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Villisca board approves multiple hires, an open-enrollment request and policy reading at May 8 meeting
Summary
At a 39-minute regular session on May 8, the Villisca Community School District board unanimously approved the agenda (with one deletion), accepted consent items and bills, approved several staff hires and assignments for 2025–26, granted open enrollment for a student from Clarinda, and waived the third reading to approve the second reading of Board Policies in the 100, 200 and 300 series.
President Jason Poston called the Villisca Community School District Board to order at 7:00 a.m. on May 8, 2025, in the Southwest Valley Middle School board room. Directors Gourley, Shipley, Poston, Mullen and Williams answered roll call. Superintendent Fenster, Principal Timmerman and District Secretary Jessie Forsythe were present; visitor Joe Erickson (identified as a future superintendent) also attended.
The board approved the meeting agenda after a MOTION by Director Mullen and a second from Director Gourley to remove agenda item VIII.a (staff resignations). The board then approved consent items, including the April 2025 minutes and the bills presented for payment, on a MOTION by Director Gourley with a second by Director Mullen; both motions were recorded as carried unanimously.
On financial business, Director Williams moved and Director Shipley seconded a motion to approve the April financial report and file it for audit; the motion passed unanimously. Administrative reports were provided to the board with Principal Timmerman available for questions; the minutes record no further action on those reports.
Personnel actions approved by unanimous votes included several hires for the 2025–26 school year. Director Shipley moved, and Director Williams seconded, approval of Shelby Brockshus as kindergarten teacher. Director Gourley moved, and Director Mullen seconded, approval of Destiney McCuen as student council sponsor and Robert Whaley as junior high football coach. The board also approved, on a motion by Director Shipley seconded by Director Mullen, the building lead team composed of Destiney McCuen, Marla McAlpin, Lisa Kernen, Kristen Tripp, Abby Herzberg, Janae Shough and Brenda DeVore, and named Brenda DeVore and Marla McAlpin as mentors for 2025–26.
The board approved an open-enrollment out request for student Emma Posten from Clarinda for the 2025–26 school year on a MOTION by Director Williams, seconded by Director Gourley; the motion carried unanimously.
On board governance, Director Mullen moved and Director Williams seconded a motion to waive the third reading and approve the second reading of the Board Policies in the 100, 200 and 300 series; following a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously. The minutes record the vote as unanimous but do not list individual vote marks beyond roll call approval.
Superintendent Fenster thanked board members for their service during his superintendent’s report and led discussion of planned summer projects and relevant legislation; no formal board action on those topics was recorded. The meeting was adjourned on a MOTION by Director Gourley, seconded by Director Mullen, at 7:39 a.m. Minutes were submitted by District Secretary Jessie Forsythe and signed by President Jason Poston.
The minutes do not record any public comment, contested motions, or differing vote tallies. Next steps and implementation details (for example, start dates for hires or dates for policy implementation) were not specified in the minutes.
