The board selected the Corn Palace mural theme for 2026 after a brief discussion on Sept. 3. Speaker 1 outlined possible theme candidates and emphasized the timeline for student involvement; he said organizers would aim to give students a theme by October or November so they can prepare designs to present in January.

Speaker 5 moved to adopt an 'America 250' theme (celebrating 250 years of U.S. history); Speaker 9 seconded and the motion carried unanimously. Speaker 1 suggested a shorter marquee label such as “America 250” or “USA 250” to fit signage constraints.

Members discussed that a broad historical theme could let students choose events or figures from across U.S. history and incorporate poetry or story panels as educational elements. Staff will provide the link and guidance to schools and report back with student submissions next winter.