The Ruthven-Ayrshire Board of Education held its regular meeting in the board room in Ruthven, Iowa. Present were President Jill Conlon, Vice President Rob Allen, Director Jaime Dodd, Director Amy Loder, Director Heather Ruehle, Director Stephanie Fay, and Director Emily Grange. Administration present included Principal Courtney Cook, Director of Student Services Chad Francis, and School Business Official Sarah Stillman. All seven board members were present.
Call to Order: President Conlon called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Review of District Mission Statement: Director Grange read the district mission statement.
Approval of Agenda: Director Loder moved to approve the agenda as presented. Director Fay seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Welcome Visitors and Guests/Public Comment: Jay Schoning thanked the Board and staff for their service and work on behalf of the district. Dee Johnson expressed concerns regarding district finances, special education expenditures, staffing and class sizes, public access to financial information, and the district partnership. She also encouraged community involvement in Board meetings.
Board Learning: No Board Learning was presented.
Communications:The Board discussed the need to ensure that communications regarding shared activities reach families in all three buildings. This discussion followed concerns that Ruthven-Ayrshire middle school boys had not received information about summer basketball opportunities. The Board also received notice that Connie Reinert would no longer assist with district advertising and pamphlets effective August 1, 2026.
Consent Items: Director Fay moved to approve the June 17, 2026 regular board minutes, July 16, 2026 joint board minutes, bills and claims, and financial report. Director Dodd seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Financial Report: SBO Stillman reported on year-end fund balances, cash flow, special education billing, Medicaid repayment, shared-service invoicing, purchase-order controls, vendor spending, grants, and the projected unspent balance.
Action Items:
Activity Calendar: Director Loder moved to approve the August activity calendar, including the next regular board meeting on August 19, 2026. Director Allen seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
CCTC 28E Agreement: Director Allen moved to approve the annual CCTC 28E agreement. Director Loder seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Lunch Fees: Director Loder moved to approve student breakfast at $1.50, student lunch at $3.55, adult breakfast at $2.00, and adult lunch at $5.00. Director Ruehle seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
PACH Agreement: Director Dodd moved to table the health services agreement while the district investigates other service options. Director Grange seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Eighth Grade Proposal: Director Loder moved to permit eighth-grade students to participate in high school athletics at the discretion of the coach and athletic director, with participating eighth graders subject to the same eligibility requirements as high school students. Director Allen seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Business Office Operations and Procedures: Director Allen moved to approve the Business Office Operations and Procedures manual with the purchase-order planning period stated as two weeks. Director Grange seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Board Policy 102 Revision: Director Ruehle moved to approve the revision to Board Policy 102 reflecting the district's PK-4 elementary, grades 5-8 middle school, and grades 9-12 high school organization. Director Fay seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Removal of Authorized Bank Signer: Director Dodd moved to remove Angie Woods as an authorized signer and representative on all district banking and financial accounts. Director Allen seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Interim Board Secretary: Director Loder moved to appoint Sarah Stillman as interim board secretary. Director Ruehle seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Superintendent Contract: Director Loder moved to approve the superintendent termination and severance agreement as presented, providing for total severance of $113,997.12. The severance will be paid in two installments of $56,998.56 on August 1, 2026, and December 1, 2026, with each installment shared equally between Ruthven-Ayrshire and Graettinger-Terril. Director Ruehle seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Personnel:
Rescind Approval: Director Allen moved to rescind the prior approval of Maylene Mangurali for the 5-12 Math Teacher/Interventionist position. Director Dodd seconded the moton. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Resignations: Director Allen moved to approve the resignations of Makenzie Ellingson, Paraeducator, and Angie Woods, Board Secretary. Director Loder seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Hires: Director Dodd moved to approve the hires of Kari Kinnetz, Paraeducator; Rolanda Fieseler, Paraeducator; Doreen McCrae-Sands, 5-12 Math Teacher/Interventionist; Andrea Kabrick, Paraeducator; Taurean Rivers, PK-12 Physical Education; Abigale Myers, .5 School Counselor and .5 Student Support Liaison; and Katie Tomason, Custodial/Paraeducator Hybrid. Director Grange seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Administration Reports/Recognitions/Good News Sharing: Principal Cook reviewed year-end student outcome data, instructional supports, and the Iowa Teacher Evaluation Framework. She presented an informational overview of a proposed tiered diploma system and reported on summer school, staffing, and back-to-school planning. Director Francis reported on the district-developed special education service delivery plan renewal and implementation of selected APL instructional strategies. The Board discussed the timing of future climate and culture surveys.
Informational Items: The Board was informed that an open enrollment application for a kindergarten student to attend the Spencer Community School District had been approved by Spencer.
Adjournment: Director Dodd moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:35 p.m. Director Loder seconded the motion. Ayes: Conlon, Allen, Dodd, Loder, Ruehle, Fay, and Grange. Nays: none. Motion carried.
