Eric Brown

The Ankeny Community School District's strategic plan, developed during the 2021-2022 school year, outlines a five-year vision to equip students with skills for a changing world. It is structured around three core pillars: Rigorous & Relevant Academics, Talented People, and Supportive Environments. The plan aims to foster postsecondary success through strong academic programs, effective staffing, and secure, collaborative learning environments, guided by a graduate profile emphasizing knowledge, authenticity, engagement, understanding, curiosity, and adaptability.

The meeting addressed old business including the approval of contracts and agreements. Specific actions involved awarding a contract to Reliable Roofing of Des Moines, Iowa, for the re-roofing project at Northwest Elementary and Park View Middle School, with a base bid of $195,000 and an alternate bid of $51,960. The board also approved a contract with Midwest Tennis and Track Company for the Centennial High School track resurfacing project for $204,300. Further discussions covered the approval of the plan, specifications, and estimated cost for the Middle School baseball and softball field project involving synthetic turf, including discussions on adjusting outfield dimensions and plans for dugout improvements. In new business, the board approved policies on the first of two readings, approved the at-risk dropout prevention plan for the 2026-2027 school year, and approved a request to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) for a Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) of $3,849,545 related to the at-risk dropout plan.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda, including an amendment to item 7D concerning the personnel report. Following the pledge of allegiance, acknowledgements were made, including appreciation for the sponsorship of the MVP retreat by Fairway Meat and Groceries and the Pulk County Board of Supervisors, and the recognition of Marina Banano as a Golden Apple Award recipient. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to updates on the district's 10-year plan following the approval of the general obligation bond. Discussions covered next-level work in academic programming, specifically the career clusters designed for the 2024-2025 school year, which necessitates unique lab spaces in the new innovative hub. Updates were provided on the construction timeline for the hub, including parking lot modifications, and projects slated for bidding, such as high school auditorium improvements and middle school baseball and softball field relocations. Furthermore, future planning involves launching action teams focusing on areas like master scheduling, standards reference grading consistency, technology, strategic partnerships, and eventual staffing needs for the hub. The construction timeline was reviewed, indicating that the innovative hub and parking lots construction is set to begin in the spring, with middle school athletic field construction also commencing then.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda, which included amendments to item 7D (personnel report) and item 93C (date and amount changes), and the removal of item 9 A4C because the contract was not attached. Acknowledgements included recognizing the district for receiving a national honor from the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) for the 2025 newsletter award, and congratulating the Ankeny cheerleading team for winning the 2025 state champion co-ed cheer dance division and the Centennial High School girls volleyball team for earning runner-up in the class 5A championship. Public comments focused on advocating for increased state supplemental aid for public schools and opposing the use of public money for private school support. The board approved the consent agenda. Information-only items included the presentation of the annual RSP enrollment report, which indicated stable enrollment projections over the next five years but highlighted capacity challenges due to growth and development. The report also analyzed declining birth rates and cohort changes, noting that senior classes are currently larger than kindergarten classes.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the consent agenda. A significant portion of the session involved an auditor presentation detailing the financial statement audit, which resulted in an unmodified opinion, noting an emphasis of matter regarding the implementation of a new accounting standard for compensated absences requiring restatement of beginning fund balances. The auditors also reviewed findings on internal controls and compliance, including a significant deficiency in reconciling enterprise fund revenues from point-of-sale systems. Discussions also covered Governmental Funds, noting revenue increases primarily from local taxes and a non-recurring medical loss ratio reimbursement, while expenditures decreased due to a reduction in capital projects, offset by increases in instruction, support services, and transportation costs. Enterprise funds (school nutrition, childcare, community education) showed net income. Board members raised concerns regarding limitations in the current financial software concerning accounts payable and receivable reconciliation, which the administration addressed by noting ongoing work and plans to investigate replacement software. Following the audit review, a high-level financial health report was presented, covering enrollment trends, expected taxable valuations increases, general fund revenues (including discussion on the set-aside of a $5.3 million UHC rebate for future self-funding), expense management focusing on salary and benefits (77% of expenses), and rising transportation costs for specialized routes. The report also noted planned decreases in investment income due to federal rate drops. Finally, financial solvency metrics were reviewed, highlighting an increase in unspent balance to 13.8% through fund reallocation and a plan to maintain the property tax rate steady near $16.