Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors

Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors Regular Meeting of February 23, 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. Members Present/Acknowledge Quorum. Pres. Kelly Winfrey called to order the Regular Meeting of the Ames CSD Board of Directors at 5:30 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. Approval as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Celebrations and Recognitions. Anna Brooks, Ames High FFA. Director of Communications Amy DeLashmutt celebrated Ames High agriculture teacher Anna Brooks, who is the recipient of the Iowa Governor's STEM Advisory Council's North Central Region's 2026 Iowa STEM Teacher Award. RJ Voss, Ames High Golf. Director of Communications Amy DeLashmutt celebrated Ames High golf coach RJ Voss, who has been named the Iowa 2024–25 Section 4A Girls Golf Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association, the 2025 Iowa High School Golf Coaches Association's Coach of the Year for 4A girls and the 2025 Iowa Girls' Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Public Forum. Judy Lemish, Susie Petra and Bruce Antion 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: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting; Financial Report; Claims & Payroll; Contract Approvals / Resignations / Changes; Open Enrollment; and Contracts and Agreements: Award of Audit Services, Iowa Cyber Resilience Initiative, 2026 Ames CSD-Iowa State University Facility Use Agreement - Hilton Coliseum (Commencement) and 2026-27 Ames CSD-Grackle Workspace Subscription. Reports. Associate Superintendent. School Improvement Advisory Committee. Assoc. Supt. Dr. Jeff Hawkins reported on the School Improvement Advisory Cmte (SIAC) meeting of February 2. He highlighted the Cmte's discussions on the District's family engagement policy and practices, the implementation of the Danielson Instructional Framework and the PK & Beyond initiative. Dir. Jennifer Tipton highlighted the quality of the discussions at the SIAC meeting. Superintendent. Enrollment. Supt. Scott Grimes reviewed current and projected enrollment. He stressed that the District plans to allocate resources to maintain class sizes that align with the Board's class size goals. Based upon the 2026-27 projected elementary enrollment, he indicated that sections may be added at Meeker and Sawyer. He noted that if enrollment increases at select grade levels, such as the 2nd grade at Fellows, the District may need to displace students to elementary schools outside their neighborhood boundaries in order to prioritize achieving small class sizes. Supt. Grimes reported that projections for Ames Middle School enrollment suggest a decline of 62 students, attributable in part to a large outgoing 8th grade class and a smaller incoming 6th grade class. He reported that he's discussed next year's enrollment with the building principal and emphasized that the District must be responsive and manage the lower enrollment through attrition and adjustments to teacher assignments. He foreshadowed that class size goals would be recommended to the Board for approval in March and further explained the need to maximize the utilization of all staff in all buildings when Supplemental State Aid is restrictive. Responding to questions from Dir. Art Baumgartner, Supt. Grimes clarified the decision-making process for shifting student enrollment from one elementary building to another when there is disparity between class sizes amongst the buildings. Supt. Grimes asserted that financial decisions and adjustments must be made from year-to-year in order to avoid even more difficult scenarios in the future. He noted that he plans to make adjustments to the enrollment tracking tool presented at Board meetings by isolating preschool enrollment to more accurately reflect funding streams and illustrate insights into the K-12 budget. Staffing. Supt. Scott Grimes reported the outlook for certified staffing for the 2026-27 school year. He reiterated that the District will look for attrition opportunities to maintain class sizes. He asserted that, when a district experiences declining enrollment and a low rate of Supplemental State Aid (SSA), the district should make reductions and adjustments from year-to-year and that reductions are never a one-time event. He reminded the Board that the District had to reduce counseling supports and Title I funding last year and that those reductions were openly reported at Board meetings, discussed with legislators and aimed at maintaining class sizes. He emphasized the importance of reporting reductions and regularly discussing budget adjustments publicly. He noted that he explicated the impact low SSA has had on Ames CSD in a letter to legislators, highlighting the types of supports that have been offset in order to prioritize and maintain class sizes while also absorbing higher administrative burdens placed on the District by unfunded legislative mandates. He indicated that, to properly plan for next year, some certified elementary vacancies may not be posted until there is a clearer representation of next year's kindergarten enrollment. He asserted that he wants to make sure that anyone working for the District this year will have a position next year, and if there is a need to reduce a kindergarten classroom, he wants to ensure there is a teaching position at another grade level for that teacher. He reported that the vacancy for the Director of Teaching and Learning position has been posted and filling the position next year is critical to protecting teachers from administrative responsibilities. Negotiations. Supt. Scott Grimes reported that he met with the Professional Labor Relations Team and the Ames Education Association has requested that the District open master contract negotiations for FY27. Supt. Grimes outlined the bargaining process and highlighted the interconnectedness between Supplemental State Aid, negotiations, salary increases and supporting staff and programming. He asserted that the District and staff have the shared, ultimate goal to educate students. Facilities. Supt. Scott Grimes reported that the City of Ames Planning and Zoning Commission held a meeting on February 18 to discuss the proposed rezoning of the property at 1323 Northwestern Ave. to Government Use and that the Commission is recommending the City Council approve the District's application at a forthcoming meeting. Supt. Grimes highlighted some of the amenities planned for the property, including rental facilities, green space and walkway. He noted that, at its most recent meeting, the Facilities Cmte discussed the use of Construction Managers at Risk (CMAR) and policy as well as supply chain issues and escalating inflation in the technology industry. Gifts to the District. Supt. Scott Grimes acknowledged the gifts donated to the District. Chief Financial Officer. GO Bond Prepayment. CFO Sherri Ruzek reported on the District's recommendation to prepay $6,680,000 on the Series 2021 General Obligation Bond. She summarized the status of the District's three outstanding bonds, including that the 2018 Series will be fully paid this year and the 2019 Series will be fully paid in 2028. She explained that the recommended prepayment on the 2021 Series will result in interest savings of $1,455,620 and that, through next year, total prepayment on the bond would be $8,940,000 with a total interest savings of $1,908,000. School Fees. Noting that fees were reviewed by the secondary activities directors, CFO Sherri Ruzek proposed school fees for the 2026-27 school year. The fees proposed remain unchanged from 2025-26 except for Driver's Education fees, which are proposed to increase from $325 to $380, in line with the price increase implemented by the District's provider of driver education. She acknowledged that fee waivers and reductions apply to driver education fees. Dir. Ruzek reminded the Board that the adult meal price changed last year but reported that meal prices have not yet been set by the Federal government for 2026-27. Setting Public Hearing Dates for the Proposed Tax Levy and Certified Budget for FY27. CFO Sherri Ruzek requested the Board set public hearings to be held March 23, 2026, at 5:30 pm, for the proposed property tax levy, and April 20, 2026, at 5:30 pm, for the proposed certified budget for Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027. She explained that the March 23 Public Hearing will be part of a Special Meeting that precedes the Regular Meeting. FY27 Budget. CFO Sherri Ruzek presented the proposed FY27 budget. She provided an overview of the Board's fiduciary responsibility, the timelines for the establishment of Supplemental State Aid (SSA) and the development and approval of the budget. She cited unknown factors such as the rate of SSA and insurance renewal costs, lower enrollment, the impact of Education Savings Accounts and the District's unspent authorized budget as budgetary challenges. Dir. Ruzek reviewed a number of factors she used to estimate the budget, including that SSA would likely to be set at 2%, enrollment decreased by 65 students, property valuation growth was 6.56% and that staff salary increases could cost over $1.3M. She also reviewed District enrollment trends since 2015-16 and the past 20 years of SSA rates. Dir. Ruzek reviewed a proposed property tax levy statement that assumes 0% SSA and noted that the County Auditor will use the District's property tax statement as of March 4 and mail the statement to residents on March 15. She reported that FY26's final property tax rate was 14.05 and the proposed rate for FY27, assuming 0% SSA, is 14.21. The Board generally discussed the assumptions informing the budget estimate. Dir. Ruzek indicated that the proposed property tax levy statement will be published on the District's website and by the Ames Tribune on March 12 and that the Public Hearing on the tax statement will be held on March 23. She proceeded by comparing and contrasting levy details for FY26 and the proposed FY27 budget that assumes 2% SSA. She presented the District's property tax trends over the past 10 years and shared information about which levies are controlled by the voters, the Board and the State. She presented the proposed FY27 budget's Notice of Public Hearing that will be published on April 7 for the Public Hearing to be held on April 20. She attributed the District's decrease in requested funds for FY27 relative to previous years to past capital expenditures related to the now completed renovation of the AMES Center and elementary playgrounds. She emphasized that the overall proposed tax levy rate is in line with the past several years. She provided an overview of the District's spending authority and reiterated Tim Oswald of Piper Sandler's recommendation that the District balance its spending authority with cash by replenishing the cash reserve. Dir. Ruzek reviewed the District's solvency ratio over the past 10 years and recommended the District strive to achieve a 15-20% ratio in order to manage day-to-day operations, especially during the summer months and to cover upfront expenses related to reimbursable government grant programs. Student Representatives. There were no comments. Board Members. There were no comments. New Business. Policies for Discussion. VP Sabrina Shields-Cook introduced the policies for discussion. There were no questions about the recommended changes. Motion: I move the Board approve the policies as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Aaron Rodriguez. Voting: Unanimously Approved. 202.5 Student Participation in School Board Meetings; 402.3 Abuse of Students by Employees; 402.4 Gifts to Employee; 402.6.A Employee Publication or Creation of Materials (No Change); 404 Licensed Employee Conduct (No Change); 405.3 Licensed Employee Individual Contracts; 405.9 Licensed Employee Probationary Status (No Change); 406.1 Licensed Employee Compensation; 406.2 Licensed Employee Compensation Advancement (No Change); 501.3 Compulsory Attendance; 501.9 Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy; 603.1 Basic Instruction Program; 603.5 Health Education; 603.9 Academic Freedom; 604.8 Foreign Students; 606.4 Student Production of Materials and Services; 707.6 Audit Committee (Rescind); and 905.2 Tobacco/Nicotine-Free Environment (No Change) Gifts to the District. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the gifts as presented. Motion made by: Aaron Rodriguez. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Unanimously Approved. GO Bond Prepayment. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Resolution Authorizing the Redemption of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2021, Dated February 11, 2021, Approving a First Amendment to Escrow Agent Agreement, and Levying a Tax for Fiscal Year 2027 for the Redemption of General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2021, Dated February 11, 2021. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Dr. Kelly Winfrey – Yes; Sabrina Shields-Cook – Yes; Aaron Rodriguez – Yes; Art Baumgartner – Yes; Dr. Jennifer Tipton – Yes. School Fees. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the proposed school fees for the 2026-27 school year as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Dr. Jennifer Tipton. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Set Public Hearing Dates for the Proposed Tax Levy and Certified Budget for FY27. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board order the Board Secretary to publish the proposed 2026-2027 tax levy and to set the date and time of the public hearing for March 23, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. and to publish the proposed 2026-2027 certified budget and to set the date and time of the public hearing for April 20, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Aaron Rodriguez. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Requests for Superintendent. There were no requests. Board Planning Calendar. The next Regular Meeting is March 9 at 5:30 pm. Ames Accolades. Pres. Kelly Winfrey highlighted the Ames Accolades. Adjourn. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Art Baumgartner. Voting: Unanimously Approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:41 pm. March 6 2026 LIOW0472271