At the Southeast Polk Community School District board meeting, trustees approved routine business items and directed staff on several administrative matters.

The board adopted the meeting agenda and approved the consent agenda by roll call. They confirmed two future meeting dates (Jan. 8 and Jan. 22, 2026) and adopted the 2026–27 academic calendar after a brief presentation and call for questions.

On staffing and leadership, the board approved entering a superintendent search agreement with Grundmeier Leadership Services to help the district identify and vet candidates for the superintendent role following Dr. Lubnick’s announced retirement. District leaders said the firm will assist with outreach, interviews, contract negotiations and onboarding; a confidential questionnaire for community input is posted on the district website.

Facilities decisions included selecting Terra Construction Company as the construction manager‑at‑risk for the transportation facilities project and placing the wayfinding (directional signage) project on the agenda for a public hearing set for Jan. 22, 2026. CFO Kevin Bacom estimated the original RDG design could cost over $206,000 and said funding would likely come from the district’s sales‑tax/SAFE fund; staff said they will consider less expensive sign options and provide justifications tying signage locations to traffic‑flow problems.

The board also received the RSP enrollment‑projection update to guide site selection for a future elementary school (elementary No. 9) and discussed dropout‑prevention funding. The district reported it is budgeting about $2.9 million of local property‑tax funding toward dropout prevention for FY2027 and is at the maximum statutory formula of 5% of prior‑year expenditures for this funding stream; state at‑risk funding contributes roughly $300,000.

Votes recorded at the meeting included several unanimous approvals and one recorded dissent. Board members voted to set the signage public hearing with a majority and one recorded “no” during the roll-call sequence. The meeting ended after extended public comment on advanced learning.

The board did not take final action on advanced‑learning policy changes during the meeting; staff will return with recommendations and a math‑delivery plan for fifth‑to‑sixth grade acceleration prior to spring break.