Lewis Central board approves calendar revision, security bids, $9.5M bond, wrestling fundraiser and SRO agreement; denies an open-enrollment request

The Lewis Central Community School District board on May 4 approved a slate of operational and capital actions, including the district calendar for 2026–27, two security upgrade bids, a multi-part resolution authorizing the issuance of approximately $9.5 million in general-obligation school bonds, a wrestling fundraiser to support new mats, and a 28E agreement to fund a school resource officer (SRO) with the City of Council Bluffs. The board also denied an open-enrollment request in closed session.

Key votes at a glance

- 2026–27 School Calendar Revision: Motion carried (unanimous roll-call). The revision moves spring parent–teacher conferences to avoid conflict with the district’s show-choir competition; board will implement the calendar as presented.

- Titan Hill exterior door security monitoring upgrade (Prime Secured): Approved by roll-call vote; bid amount $39,758.20. Administration said door contacts and alarms will be integrated into district phone alerts and alarm systems as the exterior doors are replaced.

- Middle school exterior door and security-camera upgrade (Prime Secured): Approved by roll-call vote; bid amount $56,264.04. The administration said existing keyless-entry hardware will be reused where possible and additional cameras will cover identified blind spots.

- General-obligation school bonds, series 2026 (~$9,500,000): Board adopted a four-part resolution (appointing paying agent/registrar and transfer agent; approving form of tax-exemption certificate; approving continuing disclosure certificate; and adopting the bond-authorization resolution). The measures passed by roll-call votes as presented.

- Wrestling mat fundraiser: Approved. Administration described a permanent "supporter wall" signage fundraiser with multiple donor levels to raise funds to purchase high-performance wrestling mats; fundraiser proceeds will be managed in school accounts and designated for the wrestling program or specified purposes by state law.

- 28E agreement with City of Council Bluffs for a School Resource Officer (SRO): Approved. The district will pay approximately 75% of the officer’s salary and benefits (administration estimated roughly $130,000 district share); the City will provide the officer and carry insurance and personnel oversight; the district expects $16,000 in operational sharing returned to it.

- Open-enrollment request (student name redacted): Board moved into closed session and then voted to deny the request as presented in closed session.

Facilities and safety context

Brett Wallace, who presented a facilities update to the board, laid out a busy summer schedule: window work at Craft Elementary (starting June 1), completion and commissioning of Titan Hill geothermal work, a middle-school parking-lot replacement starting in late May, athletic-building demolition and siding, roofing at the high school and LED lighting upgrades, mechanical upgrades, and a storage-under-bleachers project for which permits are pending. Wallace said contractors will coordinate closely with school schedules.

Officer Matt Brinkman of the Council Bluffs Police Department spoke about the SRO program, saying interviews are underway and new SROs receive specialized training. He noted that having a designated uniformed officer on campus allows for faster response and some duties — including making arrests — not available to non-sworn campus staff, and that city insurance covers police actions while officers are acting in that capacity.

What’s next

Administration said it will bring the draft memorial/recognition policy to the board for a first reading in June (see related Save A Seat public comments). The district also noted summer workshops and staff coordination will accompany the facilities projects and the policy-development timeline. The board scheduled future regular meetings and will complete superintendent-evaluation business in closed session.