Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors

Minutes of the Ames Community School District Board of Directors Regular Meeting of March 9, 2026 Attendees. Voting Members: Pres. Kelly Winfrey, VP Sabrina Shields-Cook, Allen Bierbaum, Angie DeWaard, Aaron Rodriguez and Jennifer Tipton. Non-Voting Members: Scott Grimes, Sherri Ruzek and Student Representative Dania Tahir. 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. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Motion seconded by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Public Forum. Bruce Antion addressed the Board. Consent Agenda. All items listed under Consent were enacted by one motion. Approval as presented. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Motion seconded by: Aaron Rodriguez. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Approval of Minutes of Previous Meeting; Claims and Payroll; Contract Approvals / Resignations / Changes; Open Enrollment; Contracts and Agreements; 2026-27 Ames CSD- Andrew Boysen, Jr. Contract for Commission; 2026 Ames CSD-Squeak Balloon and Decor Contract and Addendum to Per Mar Security Services Agreement. Reports. Superintendent. Staffing. Supt. Scott Grimes reviewed certified staffing changes for the 2026-27 school year. Student Representative Dania Tahir joined the meeting at 5:34 pm. Supt. Grimes reported that the vacancy for the Director of Teaching and Learning was posted and has closed. He also reported that Mitchell Elementary Principal Justin Jeffs accepted a leadership position outside the District. He noted that the principal vacancy will be posted this week and that he will host a meeting with the Mitchell Elementary staff after spring break to gather their feedback regarding the skill set they desire in their principal. Supt. Grimes highlighted that the current 5th grade class is the smallest class in the District and referenced the need for staff flexibility as this small class moves through the secondary schools. He noted that the District will have to consider how the District replaces the two 6th grade teachers leaving at the end of the current school year, and he shared that, when a 6th grade teacher himself, he had to transition between teaching 6th grade math, science and language arts depending upon the needs of the school. He indicated that kindergarten enrollment cannot be projected at this time and, for that reason, some elementary teaching positions may not be posted immediately in an effort to ensure current teachers have a position next year in the event that next year's kindergarten enrollment is lower than this year's. He emphasized that birth rates over the past several years have been low in Story County and this directly impacts enrollment. He highlighted that the District posts special education vacancies to get ahead of competition for these difficult-to-fill positions. He further detailed the complicated nature of projecting staffing during this time of year due to internal transfers. Student Representatives. Student Representative Dania Tahir reported on a conversation she had with a peer regarding the student body's interest in internships, work-based learning opportunities and the PK & Beyond initiative. Board Members. There were no comments. New Business. Renewal of the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Gas Program 2026-27. Approve Renewal of the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Gas Program for 2026-27. Motion: I move the Board to approve the renewal of the District's participation in the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Program for 2026-27, as presented. Motion made by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Motion seconded by: Angie DeWaard. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Grant Award for Girls Flag Football. Approval as presented. Motion: I move the Board to approve the grant award of $10,000 from the Minnesota Vikings for the procurement of uniforms and equipment for a girls flag football club at Ames High. Motion made by: Angie DeWaard. Motion seconded by: Sabrina Shields-Cook. Voting: Unanimously Approved. Requests for Superintendent. There were no requests. Board Planning Calendar. A Special Meeting is scheduled for March 23 at 5:30 pm to hold a Public Hearing on the Proposed Property Tax Levy for FY27. The next Regular Meeting is March 23 at 5:45 pm. Work Session. The Work Session began at 5:49 pm. Attendees: Kelly Winfrey, Sabrina Shields-Cook, Allen Bierbaum, Angie DeWaard, Aaron Rodriguez, Jennifer Tipton, Scott Grimes, Sherri Ruzek, Jeff Hawkins, Lyle Fedders, Aaron Weddle, Dan Rader and JD Mitchell. Secondary Principals and Activities. Activities Director Lyle Fedders reported on activities at Ames High. He reviewed participation data for athletics, fine arts and clubs, noting that overall participation increased from last year. He reported that 978 of the 1,513 (64.4%) Ames High students are involved in at least one activity. He highlighted the successes of the athletic programs this year, including that softball set a school record with its first 30-win season and the girls golf team were state champions. Dir. Fedders briefly addressed the District's transition to the Little Hawkeye Conference in the 2026-27 year as well as recent or pending legislation that impacts interscholastic athletics and school clubs. Responding to questions from the Board, Dir. Fedders cited transportation as a key barrier to some students' participation in activities. Supt. Scott Grimes asserted that participation in activities is prohibitive to select students who desire employment and/or must work in order to financially support themselves or their families. Dir. Fedders reinforced that trends in Iowa illustrate that fewer students are multi-sport athletes so that they can participate in the workforce. Dir. Fedders and the Board discussed clubs and their meeting times. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Ames High Principal Dr. Paul Numedahl was unavailable. Assoc. Principal Aaron Weddle reported on the culture and climate at Ames Middle School. Mr. Weddle stressed that AMS prioritizes creating a physically and emotionally safe learning environment for students. He cited several strategies and professional learning that have contributed to improving safety at AMS, including RULER; professional learning on the emotional development of middle school-aged children; relocating the workspaces of the associate principals, attendance leads and behavior leads from the main office to student areas; generally reducing student screen time; transitioning students away from 1:1 technology in grades 6 and 7; and adjustments to lunch schedules that reduced the number of students in the lunchroom at a one time and provided a 25-minute recess for 6th and 7th graders. Mr. Weddle celebrated the strong support provided to AMS by the parent-teacher organization. Mr. Weddle indicated that AMS seeks to expand opportunities for cultivating student leadership and independence. He explained that AMS is responding to the PK & Beyond initiative by organizing small groups of 8th grade students that visit local businesses based upon student career interests, taking the 7th grade to the Central Iowa Career Expo in Boone and planning a series of guest speakers to present on careers and the workforce to 6th graders. The Board generally expressed enthusiasm over the changes to technology use that have been implemented at AMS. Dir. Jennifer Tipton inquired about the functionality of GoGuardian and opportunities for adults to learn about the trepidation and socio-emotional impact technology may have on developing children. The Board further discussed the challenge of leveraging technology for learning while protecting students from the unintended adverse cognitive impacts of excessive use. Dir. Allen Bierbaum inquired about students' sense of belonging and how staff attempt to identify students who do not have a staff member with whom they connect. Supt. Scott Grimes added that local businesses have raised concerns during discussions with him about how students use technology and how soft, interpersonal skills are developed. He asserted that the PK & Beyond initiative would contribute to students developing an understanding of the importance of interpersonal skills and responsible technology use in the workplace. Adjourn. Motion made by: Dr. Allen Bierbaum. Motion seconded by: Angie DeWaard. Voting: Unanimously Approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:53 pm. March 14 2026 LIOW0478124