Graettinger-Terril Board of Education
Regular Board Minutes
August 17, 2026

The Graettinger-Terril Board of Directors held its regular meeting on August 17, 2026, in the annex of the Terril building.
Present: President Kevin Jensen, Vice President Joey Moen, Director Matt Hanson, and Director Shamus Currans. Also
present were Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks, SBO/Board Secretary Sarah Stillman, MS/HS Principal Jeremy Simington, and
Principal/Curriculum Director Anita Helmich. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Call to Order-President Jensen called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Determine a Quorum-President Jensen determined that a quorum was present.
Adopt Agenda-The Board adopted the agenda as presented. Motion carried.
Welcome Guests/Public Comment-President Jensen read the resignation of Board Member Patrick Fairchild, effective
immediately. The Board discussed the process for filling the vacancy. Jensen thanked Fairchild for his eight years of service to
the district.
Consent Agenda-Currans moved to approve the consent agenda, including the July 20, 2026 and August 6, 2026 meeting
minutes, summary list of bills, financial report, open enrollment requests, and 28E Operational Sharing Agreements. Open
enrollment requests to CAM were tabled pending further review. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.
Personnel-Currans moved to approve the personnel recommendations as presented. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried
with Moen abstaining.
Old Business:
PACHS Nursing Contract FY27-Moen moved to approve PACHS Nursing Services for the 2026-27 school year at a flat
amount of $6,656 plus $145 per hour for Individual Health Care Planning. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.
Business Office Procedure Handbook-Moen moved to approve the Business Office Procedure Handbook as presented.
Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.
New Business:
Activity Calendar-Currans moved to approve the September Activity Calendar. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.
Moxie Nova Counseling Service-Hanson moved to approve Moxie Nova Behavioral Health Services for the 2026-27 school
year. Seconded by Moen. Motion carried.
Mini Split-Graettinger Building-The Board discussed the mini-split project and district finances. Moen moved to approve
Midwestern Mechanical for the mini-split project at a cost of $16,560 and K & W for electrical work at a cost of $5,855, for a
total of $22,415. Seconded by Hanson. Currans abstained. Motion carried.
Hearing Officers Appointment-Currans moved to approve the Hearing Officers for the 2026-27 school year with Patrick
Fairchild's assignments to be filled by the individual appointed to the Board vacancy. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.
Board Policy-The Board discussed SF 2428 and student removal from classrooms. Administration will continue reviewing the
requirements and involve teachers and administrators in the process. No action was taken.
Handbook Approval-Moen moved to table handbook approval while administration continues reviewing changes related to SF
2428. The prior year's handbook will remain the guiding handbook in the interim. Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.
Committee Reports: No committee reports were presented.
Administrative Reports:
Superintendent-Dicks provided updates on district finances, year-end adjustments, IRS withholding penalties, and ongoing
work on district financial procedures. Discussion was also held regarding the possibility of future joint meetings with the
Ruthven-Ayrshire Board.
Secondary-Simington provided updates on registration, upcoming athletic events, open house, student computer distribution,
safety procedures, and middle and high school scheduling.
Elementary/Curriculum-Helmich provided updates on new teacher onboarding, open house, literacy and math intervention,
MTSS supports, FastBridge testing, and student, family, and community engagement.
Board Secretary Comments:
Next Meeting-The next regular Board meeting will be Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Graettinger. The Board
also discussed exploring joint Board meetings with Ruthven-Ayrshire beginning in October.
Adjournment:
Adjournment-Currans moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 p.m. Seconded by Hanson. Motion carried.

Graettinger-Terril Board of Education
Special Board Minutes
September 15, 2026

The Graettinger-Terril Board of Directors held a special meeting on September 15, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in
the Graettinger Conference Room. Present: President Kevin Jensen and Director Shamus Currans. Vice
President Joey Moen participated by telephone. Also present were Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks and
SBO/Board Secretary Sarah Stillman. All votes were unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Call to Order-President Jensen called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m.
Determine a Quorum-President Jensen determined that a quorum was present.
Adopt Agenda-Currans moved to adopt the agenda as presented. Seconded by Moen. Motion carried.
Welcome Guests/Public Comment-No comments were presented.
New Business:
Appointment of Board Members-The Board considered appointments to fill two vacant board positions.
Under Iowa Code section 279.6, each appointee will serve until a successor is elected and qualified at the
next regular school election in 2027.
Rowaida Lair-Currans moved to appoint Rowaida Lair to a vacant Graettinger-Terril Board position.
Seconded by Moen. Motion carried.
Tammy Krieger-Moen moved to appoint Tammy Krieger to a vacant Graettinger-Terril Board position.
Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.
Oath of Office-Board Secretary Sarah Stillman administered the oath of office individually to Rowaida Lair
and Tammy Krieger.
Adjournment:
Adjournment-Moen moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:37 p.m. Seconded by Currans. Motion carried.

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.

 

The Boards of Directors of the Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School Districts held a special joint meeting in the commons at Graettinger-Terril School in Graettinger, Iowa. Graettinger-Terril members present: President Kevin Jensen, Vice President Joey Moen, and Directors Patrick Fairchild, Matt Hanson, and Shamus Currans. Ruthven-Ayrshire members present: President Jill Conlon, Vice President Rob Allen, Directors Jamie Dodd, Amy Loder, Stephanie Fay, Emily Grange, and Heather Ruehle. Also present were Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks, School Business Official Sarah Stillman, and Murray Stanley of TrustPoint, CPA. Unless otherwise noted, all Ruthven-Ayrshire members present voted aye on each Ruthven-Ayrshire motion, and all Graettinger-Terril members present voted aye on each Graettinger-Terril motion; no member voted nay or abstained.

Call to Order/Roll Call and Determination of Quorum:

Presidents Kevin Jensen and Jill Conlon called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present for each Board.

Adopt the Agenda:

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to adopt the agenda. Currans seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Fay moved to adopt the agenda. Dodd seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Financial Summary Presentation—Non-Action Item:

Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks provided background and reviewed district enrollment and financial history. Murray Stanley of TrustPoint, CPA, explained that the engagement was an agreed-upon procedures review rather than an audit and summarized matters involving shared staffing, activities, and other interdistrict expenses. Discussion included prior verbal arrangements, calculation and payment timing, documentation and approval controls, and the need for written agreements, Board-approved schedules, and regular reconciliation and repayment procedures. Board questions began at approximately 8:25 p.m. No action was taken.

Adjournment:

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to adjourn. Currans seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Ruehle moved to adjourn. Fay seconded the motion. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

 

The Boards of Directors of the Graettinger-Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School Districts held a special joint meeting in the gymnasium at Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District in Ruthven, Iowa. Ruthven-Ayrshire members present: President Jill Conlon, Vice President Rob Allen, Directors Jamie Dodd, Amy Loder, Stephanie Fay, Emily Grange, and Heather Ruehle. Graettinger-Terril members present: President Kevin Jensen, Vice President Joey Moen, and Directors Patrick Fairchild and Matt Hanson. Absent: Graettinger-Terril Director Shamus Currans. Also present were Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks, School Business Official Sarah Stillman, and Murray Stanley of TrustPoint, CPA. Unless otherwise noted, all Ruthven-Ayrshire members present voted aye on each Ruthven-Ayrshire motion, and all Graettinger-Terril members present voted aye on each Graettinger-Terril motion; no member voted nay or abstained.

Call to Order/Roll Call and Determination of Quorum:

Presidents Jill Conlon and Kevin Jensen called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Roll call was taken, and a quorum was present for each Board.

Adopt the Agenda:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Allen moved to adopt the agenda. Loder seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to adopt the agenda. Fairchild seconded the motion. Motion carried.

Interim Superintendent Contract:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Allen moved to approve the contract for Jeff Dicks as Shared Interim Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year in the amount of $60,000. Loder seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to approve the contract for Jeff Dicks as Shared Interim Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year in the amount of $60,000. Hanson seconded the motion. Motion carried.

28E Agreement for Shared Superintendent:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Fay moved to approve the 28E agreement for the Shared Interim Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year, providing for an equal division of salary, FICA, and IPERS costs. Ruehle seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Fairchild moved to approve the 28E agreement for the Shared Interim Superintendent for the 2026-2027 school year on a 50/50 basis. Hanson seconded the motion. Motion carried.

28E Settlement Agreement:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Allen moved to approve the 28E settlement agreement with Graettinger-Terril providing for an equal division of the districts' obligations under the former superintendent's settlement. Fay seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Hanson moved to approve the 28E settlement agreement with Ruthven-Ayrshire providing for an equal division of the districts' obligations under the former superintendent's settlement. Moen seconded the motion. Motion carried.Financial Summary Presentation—Non-Action Item:

Interim Superintendent Jeff Dicks provided background and reviewed district enrollment and financial history. Murray Stanley of TrustPoint, CPA, explained that the engagement was an agreed-upon procedures review rather than an audit and summarized matters involving shared staffing, activities, and other interdistrict expenses. Discussion included prior verbal arrangements, calculation and payment timing, documentation and approval controls, and the need for written agreements, Board-approved schedules, and regular reconciliation and repayment procedures. Board questions began at approximately 6:47 p.m. No action was ten.

Adjournment:

For the Ruthven-Ayrshire Board, Fay moved to adjourn. Allen seconded the motion. Motion carried.

For the Graettinger-Terril Board, Moen moved to adjourn. Fairchild seconded the motion. Motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m.