Council Bluffs school board approves construction and contracts, seeks state relief for special-education deficit

The Council Bluffs Community School District Board of Education on an evening meeting approved a package of construction and contracting decisions, authorized spending requests tied to special education and the district budget, and moved into closed session to discuss a real estate matter.

Board members voted unanimously to: appoint Boyd Jones as construction manager for the planned STEM Innovation High School; approve Meyer Building Solutions LLC as project manager for the same project; award a $770,000 mechanical contract to Ford Mechanical LLC for Thomas Jefferson High School and Rue Elementary HVAC work; request state School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) spending authority for a $3,944,493.09 special-education deficit for the 2024–25 school year; and approve the district’s 1% budget guarantee under section 257.14, Code of Iowa. The board also approved the purchase of Adaptability Learning as a secondary special-education assessment tool, approved routine standing committees and consent items, and authorized board members’ attendance at the Iowa Association of School Boards convention.

Why it matters: The construction and project-management approvals move the district closer to building the STEM Innovation High School, while the SBRC request and budget-guarantee action address the district’s multi-million-dollar special-education deficit and protect next year’s regular program budget against declining enrollment. The Adaptability Learning purchase is intended to give teachers a diagnostic and progress-monitoring tool for students taking alternate assessments.

Construction and contracting Board members approved a standard-form agreement to use construction manager at-risk services for the STEM Innovation High School and named Boyd Jones as construction manager. The board later approved Meyer Building Solutions LLC to serve as project manager for the same project. A district staff member said that the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) will include a contingency and that “any unused contingency will come back to the owner.”

HVAC repairs The board approved a $770,000 bid from Ford Mechanical LLC to replace a ventilation unit at Thomas Jefferson High School and to replace the gym HVAC at Rue Elementary. A facilities-related speaker said the low bid came in about $264,000 under the budgeted estimate.

Special education spending authority and assessment tools The board voted to request allowable growth and supplemental aid from the SBRC for a special-education deficit of $3,944,493.09 for the 2024–25 school year. A district staff member explained to the public that “these are funds that have already been spent for special education. This gives us the authority, not the dollars back.” Board members also approved purchasing Adaptability Learning to provide alternative-assessment diagnostics and progress monitoring at the secondary level; staff said the tool had been piloted and will be used to support individualized education program benchmarks and state reporting requirements.

Budget guarantee and other routine business Directors approved seeking the 1% budget guarantee allowed under section 257.14, Code of Iowa, a measure districts use to stabilize funding when enrollment declines. The board approved routine standing committees, consent-agenda items (including a special-education consortium agreement and an MOU with the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation), and authorized payment of related expenses for board members to attend the IASB convention. Theresa Hardeman was appointed as the district’s delegate to the IASB Delegate Assembly.

Closed session The board voted to go into closed session to discuss the purchase or sale of particular real estate as permitted under Iowa Code 32.5(1)(j). The motion carried on a roll call; the board then recessed into closed session.

Votes at a glance - Construction manager for STEM Innovation High School: Boyd Jones — motion approved (roll call: Miss Hardiman, Miss Myers, Doctor Rosello, Mister Tripp, Missus Greiner, Mister Peters, Mister Cozier, Miss Hardeman — all yes). - Project manager for STEM Innovation High School: Meyer Building Solutions LLC — motion approved (same roll-call outcome). - Thomas Jefferson ERV and Rue Elementary gym HVAC replacement: Ford Mechanical LLC, $770,000 — motion approved (same roll-call outcome). - SBRC spending authority request for special-education deficit: $3,944,493.09 for 2024–25 — motion approved (same roll-call outcome). - 1% budget guarantee under section 257.14, Code of Iowa — motion approved (same roll-call outcome). - Purchase of Adaptability Learning as a special-education resource — motion approved (same roll-call outcome). - Standing committees, consent agenda and IASB attendance/appointment items — motions approved (same roll-call outcome). - Motion to enter closed session under Iowa Code 32.5(1)(j) to discuss real estate — motion approved (same roll-call outcome).

What the board said A district staff member, explaining the SBRC request, told the public the action was procedural: “These are funds that have already been spent for special education. This gives us the authority, not the dollars back.” A separate staff speaker summarized contract language for the STEM project, explaining that the GMP includes a contingency and that unused contingency funds return to the owner.

Next steps Approved contracts and project management appointments will move forward with procurement and project planning. The SBRC request will be submitted to the state for consideration; board members noted the state is reviewing special-education funding and may perform further reviews. The district entered closed session for a real-estate discussion; no public actions were taken while that discussion was underway.