[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6070057,"mediaKeyId","3066163-7e401bc6729f6e03c89b90dea1b48132","parentId",3066163,"title","Lewis Central board adopts 2025–26 calendar, approves multiple facility, safety and technology contracts","audioSeconds",5310,"startMs",2690000,"endMs",8000000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3066163-7e401bc6729f6e03c89b90dea1b48132&start=2690&end=8000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3066163-7e401bc6729f6e03c89b90dea1b48132/thumbnail_2690000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6070057/Iowa/Lewis-Central-board-adopts-202526-calendar-approves-multiple-facility-safety-and-technology-contracts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070057-287841acf52812b8fc508da6fdcd1536/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147992&Signature=k2nft-f~6E~uvgyP~61Vjq-mz0H9DZzu1DZ55KEMjn2VVQIfcuAXwsWpFr7qQKLQ5-jt9qVjpRjHDlXImuMCyL68D36DwF-AiKMCeMxjlUNzEQ1VUUABMc~gjIiCiPm-g0yAXRFREZObjYICvHuIIkKJyIFA85Wh~0Cy5A2P~HCMWy2pnzaO0qpHuCTRbQuog8nZfAc0FwADNIjCiy71F6KcrfnYcrPal~XQn29ZJjrdk0sYKnTGpm7KbZ1hy~Ba1aHIrFq-Jr5doHZR34gQLDk2WeV-Td~yA1l1zDC0fnzZuVMLg-7lvFysBcvhZxwk1YE0-n7UdzLKyX0AuVIRDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lewis Central CSD","date","2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","article","After the budget hearing, the Lewis Central Community School District Board of Directors met in regular session and approved the 2025–26 district calendar and a package of capital and operational contracts and resolutions on April 7, 2025. The actions collectively fund security upgrades, facility renovations, lighting retrofits, classroom technology and steps needed to sell general obligation bonds.

Votes at a glance
- Calendar revision (2025–26): Approved (motion passed by roll call; one recorded “No”).
- High school roofing (Blackhawk Roofing): Contract approved for $433,550.
- Kreft (school) secure entrance/vestibule (Elk Ridge Construction): Contract approved for $74,554.98.
- Kreft security cameras and door contacts (Prime Communication): Contract approved for $148,008.91.
- Middle school EPIC intercom (vendor/installer): Contract approved for $132,834.85.
- Kreft (Craft) LED lighting retrofit (Foss Lighting): Contract approved for $153,310 (internal lighting; estimated 8–10 year payback).
- Titan Hill LED lighting retrofit (Foss Lighting): Contract approved for $214,350 (estimated 8–10 year payback; substantial annual electric savings noted).
- Chromebook purchase (SHI): Contract approved for $200,000 (replacement cycle; 800 devices budgeted; new non-digitizer touchscreen model lowers per-unit cost).
- Resolution to direct advertisement for sale of approximately $20,500,000 general obligation school bonds and to approve electronic bidding procedures and the official statement: Approved.
- Memo of understanding with Green Hills AEA (special education, ELL and other pooled services): Approved; district staff said the new purchasing model directs funds to specified services and is projected to reduce overall AEA flow-through by about $250,000 compared with prior years’ arrangements.
- High school painting (A Cut Above Painting): Contract approved for $46,400.
- Certified/professional, classified and administrator salaries for 2025–26: Approved as presented.
- Multiple unpaid leave requests for named employees (employees A–I): Approved as presented.

Board and staff discussion
Board members and district staff summarized bids and noted that several recent construction and equipment bids came in below original budget estimates. Facility staff (project advocates) reported that high school parking-lot and lighting bids were significantly under prior estimates and that the district’s package of projects remained within overall bond and budget constraints. On the LED-lighting projects, staff described internal-payback estimates of roughly 8–10 years and noted the retrofit would include motion sensors and dimming controls to reduce electrical consumption and operating costs.

The board approved the calendar revision after a public comment period earlier in the evening and voted to finalize the calendar change in open session following a related closed-session discussion on personnel matters.

Ending: The board scheduled a work session before the April 21 meeting and said it will hold a special meeting on April 14 if needed to finalize short-timeline concrete bids. Most agenda items passed by recorded roll call; for each approved contract the board directed staff to complete required procurement steps and begin implementation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lewis Central CSD School Board Meeting April 7, 2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","At a regular meeting following the public hearing, the Lewis Central board approved the 2025–26 school calendar and a slate of contracts and resolutions covering roofing, secure entrances, cameras, intercoms, LED lighting, Chromebooks, bond advertising and an AEA memorandum of understanding; most measures passed by recorded roll-call votes.","taxTitle","Lewis Central Comm School District, School Districts, Iowa","taxId",65477,"location","Iowa","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6070062,"Lewis Central holds public hearing on proposed property tax levy as state aid remains uncertain",329,475000,804000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3066163-7e401bc6729f6e03c89b90dea1b48132&start=475&end=804","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3066163-7e401bc6729f6e03c89b90dea1b48132/thumbnail_475000.jpg","/articles/6070062/Iowa/Lewis-Central-holds-public-hearing-on-proposed-property-tax-levy-as-state-aid-remains-uncertain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6070062-b79182406cd0b0f38ed0171ef8419c80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147992&Signature=P6zrpETG0xdESR4TvnTo-VfzZfMncl9fuHDl-Fl5PuFtP9ozh8N0X6soDYgTlkszULnU8CHXLjZ7d312JUDe~eLEgsJtpkZXuGccRhfwFjaERC6Z-AhlBD7jsKivry7AfZihkcg7y7SqodsXNrurdUknEGLwigWnZLq-bXG14bXvDm1jsdENi0lAVB8bb8BpQI2PnISmxbrizPBJPK~IRDq37c8TRzNZN2Io-02sOAc1zVjO-KSULVVogKwnhZgRfWoOxiQ~XYtGrhw41jhJEnZloupb~i54dCc1CkARxGWi0NIr2N7FBslR-mtbEniQD-5ixiBXlLsA2gK3QDpPuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Lewis Central Community School District Board of Directors held a public hearing April 7, 2025, to review the district’s proposed property tax levy and to receive oral comments from residents as part of the certified budget process. The hearing — required under Iowa law — presented a tax-notice that showed a 27.04% percent change figure and explained why that number can be misleading.

District finance staff told attendees the published notice shows the maximum tax the district could adopt and that the board must publish by state deadlines even though the State Supplemental Aid (SSA) amount — a major input for school budgets — had not been finalized. “We are doing this budget without knowing one of the biggest factors of it,” a district finance staff member said at the hearing, explaining the district had to project SSA at 0% for the published notice and later modeled a more-likely 2% SSA.

That model produced a lower, more realistic outcome: using a 2% SSA assumption, the district presented a levy of $11.29743 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, which the district said would amount to about $536 in school taxes on a $100,000 assessed property (roughly a 12% increase compared with the current levy). The staff presentation also explained the difference between assessed valuation and taxable valuation and cited the district’s rollback percentage (47.43%) used to compute taxable value.

Residents questioned both the magnitude and the timing of the notices. Roger Williams, a resident who spoke during the oral comment period, said the tax notices were “a rob Peter pay Paul” for many households and asked for clarity on how the dollars would be spent. Other residents said the combined effect of higher assessed values and the proposed levy felt sudden and unaffordable for homeowners and small-business owners in the district.

District staff repeatedly stressed the district’s constrained role in the process: the district must publish the maximum levy by state deadlines, but the ultimate distribution of school funding between property-tax levies and state aid is driven by the legislature and Department of Management rules. Staff noted a 2024 bond approved by voters (a $30 million general obligation bond) and the $1-per-$1,000 levy associated with that bond as an explicit contributor to the proposed levy increase.

Board members said a second public hearing and a formal levy adoption are scheduled for April 21, 2025, at 7 p.m.; the district will adopt the FY2026 budget and then file it with the Department of Management and county auditor by April 30. The finance staff recommended continuing outreach and said the district would publish more detailed budget documents before the adoption meeting.

Ending: Board members closed the hearing after receiving oral comments and confirming the schedule for the April 21 adoption meeting.","At an April 7 public hearing, Lewis Central Community School District officials reviewed a notice showing a high possible levy increase driven by an uncertain State Supplemental Aid number and a $1 levy tied to a recent bond; residents raised concerns about rising bills.","actionData","errors"]

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Lewis Central board adopts 2025–26 calendar, approves multiple facility, safety and technology contracts

Lewis Central holds public hearing on proposed property tax levy as state aid remains uncertain