The Carroll Community School District Board of Education and administrative staff met for the first work session for the 2025 calendar year on Monday night. Board members reviewed the governance plan, establishing a tentative schedule for meetings and topics wishing to be discussed for the remainder of the school year. With budget season kicking off soon, the board was given an updated timeframe for certifying the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget that will be approved in April, meeting the guidelines for deadlines set by the state. Superintendent Dr. Casey Berlau gave the board members two dates to invite a representative from the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) for a board development session and to have DLR Group come to discuss the district’s master facility plan that includes the transitioning of students out of Adams Elementary within the next five or so years. An updated 2025-26 was presented to the board, with support from members looking to hire two additional behavior interventionists to have full-time positions at both elementary schools and middle school. Director of Student Services and Intermin Middle School Principal Crystal Boes proposed hiring another full-time fifth-grade teacher, making six sections instead of five. Board members will be presented with different scenarios, looking at the unspent authorized budget (UAB) and how it would change with the addition of three positions. The next topic of discussion was bus driver pay and whether a contract completion bonus of between $250 and $1,000 at the end of the year was an idea to better attract and retain drivers. While no action was officially taken, the board members did not favor the bonus plan, and it will not be moved further along. For the rest of the meeting, the district’s need assessment results were reviewed, and answers to different questions based on learning, safety, and involvement from 7-12 grade students, board and staff members, and parents were viewed. Carroll Broadcasting will bring you more on these topics in future newscasts.
