The Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Board of Education met in the boardroom in Ruthven, Iowa. Those  in attendance included: Graettinger-Terril Board of Directors: President Kevin Jensen, Vice President Joey Moen, Director Mat Hanson and via phone Director Patrick Fairchild. Ruthven-Ayrshire Board of Directors: President Jill Conlon, Vice President Rob Allen, Director Amy Loder, Director Jamie Dodd, Director Emily Grange, Director Heather Ruehle and Board Secretary for both Districts Angie Woods. Absent: Graettinger-Terril  Director Shamus Currans and Ruthven-Ayrshire Director Stephanie Fay.  All motions were unanimous unless otherwise noted.

Call to Order:

The Joint Board Special Meeting was called to order by President Jill Conlon and President Kevin Jensen at 5:02 pm.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

 

Adopt the Agenda:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Loder moved to approve the agenda with the amendment to add Public Comments. Dodd seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to approve the agenda with the amendment to add Public Comments. Hanson seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

Guest/Public Comments: 

Community members from both Districts were present.

 No comments given.

Administrative leave:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Allen moved to place Superintendent Lewis on administrative leave. Loder seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to place Superintendent Lewis on administrative leave.  Fairchild seconded the motion.  Motion passed.

Adjournment:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Dodd moved to adjourn the meeting. Grange seconded the motion.  Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Hanson moved to adjourn the meeting.  Seconded by Moen.  Motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 5:07 p.m.

 

The Graettinger-Terril Board of Directors held its regular meeting on July 20, 2026, in the commons at the Graettinger building. Present: President Kevin Jensen, Vice President Joey Moen, Director Matt Hanson, and Director Shamus Currans. Absent: Director Patrick Fairchild. Also present were SBO Sarah Stillman, Principal/Curriculum Director Anita Helmich, MS/HS Principal Jeremy Simington, Director of Student Services Chad Francis, Amanda Smith, and PK-12 Ruthven-Ayrshire CSD Principal Courtney Cook. 

Call to Order-President Jensen called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.

Determine a Quorum-President Jensen determined that a quorum was present.

Adopt Agenda-Currans moved to adopt the agenda with the addition of item 9.9, Wire Transfer; item 9.10, Removal of Authorized Banking Signer; an additional resignation under item 10.2; and item 10.4, Appointment of Interim Board Secretary. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Welcome Guests/Public Comment- Brandi Cellan addressed the Board regarding her concerns about bullying and student harassment.

Approval of Minutes-Currans moved to approve the June 15, 2026 regular board minutes and the July 6, 2026 special board minutes as presented. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Bills and Claims-Hanson moved to approve the bills and claims as presented. Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.

Financial Reports: Stillman presented the financial reports and reviewed the district’s year-end fund balances, cash flow, expenditures, purchasing controls, payroll tax remittances, and the district’s financial outlook. No action was taken.

Old Business-The Board had no old business to discuss.

New Business:

Activity Calendar- The Board approved the August 2026 activity calendar and scheduled the next regular board meeting for August 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Terril. Motion carried.

The District Marketing- Amanda Smith presented a recap of the district’s communication and marketing services for the 2025–2026 school year. Following discussion of the district’s financial position, no motion was made to approve a contract for the upcoming year. The proposal therefore received no action.

CCTC 28E Agreement-The Board approved the CCTC 28E Agreement with Iowa Lakes Community College for two concurrent-enrollment courses. Motion carried.

Lunch Fees-Currans moved to approve FY2027 meal prices of $1.50 for student breakfast, $3.45 for student lunch, $1.10 for an a la carte or second entree, $2.00 for adult breakfast, and $5.00 for adult lunch. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

PACH Agreement: The Board reviewed the school nurse agreement and discussed obtaining updated information and exploring alternative service options. No motion was made, and no action was taken. The agreement will be reconsidered at a future meeting.

Eighth Grade Sports Proposal- Currans moved to approve the proposal allowing eligible eighth-grade students to participate in high school athletics under the district’s established approval process. Seconded by Jensen. Motion carried.

Certificates of Deposit-Moen moved to redeem all four district certificates of deposit at The State Bank to support near-term cash flow needs. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Business Operating Procedures-No action was taken. The item was deferred to a future meeting.

Wire Transfer Authorization- The Board authorized SBO Sarah Stillman to execute the bank’s wire transfer agreement and to initiate and sign all necessary district wire transfers. Motion carried.

Removal of Authorized Signer-Currans moved to remove Angie Woods as an authorized signer and representative on all district banking and financial accounts, including checking, savings, certificates of deposit, investments, credit cards, and electronic banking services. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Personnel:

Internal Transfers-Currans moved to approve Kelsey Hotchkiss as Library Aide, Tammy Bisgard-Cook as Cook in Graettinger, and Tracey Duus as Cook in Terril. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Resignations-Moen moved to accept the resignations of Katie Eckard, Librarian/SMART Coordinator, and Angie Woods, Board Secretary. Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.

Hire-The Board approved the hire of Rick Brant as a special education teacher at the Terril elementary building. Motion carried.

Interim Board Secretary-The Board appointed Sarah Stillman as Interim Board Secretary, with the official appointment to be considered at the next meeting. Motion carried.

Committee Reports: No committee reports were presented. 

Administrative Reports:

Elementary/Curriculum-Helmich provided updates on summer school, staffing, instructional planning, back-to-school preparations, and grants supporting elementary literacy and mathematics programs. 

Secondary-Simington provided updates on facilities, registration, fall activities, staffing, and preparations for the upcoming school year. At Simington’s request, Ruthven-Ayrshire PK-12 Principal Courtney Cook presented preliminary information regarding proposed Titan Nation tiered diploma options. No action was taken, and a complete proposal will be presented at a future meeting. 

Student Services-Student Services: Francis provided updates on revisions to the district’s Special Education Service Delivery Plan, the upcoming public review and Board approval process, and instructional leadership training.

Board Secretary Comments:

Open Enrollment/Summer Food Program-President Jensen reported one open-enrollment request from Spencer to Terril and provided an update on summer food program participation. 

Board Comments:

Board Comments-President Jensen addressed community rumors and stated that the school was not closing. He acknowledged that the district may face a challenging year or two and expressed confidence that the district would work through its financial challenges. Currans noted that the certificates of deposit would assist with the district's current cash needs.

Adjournment:

Adjournment-Hanson moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:52 p.m. Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.