Creston Community School District

Board of Directors Meeting

Regular Board Meeting

July 21, 2025

The board tour of the Early Childhood addition project at 4:30 p.m.

The Board of Directors of the Creston Community School District met on Monday, July 21, 2025.  The meeting was held in the Boardroom at 801 N. Elm, as well as virtually, starting at 5:30 p.m. Galen Zumbach, Board Vice President, presided, and the following answered the roll call: Galen Zumbach, Dr. Amanda Mohr, Dr. Brad James, and Sharon Snodgrass.  Don Gee arrived at 6:00 p.m. Administrators present: Deron Stender and Taylor Royster.

A representative from the Creston News Advertiser and KSIB was present.

The vice president asked the members and audience to face the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mohr moved, and Snodgrass seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 4-0.

Public Hearing on the sale of real property commenced at 5:32 p.m. with an open invitation to the community. During the hearing, no oral or written objections were received regarding the proposed budget. Hearing closed at 5:33 p.m.

Public Hearing on the High School Auditorium Lighting Project commenced at 5:34 p.m. with an open invitation to the community. During the hearing, no oral or written objections were received regarding the proposed budget. Hearing closed at 5:34 p.m.

Public Hearing on 2025-2026 District Developed Special Education Services Delivery System.  No written or oral objections were received, opened at 5:34 p.m., and closed at 5:35 p.m.

Mohr moved, and James seconded, to approve consent agenda items: Motion carried 4-0.

• Minutes of June 19, 2025
• Financial Reports
• Bills
• Contracts, Resignations, Agreements
  • Resignations
    • Alisa Phillips- Elementary Art Teacher
    • Drew Dornack- Assistant Tennis Coach
    • Taylor Royster- Central Generalist II                                                               
    • Jacob Baudler- Elementary Para
  • Contracts
    • Sara King- Elementary & Middle School Art Teacher
    • Jason Hansen- Custodian
  • Voluntary Transfer
    • Taylor Royster- School Business Official (start of 2026-27 school year)
  • Retirements
    • Billie Jo Greene- School Business Official (end of 2025-26 school year)
  • Residential Placement Agreement
  • Music Theatre International
  • Wellmark Behavioral and Mental Health Grant
  • Green Hills AEA Revised MOU
• Annual board policy review as presented
• Volunteers:  Lisa Riley-activities and classroom; Richard Homewood and Linda Huffman READS; Amanda Hansen and Karen Ryals activities.
• Donations:  First United Methodist Church to Food Service $2,261.39 for unpaid lunch balances; YACC to Karlie Hyde (ECC- Kindergarten) $300.00 for Social Emotional Learning Books:  Iowa States Savings Bank to All PreK 4th Grade Students $1,200.00 for each student a book to read over the summer; Greater Regional Hospital - Dustie Evan to Elementary Library $0.00 provided 2 children's books on the topic of strokes; Greater Regional Hospital - Dustie Evans to Creston Elementary library $50.00 for children's books that focus on recognizing symptoms of a stroke and living with loved ones who have endured a stroke;  Elmer Moats Trust to Creston Elementary $5,000.00 for the benefit of disabled children residing in Union Count; POET to HS Robotics Club $1,500.00 for Nationals for TSA/Robotics.

Communication and reports

• Business Manager Greene’s Report - The monthly financial reports
• Superintendent Stender’s Report -  The superintendent, along with Gary Briley and Callie Anderson, continues to meet monthly with DLR and DDVI project managers to review the progress on the new Early Childhood Center. So far, $184,655.77 in change orders have been processed, leaving a contingency fund balance of $553,644.23. The superintendent of Orient-Macksburg has requested transportation support, and their board has authorized our district to send a bus to a designated location in Orient for student pick-up and drop-off. A formal agreement will follow their July 21 board meeting and will be included on the August agenda. Custodial staff are busy preparing facilities amid various transitions across the district. A welcome letter was recently sent to staff, outlining professional development schedules, training protocols, district goals, and a list of new staff members. The district is currently fully staffed, with seven new teachers on board.
• Early Childhood Facility Planning - Tentative Timeline, budget, and project spending.

Don Gee arrived at 6:00 p.m.

Zumbach moved, and Snodgrass seconded, to approve the resolution for the sale of real property. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve the High School Auditorium Lighting Project for Van Mannen for $1,033,728.  Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve the contract amendment with DLR Group for the High School Auditorium Lighting improvement project and change order of the EMS LED lighting of $99,258.00.   Motion carried 5-0.

James moved, and Zumbach seconded, to approve the purchase and payment for a 12-passenger van from TNT Ford for $54,183.    Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and James seconded, to approve the 2025-2026 district handbooks.   Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and James seconded, to approve the 2025-2026 District Goals.  Motion carried 5-0.

Mohr moved, and James seconded, to approve the 2025-2026 District Legislative Priorities.    Motion carried 5-0.

Snodgrass moved, and Zumbach seconded, to approve the 2025-2026 District Developed Special Education Services Delivery Plan.   Motion carried 5-0.

Mohr moved, and Zumbach seconded, to approve the operational sharing agreement with Lenox CSD for the human resource officer and special education director.   Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and James seconded, to approve the Dual Sports Participation.   Motion carried 5-0.

Mohr moved, and James seconded to approve the first reading of Policy Primer 33.4. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded to approve 257 Swan Street, Creston, IA, as the place where school board meetings will be held.   Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Snodgrass seconded to approve the authority to the Superintendent to sell and dispose of public property as necessary and in accordance with Iowa Code.   Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Snodgrass seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 6:25 p.m.  Motion carried 5-0.

 

 

_______________________________________           ________________________________________

                          President                                                                         Secretary

 

Future meetings in the AEA boardroom at 257 Swan St, Creston, unless otherwise noted:

• Monday, August 18, 2025, 5:30 p.m. Regular Board Meeting
• Monday, September 15, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting
• Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creston Community School District

Board of Directors Meeting

Regular Board Meeting

August 18, 2025

The Board of Directors of the Creston Community School District met on Monday, August 18, 2025.  The meeting was held in the AEA Conference Room at 257 Swan Street, as well as virtually, starting at 5:30 p.m. Don Gee, Board President, presided, and the following answered the roll call: Don Gee, Galen Zumbach, Dr. Amanda Mohr, Dr. Brad James virtually, and Sharon Snodgrass.  Administrators present: Deron Stender, Callie Anderson, and Billie Jo Greene.

A representative from the Creston News Advertiser and KSIB was present.

The vice president asked the members and audience to face the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve consent agenda items: Motion carried 5-0.

• Minutes of July 21, 2025
• Financial Reports
• Bills
• Contracts, Resignations, Agreements
  • Resignations
    • Cole Crawford- 7th Grade Assistant Football Coach & 8th Grade Girls Basketball Coach
    • Lindsay Adamson- Paraprofessional
    • Russell Orr- Bus Driver
    • Sara Keeler- HS Assistant Girls Wrestling Coach
    • Addison Shay- Accounts Payable- Pending Board Approval of Voluntary Transfer
    • Teri Keeler- IT- Pending Board Approval of Voluntary Transfer
    • Sara Lane- Middle School Student Council Sponsor
    • William Ralston- Assistant Girls Soccer Coach
    • Edward Jones- Custodian
  • Contracts
    • Caleb Maxwell- Elementary/Middle School Paraprofessional
    • Stephanie Baucom- Middle School Paraprofessional
    • Arianna Gomez- Assistant Girls Soccer Coach
    • Sarah Guthrie- Assistant Girls Tennis Coach
    • Preston Fleharty- 7th Grade Assistant Football Coach
    • Hallie Powers- Jr. Class Sponsor
    • Deren Fry- Bus Driver
    • Pamela Shady- Bus Paraprofessional
  • Voluntary Transfer
    • Addison Shay- Human Resources (July 1, 2026)
    • Teri Keeler- Accounts Payable (July 1, 2026)
  • 2025-2026 complementary activity passes
  • 2025-2026 Out-of-State Trip
  • Transportation Agreement with Orient Macksburg Community School District
• Superintendent Stenders' request to attend the Superintendent Symposium
• Waiver for Eligibility for Activities
• Amend the Student and Parent Handbook
• Fundraisers as presented
• Donations:  Panther Pride Program:  BUNN, Community 1st Credit Union, Creston Veterinary Clinic, Greater Regional Health, Hartsock Insurance, Heartland Tire & Auto Center, Iowa State Savings Bank, Lions Club, Mark & Mary O’Riley, Napa, Northwest Bank, Project C Dance Company, Southwestern Community College, Subway.  Panther Pride Staff and Promotional T-Shirts:  Iowa State Savings Bank.  New Staff Luncheon:  Northwest Bank.  District Staff & Student Promotions:  Hartsock Insurance.

Communication and reports

• Student recognition was given for the Hawkeye 10 All-Conference Teams, with several athletes honored. In softball, Ava Adamson was named Unanimous 1st Team, Taryn Fredrickson and Avery Staver earned 1st Team, Jersey Foote and Evy Marlin were 2nd Team, and Jaycee Hanson received Honorable Mention. The softball team also captured the Hawkeye 10 Championship with a perfect 20-0 record. Additional honors included Taryn Fredrickson being named to the All-KMAland Softball Team; Ava Adamson (2nd Team) and Taryn Fredrickson (3rd Team) receiving Iowa Girls Coaches Association All-State 4A recognition; and Ava Adamson being selected to the All-District Team 4A Southwest. In baseball, Parker Varner and Tom Mikkelsen earned 1st Team, with Tanner Ray named Honorable Mention. Varner was also selected 1st Team Class 3A Southwest Iowa All-District, Mikkelsen 2nd Team, and Varner was named to the IA Baseball All-State 3rd Team. Additionally, Madison (Frain) Peterson, Class of 2012, was inducted into the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union Hall of Fame.
• Business Manager Greene’s Report - The monthly financial reports. The End of Fiscal Year process was reviewed, with CAR, Special Education, and Transportation reports due by September 15. A reminder that the School Board Election will take place in FY26, with candidate packets available. The IASB Convention is scheduled for November 19–21 in Des Moines.
• Superintendent Stender’s Report -  Preparations for the new school year are underway with preschool and kindergarten beginning in temporary classrooms at the elementary school. Kindergarten will start August 25 with a two-week “Soft Start to School” focused on routines, community building, and hands-on exploration, followed by a transition week, September 8–12, to move into new classrooms. A Kindergarten Open House is planned for September 11, with classes resuming September 15, while preschool will also begin September 15, following construction delays, with a Preschool Open House scheduled the same evening. Updates include $184,655.77 in processed change orders with a contingency balance of $553,644.23, the completion of central office hiring, and active work on the RSAI legislative platform. The district is fully staffed, with new teacher orientation completed, and will launch back-to-school workshops on August 18. Panther Pride Sponsors were recognized for their contributions, and the superintendent shared that they have been invited to participate in the national Superintendent Symposium in October, with expenses covered by AASA, pending board approval.
• Early Childhood Facility Planning - Tentative Timeline, budget, and project spending.

Zumbach moved, and Snodgrass seconded, to approve the resolution for the FY26 distribution of state funds designated as salary supplements for education support personnel. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve the purchase of AEDs from LifeGuard MD for $53,300.00.  Motion carried 5-0.

Mohr moved, and Zumbach seconded, to approve the authorization of the superintendent to approve or deny open enrollment requests.   Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded to approve the 2nd reading of Policy Primer 33.4. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 6:14 p.m.  Motion carried 5-0.

 

 

_______________________________________           ________________________________________

                          President                                                                         Secretary

 

Future meetings in the AEA boardroom at 257 Swan St, Creston, unless otherwise noted:

• Monday, September 15, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting
• Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

Creston Community School District

Board of Directors Meeting

Regular Board Meeting

September 15, 2025

The Board of Directors of the Creston Community School District met on Monday, September 15, 2025.  The meeting was held in the AEA Conference Room at 257 Swan Street, as well as virtually, starting at 5:30 p.m. Don Gee, Board President, presided, and the following answered the roll call: Don Gee, Galen Zumbach, Dr. Amanda Mohr, Dr. Brad James, and Sharon Snodgrass.  Administrators present: Deron Stender, Bill Messerole, Lesa Downing, Callie Anderson, and Billie Jo Greene.

A representative from the Creston News Advertiser was present.

The vice president asked the members and audience to face the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Zumbach moved, and Snodgrass seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and James seconded, to approve consent agenda items: Motion carried 5-0.

• Minutes of August 18, 2025
• Financial Reports
• Bills
• Contracts, Resignations, Agreements
  • Resignations
    • Jessica Wilker- Food Service
    • Deren Fry- Bus Driver
    • Janet Hudson- Custodian
  • Contracts
    • Rebecca Morrison- Paraprofessional
    • Karla Larson- Paraprofessional
    • Connie Swanson- Paraprofessional
    • Angie Ray- Paraprofessional
  • Termination
    • Pam Sobotka- Food Service
  • Top Notch Fireworks Agreement
  • Viking Fire Protection
• Volunteers:  Ruth Avazian, Jesse White, Valerie White, Agnes Hoepker, and Katey Capra for Activities; Steven Marean for READs

Communication and reports

• Middle School Principal Downing - Curriculum work continues across departments: Science introduced Science Your Way for intervention/extension and is implementing Amplify for Tier 1 support; ELA is focusing on interventions, LETRS strategies, and strengthening writing in collaboration with Social Studies; Math has set iReady for 5th/6th and continues the current program in 7th/8th while refining the Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum; Social Studies is raising rigor, using rubrics with ELA, and adding inquiry-based learning, including hosting a Pentagon 9/11 guest speaker; and Special Education is aligning schedules with SDI minutes and para support while holding monthly team meetings. Assessments are underway with FAST, MTSS, and ISASP data guiding next steps. Instructional responses include shifting Tier 3 and SDI time out of Pride Time, planning targeted Tier 2 supports, and strengthening MTSS after the cancellation of the Math pilot. Culture efforts highlight SEL through Second Step, the new 8th Grade Student Support Squad, MS/Elementary partnerships, and community celebrations on the CCMS Facebook page. Food Bank usage was shared.
• High School Principal Messerole - Creston Community High School continues to monitor the number of credit-deficient students each year, with counselors, Success staff, and administrators working closely with students and families to support on-time graduation. Updates were shared on the Hawkeye 10 Conference, noting Lewis Central’s move to the Missouri Rivers Activity Conference and Red Oak and Shenandoah’s move to the Western Iowa Conference, while Treynor declined an invitation to H10 and Carroll is still considering options. Maintaining a viable H10 conference remains important for Creston due to size and location, with confidence in moving forward as an eight or nine-team league. Additionally, CCHS math instructor Ellie Soosloff participated in a summer research project at Iowa State University and looks forward to incorporating her learning into the classroom this year.
• Business Manager Greene’s Report - The monthly financial reports. The End of Fiscal Year process was reviewed, with CAR, Special Education, and Transportation reports due by September 15. A reminder that the School Board Election will take place in FY26. To date, we have received three candidates. The deadline is September 18, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.. The IASB Convention is scheduled for November 19–21 in Des Moines. Special Education financial comparative. 
• Superintendent Stender’s Report -  The district has experienced a strong start to the school year, with students, families, and staff demonstrating resilience and patience amid significant transitions, including the move into the new Elementary/Middle School office and the “Ready, Set, Move!” initiative for kindergarten and preschool classrooms. While construction delays create some uncertainty, the project remains on track for completion before winter break, with a contingency balance of $553,644.23. Enrollment projections suggest a decline, though the RISE online program has successfully reduced open enrollment outflow and contributed positively to numbers. ESA funding has grown significantly, and district leadership is advocating for legislation to designate this revenue directly to the general fund for greater local control. Additional highlights include the expansion of mental and behavioral health services through Green Hills AEA, the upcoming rollout of Simbli board management software to increase efficiency and transparency, and continued efforts to market and sell the 801 N Elm Street property by January to avoid demolition.
• Early Childhood Facility Planning - Tentative Timeline, budget, and project spending.

Zumbach moved, and James seconded, to approve the contract amendment with DLR Group for the additional administrative service for the Early Childhood Center Project. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to approve the resolution, directing and authorizing the Board Secretary to give notice of a public hearing on participation in the ISL to be held in the AEA Boardroom, 257 Swan Street, Creston, Iowa, on October 20, 2025, at 5:30 P.M.   Motion carried 5-0.

James moved, and Zumbach seconded, to approve the request for Modified Allowable Growth and Supplemental Aid for the FY25 special education deficit of $805,956.68.   Motion carried 5-0.

No action was taken on the proposed sharing agreement. 

James moved, and Zumbach seconded to approve rescheduling the Monday, November 17 board meeting to Thursday, November 20 at 5:30. Motion carried 5-0.

Zumbach moved, and Mohr seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 6:10 p.m.  Motion carried 5-0.

 

 

_______________________________________           ________________________________________

                          President                                                                         Secretary

 

Future meetings in the AEA boardroom at 257 Swan St, Creston, unless otherwise noted:

• Monday, October 20, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting
• Monday, November 20, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting
• Monday, December 15, 2025, 5:30 p.m., Regular Board Meeting