Board approves construction contracts, equipment purchases; ratifies teacher agreement and denies three open-enrollment requests

The Lewis Central Comm School District Board of Directors on March 17 approved a series of facility contracts and equipment purchases, ratified a collective-bargaining agreement with district teachers and denied three open-enrollment requests after a closed-session review.

The board voted, by roll call, to approve specifications and RFPs for multiple projects and to award several contracts presented during the meeting. The actions included approvals related to high school and middle school roofing, parking-lot and traffic improvements, technology and vehicle purchases, and a district natural-gas risk-pool agreement. The board also ratified a two-year contract with the Lewis Central Education Association that includes a 2.6% raise for the covered years and other schedule changes. After a closed session under Iowa Code 21.5(1)(a), the board denied three open-enrollment requests citing an inability to meet the students’ individualized education…