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Tri-Center School Board elects Olsen president, approves appointments and two SBRC funding requests
Summary
At its Nov. 19 organizational meeting the Tri-Center Comm School District board elected Mike Olsen president and Katie Ausdemore vice president, approved annual administrative appointments, authorized two SBRC supplemental requests totaling $85,078.88, approved a copier purchase and other routine business.
The Tri-Center Community School District board elected Mike Olsen president and Katie Ausdemore vice president and approved a slate of annual appointments and budget-related requests at its organizational meeting on Nov. 19.
The meeting, called to order by Board Secretary Jennifer Harder at 6:30 p.m., included formal administration of the Oath of Office to newly elected members Stephanie Witt, Mike Olsen and Jeremy VanArsdol. Jeremy VanArsdol nominated Sara Arnold for president (seconded by Stephanie Witt); Katie Ausdemore nominated Mike Olsen (seconded by Sara Arnold). After votes were taken, Mike Olsen received 3 votes and Sara Arnold received 2 votes; Olsen was elected board president. Sara Arnold nominated Katie Ausdemore for vice-president; the record shows Ausdemore received four votes and an abstention was recorded; Katie Ausdemore was elected vice-president.
The board approved a block of annual appointments and administrative designations, carried 5-0. The approved appointments included Jennifer Harder as board secretary/treasurer; Michelle Huber as sexual harassment grievance officer with Angela Huseman named as alternate; Sherry Wilson and Michelle Huber as Level I investigators; Chad Harder as Title IX coordinator; and check-signing authorization for Jennifer Harder, Angela Huseman and the board president. The board also designated legal counsel (Scott Rogers of Peters Law Firm; Brett Nitzschke and Beth Grob of Ahlers Law Firm), named depository banks and limits (Midstates Bank, Neola — $12,000,000; Community Bank, Persia — $20,000; ISJIT — $5,000,000), and listed official legal publications.
On budget items the board authorized two separate requests to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC). The first request, approved 5-0, was for a modified supplemental amount of $3,994 to reflect an increase in certified enrollment from the prior year. The second SBRC request, also approved 5-0, was for $81,084.88 to cover open-enrolled-out students who were not included in the district’s prior certified enrollment count. Together the two requests total $85,078.88.
Business Manager/Board Secretary Jennifer Harder presented a plan for distributing funds received under the Education Support Personnel Salary Supplement (ESPSS); the board approved the plan 5-0.
Technology Director Matt Schmitz reviewed copier bids; the board voted 5-0 to accept Visual Edge’s bid for three copiers to be installed over the winter break. Two representatives from Visual Edge, Justin Cox and Bryon Berndt, were listed as present at the meeting.
The board voted 5-0 to table consideration of the Iowa Drug and Alcohol Testing Program and approved an Early Notification Incentive Program for FY26 for teachers not returning for the 2026–27 school year. The board also approved the resignation of Shelly Sorenson as junior high volleyball coach effective November 2025 and then adjourned at 7:02 p.m.
The next regular meeting was announced for Dec. 8 at 6:00 p.m. in the secondary library.
