Ames school board approves class-size goals, extends food-service contract and OKs multiple purchases

At its regular meeting the Ames Community School District board approved a slate of operational items, including class-size goals for the 2026–27 school year and a second extension of the district’s food-service contract with Chartwells.

The board voted to maintain the current class-size goals after the superintendent said elementary enrollment and staffing align closely with the adopted targets; the superintendent noted a few sections are approaching the district cap and that one kindergarten posting will be held until final numbers are confirmed.

On food service, the district’s chief financial officer explained the contract is on a cost-reimbursement basis and that Chartwells requested the maximum allowed CPI increase of 4.1 percent. The CFO said the per-meal administrative fee for the next fiscal year would be 24.55 cents and that the Department of Education had approved the terms. The board approved the second extension (voice vote recorded in the minutes).

The board also approved a $137,958 bid from Ames Ford for a Ford Expedition, authorized Setpoint Mechanical Services to replace a chiller compressor at Edwards Elementary (an item listed at roughly $44,000), and approved multiple information-technology and device purchases from Heartland Business Systems and Blue Ally, including Dell Chromebooks. Votes on these items were taken by voice and recorded as passing in the meeting minutes.

Separately, the associate superintendent briefed the board on the teacher quality (TQ) committee’s work to manage and distribute professional-development funds; highlights included a pilot application process for rollover requests and year-to-date metrics: 188 proposals for teacher learning and 248 participants in the Little Cyclone Teacher Academy (a four-year high).