[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6428476,"mediaKeyId","5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e","parentId",5880936,"title","Parent urges Southeast Polk to review course placement matrix, citing limited access to advanced classes","audioSeconds",375,"startMs",241000,"endMs",616000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e&start=241&end=616","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e/thumbnail_241000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6428476/Iowa/Parent-urges-Southeast-Polk-to-review-course-placement-matrix-citing-limited-access-to-advanced-classes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428476-da67368970d1d5349f3deb0d2275ec27/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589387&Signature=TWh5TRX7bS5cqBV3AzH2a5tZ3mOHDcDENJnH8kvvNQzjDsWBsuHDnUJRDd4vLmS7Mcw-QD1OodZf4y4JlHRsF8ufE-xObZWf5IKY~HRK6-RaGjegJd2emEL5cGRsPxVGZr6J8mHetlvFH9ewDoskKzigCXE4pp6JKZT1TcynFkrxMH60x2Ib~AaWT9fV4U3qUnvV4BSSriCuzK4KjFdH6OtOfBWO~JlV99SsBH3~yKaNBHCZjbMvqJiikFMMoNDAXFeGDAKxAkv1c5RyUc0TO6g9c5kWFNOtro22-BG0fXvizYJ6vTZtxA7y1QqGm08pGhmH4UnwkNx5uez6R0Chxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Southeast Polk Comm School District ","date","2025-10-03T11:44:52Z","article","Julie Dewar, a parent and resident of Reynolds, told the Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Education on Oct. 2 that a placement matrix now used to assign incoming ninth graders is limiting access to advanced coursework and creating barriers for students seeking challenge.

Dewar said she spoke on behalf of several parents and described prior district discussions. She told the board that two years ago district staff indicated course offerings would not change, but that students entering ninth grade found “no STEM related options, no Advanced English 1, no advanced physics, and fewer electives” than before ninth grade was moved to the junior high. She said some school staff previously raised similar concerns.

Dewar criticized the placement matrix and the criteria used to grant access to advanced classes: “What exactly is the criteria for this matrix? Who designed it? Why are some advanced classes sitting partially empty with interested students being turned away?” she asked. She described current access to AP Human Geography as requiring parent ﬁll‑out of a form, an expression of student interest and a teacher recommendation; she contrasted that with DMACC dual-credit courses the state permits for students who meet “proficient” ISASP scores, asking why Southeast Polk’s matrix can be stricter than state standards.

Dewar also raised grading concerns, saying ninth-grade grading scales at the junior high differ from grades 10–12 and warned that the inconsistency may affect cumulative GPA and future college consideration. She appealed to the board to “take immediate and intentional steps to review and revise the current course placement practices, including the matrix being used to restrict access to advanced classes,” and to publish the matrix criteria and an appeals process so families can understand how decisions are made.

Why it matters: Dewar framed her comments as aligned with the district mission to “engage all students in learning a challenging curriculum.” She argued that limiting access to advanced options undermines opportunities for students who are ready and willing to be challenged and could have long-term effects on transcripts and college admissions.

Speakers and attributions

Julie Dewar — parent/resident — spoke during the public comment portion and provided the address listed on the public comment card. Her remarks and direct quotes are taken from the public comment record at the Oct. 2 meeting.

Next steps requested

Dewar asked the board to review and revise placement practices, publish the criteria and process for placement, and ensure an appeals route for families. The board did not take action during the meeting; board members did not indicate an immediate vote on the topic during the public-comment period.

All comments were made during the meeting's public comment portion; the board noted the Iowa open meetings law prohibits action on a topic not on the published agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","SEP Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","At the Oct. 2 meeting Julie Dewar urged the Southeast Polk board to review a placement matrix she says restricts freshman access to advanced and STEM courses and to publish criteria and appeals processes.","taxTitle","Southeast Polk Comm School District, School Districts, Iowa","taxId",38786,"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},6428485,"Board approves baseball/softball contractor, rejects transportation bids; routine agenda items pass",776,52000,828000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e&start=52&end=828","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e/thumbnail_52000.jpg","/articles/6428485/Iowa/Board-approves-baseballsoftball-contractor-rejects-transportation-bids-routine-agenda-items-pass","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428485-ff9804891f2c3d0c951c037ac596dc08/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589387&Signature=j0lKgRybmSV1-V56TGh0qb5kET3V-~PI9gTp92xV2a~9KI5LrQ7IuuTV6KFnvLU8FLbSHHl-YFiDnFXvncKBJ1HYUzR5fA8uK5pOy016Q2SMsPjxderMD8zV4cf5xVC-3UqXY-TqZkY7Ei1JDNAeDlh2kMyMfp5TMT5j70I9GuaRWtSL-3TZMtiZYfsZ-ELZ1NvgipVTXO2pQBMvi3gY2Re6v6WlOlXs9mIpAxWrVgMfyle2nGLzwiOk6manbZqkCfkh40kOGiXAT4cqnSA-NCAmTbMfiVbHEgB36YboseGaJUNfqXgB-U3JzVDwellBN8M2Nrz8a8Tfu8UowX6S3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Education on Oct. 2 adopted its meeting agenda and consent agenda, approved a $1,724,088 contract for baseball and softball improvements, and voted to reject all bids on a transportation facilities project so staff can reissue the work under a construction-management-at-risk delivery method.

The agenda and consent agenda passed on voice/roll-call votes without recorded opposition. Later in the meeting the board voted to reject all bids received for the transportation facilities project; district staff told the board the project will be reissued using construction management at risk, the method used for the district office project. The board then approved the administrative recommendation to award the baseball and softball improvement contract to Mid America Sports Construction for the base bid plus Alternative 1, $1,724,088 total.

Why it matters: The board’s decision to reject transportation bids shifts procurement to an alternative delivery method intended to provide earlier contractor involvement and cost management. The baseball/softball contract moves a visible facilities upgrade forward.

Board action details and vote records

- Agenda adoption: Motion to adopt the agenda; second noted on the record. Roll-call vote: all members recorded “yes.” Outcome: approved.

- Consent agenda: Motion to adopt the consent agenda; second noted on the record. Roll-call vote: all members recorded “yes.” Outcome: approved.

- Transportation facilities project: Motion (recorded on the floor) to reject all bids. District staff recommended rejecting bids and reissuing the project under the construction-management-at-risk delivery method (the same method used for the district office project). Roll-call vote: all members recorded “yes.” Outcome: approved (bids rejected); note: staff will reissue the project under CMAR.

- Baseball and softball improvements: Motion to approve the administrative recommendation to award to Mid America Sports Construction for the base bid and Alternative 1, totaling $1,724,088; second recorded. Roll-call vote: all members recorded “yes.” Outcome: approved; contract awarded.

Quotes from the meeting on procedures and rationale

“We will go back out with this project plan. We'll use an alternative delivery method and that delivery method will be the construction management at risk, the same type of method we had for the district office project,” district staff said when explaining the rejection of bids.

“We're choosing MidAmerican Sports Construction since they originally built the stadium ... they are very well respected,” a board member said during discussion of the baseball/softball award.

Implementation notes and next steps

- The transportation facilities project will be reissued under a construction-management-at-risk approach; staff will return with procurement details and timeline.
- The district will move forward with contractual steps for the baseball/softball project with Mid America Sports Construction.

Speakers referenced in this article include board members present for roll call and the district staff who presented procurement background; names and roll-call are recorded in the official minutes.","At its Oct. 2 meeting, the Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Education adopted the agenda, approved the consent agenda and a $1.72 million contract for baseball/softball improvements, and voted to reject all bids on the transportation facilities project to pursue a different delivery method.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6428455,"District reports FY25 finances: revenues top $100M; solvency ratio declines to 9.6%",796,3067000,3863000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e&start=3067&end=3863","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e/thumbnail_3067000.jpg","/articles/6428455/Iowa/District-reports-FY25-finances-revenues-top-100M-solvency-ratio-declines-to-96","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428455-d7a091b07a14779783b44d2fad531211/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589387&Signature=JiuC65HB526dUEfJ9Fkd-bntLzq8dU8UeinYniCURKpHCzOPtSQgSDmuERWGyyNN2G5~gyvdNZxvL0ibj0KrKKCIb9jWqVerEpdX5uPoAZW3LxMgQ6-XMqZkDMLsPX1urAplsJo0~jws2EpNc7BRI9ccee8a6OoBc4su1Kqv9glEQqPZmxSWFuoF6Ti9DnilavHMy31mVE5th0iWVrNIdjRQFlzQxAEhyvJxhh9V39lwnLfwhfJei-JdjUDMHAJ7XaMgQc0cAlAmwL4zJS7NnjJaebc6S-B7UDIkDikzqW9RGa81iOl8OgpgTUmRJQa~rQt8muo7fcaZW-R6CXd7-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Southeast Polk Community School District finance staff presented the fiscal year 2025 year-end report on Oct. 2, reporting total revenues exceeding $100 million, general-fund expenditures of roughly $106 million and a solvency ratio of 9.6%.

Finance staff said revenues increased 1.9% year over year and that general-fund expenditures rose 4.7%, driven primarily by a 6.6% increase in wages and benefits. Interest income declined as capital and bond-related cash decreased following the large bond issuances in 2024. The district reported receiving about $6.4 million in ESSER/COVID-related funds across the federal program period; those funds concluded in FY24.

Staff highlighted budgetary pressures and drivers:

- AEA flow-through dollars changed, with district retained dollars reduced; the district will retain about 10% in the current fiscal year for services such as special education and media services, while 90% flows to the AEA or is passed through. Staff warned that the cost of purchased services may exceed available retained funding.

- Title funds dropped 28% in the prior year and are projected to rebound in the current year. Medicaid revenues were down 14%.

- Capital projects spending fell after the $92 million bond issuance in 2024; remaining capital fund balances are projected to decline as ongoing projects are completed.

On financial indicators, staff said unspent spending authority fell from 17.3% to 15.7% and that the solvency ratio of 9.6% remains within the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) recommended range of 7% to 17%, though staff urged conservatism in future staffing decisions and noted the district will seek additional spending authority from the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) for one-time middle-school and personnel costs.

During Q&A board members asked whether the solvency ratio is likely to level or decline further; staff said FY26 budget planning assumes a modest draw on fund balance and cautioned external factors (legislative changes to property tax and state aid) could affect future ratios. Staff noted potential mitigation: maximize cash reserve levy receipts while managing expenditures.

Why it matters: The report provides the board and community with the district's near-term fiscal picture ahead of a bond referendum and additional capital spending; the solvency ratio and unspent spending authority are key measures that rating agencies and bond underwriters review.

Speakers and attributions

Kevin Begum — district finance presenter — delivered the year-end financial report and provided the revenue, expenditure and solvency figures quoted above. Board members asked clarifying questions about AEA funding, solvency trends and capital project funding.","Finance staff reported FY25 revenues above $100 million, a 4.7% increase in general-fund expenditures, and a solvency ratio of 9.6%; staff warned of pressure from reduced AEA flow-through funds and recommended conservative staffing and attention to future tax and state-aid changes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6428468,"District outlines phased AI plan for students and teachers, adopts Magic School AI for classrooms",2284,845000,3129000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e&start=845&end=3129","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5880936-d7c33db455e9a0158462f059fc7bd64e/thumbnail_845000.jpg","/articles/6428468/Iowa/District-outlines-phased-AI-plan-for-students-and-teachers-adopts-Magic-School-AI-for-classrooms","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6428468-5ca33501f6de87e8d679be0557d32ce0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770589387&Signature=WBlnqE0NleqYBUECTl6ZiXA-u51~RqqgCiMFTDLDSFgUJ2HSuzqLjYJsHt1T7h0TB1QNlHTjR4dFVsdeDrkcteapl6Gw5UrPhmCQA43cG0EVlFuHf0m2hXQhVQJjHOdYlQDIAmtL3y06-gzEtlVxGAwwYcXMOcrBTCzhXl9tItkhXNmmj5vsLlrOdfLMhyf49l-tGcFhNRBDMGoD9Uh2ESkI~smvVCQHQvfM8gL8pdaeq0X1Y5q-dEdQ0vxX~iQWIAMt~RimV8-bABN9mNvI4jgAWTWy4WSkzaHjxIktLP6AfGmWL1UVewYRiA5SVU3RqIxtGU95xz72TNPeToczUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District Technology Integration Coordinator Kendra Carlson told the Southeast Polk Community School District Board on Oct. 2 that the district is taking a phased, districtwide approach to teaching and managing artificial intelligence in classrooms.

Carlson described district activities already under way: elementary lessons delivered by teacher-librarians and counselors focused on what AI is and digital safety; middle- and high-school lessons covering ethics, social media intersections and when using AI constitutes academic dishonesty; and professional development for teachers. She said the district formed an EduAI collective of 12 teachers, instructional coaches and administrators to draft a usage and assessment scale differentiated by grade level.

The district adopted Magic School AI as a recommended tool because, Carlson said, the platform is designed for instruction and ‘‘does not sell, collect, or share any of the data’’ entered into it. She described how teachers create curated, classroom chatbots with tailored parameters and students join with a code; teachers can review each student's inputs and outputs for transparency and instructional oversight. Carlson said the district is encouraging teachers to use Magic School for job‑related tasks and classroom activities because the vendor states the platform does not feed user inputs back into broader model training.

Carlson acknowledged challenges: student access to outside AI tools, accuracy concerns and the risk of shrinking productive struggle if students rely on AI for answers. She said the district has content filtering that blocks open AI sites (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) on school devices for students under 18, and that the district uses Securly for device filtering and parent notifications about student searches. District staff said certain high‑severity alerts from Securly do route to district administration for follow-up.

Board members questioned parental outreach and monitoring. Carlson said the district will explore multiple parent‑facing formats (short videos by grade level, optional seminars, and information at parent‑teacher conferences) rather than a single large seminar.

Why it matters: The plan seeks to provide guardrails for student use of AI, instructional guidance for teachers, and a privacy‑focused platform to reduce the risk of student data being used to train external models. The EduAI collective and the proposed AI usage/assessment scale aim to balance academic integrity with legitimate instructional uses of AI.

Speakers and attributions

Kendra Carlson — District Technology Integration Coordinator — delivered the presentation and is the source of direct quotes about the district plan and Magic School AI. District staff described filtering (Securly) and the policy to block open-AI platforms on district devices used by minors.

Next steps

The EduAI collective will meet through the school year to develop the usage/assessment scale and bring recommendations to the administration and board; the district will communicate tools and classroom practices to teachers and explore parent outreach resources.","The district presented a phased approach to AI instruction and staff training, adopted Magic School AI as a district-approved instructional tool with privacy protections, and created an EduAI collective to develop usage guidance and an assessment scale.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Parent urges Southeast Polk to review course placement matrix, citing limited access to advanced classes

Board approves baseball/softball contractor, rejects transportation bids; routine agenda items pass

District reports FY25 finances: revenues top $100M; solvency ratio declines to 9.6%

District outlines phased AI plan for students and teachers, adopts Magic School AI for classrooms