TOP STORY: Decorah School Board Advances Budget, Bond and Gym Plans

DECORAH, Iowa—The Decorah Community School District Board of Education on Monday held two public hearings and a lengthy regular meeting that saw the approval of the 2025-2026 school budget, a resolution to issue up to $15 million in general obligation school bonds, and a debate over a proposed competition-size gymnasium at the new elementary school. The evening began with two public hearings. The first, regarding the proposed school budget for the upcoming fiscal year, included one public comment raising a question about a line item increase. "I was curious about line item 29 in particular … the jump from $310,000 to $1.64 million," a community member asked. Board President Cindy Goodner clarified protocol for the community member, noting that the board does not engage in back-and-forth discussion during public comment sections. The second hearing, concerning roof drawings and specifications for Decorah High School and Carrie Lee Elementary, drew no public or written comments. The regular board meeting followed, with members approving the agenda after a procedural debate over moving up items related to the elementary school building and bond resolution to accommodate public interest. Director Aaron Zander voiced concern about receiving key documents for voting on the same day as the meeting. "There's no way to manage thinking about those items, review them, [and] discuss them in an actionable way before the meeting," he said. Open forum saw a robust turnout, with written and in-person comments focusing largely on the proposed gymnasium. Letters submitted by community members urged the board to prioritize early learners' needs and safety, with former principal Cheryl Miller writing, "The idea that any part of this money would be allocated away from the elementary project is unacceptable." Conversely, several in-person speakers backed the larger gym plan, citing the need for additional space and community recreation. "This gym space would benefit our youth … recreational activities for our youth as well as evening adult needs," retired physical education teacher Cindy Albers said. Parent Joie LaFrentz emphasized athlete safety, referencing injuries in the current high school gym due to insufficient space between the court and walls. Teacher pay also emerged as a topic during public comments. Teacher Jesse Lyon cited a $300,000 career pay difference between Decorah and his previous district, Johnston. "In my life. $300,000 is quite a bit [of money]...that's hundreds of thousands of dollars that I personally chose to give up to be here. I don't know that other people are going to make that choice without a connection to the community," he stated. Zachary Fromm of Winneshiek Energy District, a social studies teacher, called for more transparency and action on aligning salaries with state averages, "I truly feel that the teachers you have in your buildings currently are your best marketing tool for bringing in new talent. We can seek out and find awesome people to fill holes, but this is hard to do when yearly and lifetime earnings are not competitive with other districts in Iowa," Fromm concluded. The board later approved the network infrastructure bid through the federal E-Rate program, accepted a proposal to install a propane fueling station and authorized capital improvement projects, including auditorium safety upgrades and the purchase of interactive Smart Boards. One major vote involved adopting a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $15 million in general obligation bonds. This resolution ties directly to the elementary building project, whose schematic design was also approved later in the meeting. Architect Patty Spowart from Emergent Architecture was present for questions regarding building schematics. Spowart had recently been present in the Decorah-Area schools to discuss program areas with teachers and staff, "We've even made a significant amount of changes to the plans just in better understanding how they use their space on a day-to-day basis," Spowart said. After Spowart presented the latest floor plan schematics for the building, a motion was made to approve the schematic design for the elementary building project and was carried with unanimous approval. The board also approved the 2025-2026 School Budget, the driver education program in partnership with NICC, various higher education partnership agreements, and the 2024-2025 school calendar. Following the superintendent's report and financial updates, the meeting adjourned late into the evening, with board members acknowledging the weight of the decisions and the passionate community feedback.