Cook explained that 704.1.A PPEL Funds is a policy specific to Ames and the recommendation to rescind conforms to the District's efforts to align its policies with IASB and that rescindment of 707.3 Publication of Financial Reports was recommended by IASB. Pres. Kelly Winfrey noted that redundancy often prompts rescindment. Supt. Scott Grimes speculated on why policy 704.1.A may have been relevant to Ames at the time the policy was adopted. CFO Sherri Ruzek explained that policy 707.3 addresses content already codified in law. Policies: 206.3 Secretary/Treasurer (No Change); 211 Open Meetings, 403.3 Communicable Diseases, 405.1 Licensed Employee Defined (No Change), 405.4 Licensed Employee Continuing Contracts, 405.5 Licensed Employee Work Day (No Change), 405.6 Licensed Employee Assignment (No Change), 405.7 Licensed Employee Transfers and Reassignments (No Change), 700 Purpose of Non-Instructional and Business Services, 702 Cash in School Buildings, 704.1.A Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) Funds (Rescind), 705.4 Expenditures for a Public Purpose, 705.5 Outstanding Checks (No Change), 707.3 Publication of Financial Reports (Rescind), 708 Care, Maintenance, and Disposal of District Records, 709 Insurance Program (No Change), 711.5 Transportation of Nonresident and Nonpublic School Students (New), 803.1 Disposition of Obsolete Equipment (No Change) and 901 Public Examination of District Records. Gifts to the District. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the gifts as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Aaron Rodriguez. Voting: Unanimously Approved. High School Track and Bleacher Improvements Project Change Order #5. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve Change Order #5 to the High School Track and Bleacher Improvements Project as presented. Motion made by: Aaron Rodriguez. Motion seconded by: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Certificate of Substantial Completion for the High School Track and Bleacher Improvements Project. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the Certificate of Substantial Completion for the High School Track and Bleacher Improvements Project as presented. Responding to a question from Dir. Art Baumgartner, Supt. Grimes assured the Board that the deer hoof prints left on the track during the curing period were repaired and there are measures in place to ensure the longevity of the track in light of the repair. Motion made by: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Motion seconded by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Requests for Superintendent. Pres. Kelly Winfrey noted that Supt. Grimes would provide the Board with an updated Organizational Chart. Board Planning Calendar. The Board will hold a Joint Work Session with the United CSD at the AMES Center on February 2 at 5 pm. The next Regular Meeting is February 9 at 5:30 pm. Ames Accolades. Pres. Kelly Winfrey noted the Ames Accolades. Adjourn. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Unanimously Approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:22 pm. February 7 2026 LIOW0454640