Aplington-Parkersburg schedules April hearing and approves $8.77 million bond sale for facility work

The Aplington-Parkersburg Comm School District board set its second required FY27 budget hearing for April 20 and approved moving forward with an $8.77 million bond sale to fund planned facilities work.

Mr. Fleshner, a district staff member, said the district held its first required public budget hearing on March 23 and that Iowa law requires two hearings before finalizing the budget. “We can lower it, but we cannot raise it,” he said, referring to the maximum property tax rate the district published as part of the FY27 budget process.

Board members approved agreements to retain legal counsel for bonding work and authorized placing $8.77 million in bonds backed by SAVE (the one-cent state penny) dollars. Mr. Fleshner said the district scheduled the bond sale for April 16 to provide funding for planned facilities projects and improvements.

The board also agreed to continue participation in a natural gas risk pool designed to buy natural gas in advance and reduce exposure to price spikes, which Mr. Fleshner said helps the district better predict utility costs for the school year.

Mr. Fleshner described several architect agreements the board approved to move facilities planning forward, including preparatory roofing work in Aplington this summer and larger heating and cooling work planned for spring 2027. He said the district will bid track resurfacing this summer as part of the facilities timeline.

The board did not announce a formal vote tally on the record in the video update. Next steps identified by district staff include the April 16 bond sale and the April 20 budget hearing, when the board expects to finalize FY27 budget decisions.