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Villisca, Corning school boards hold multiple closed sessions for superintendent interviews; no appointment recorded
Summary
On March 17, 2025, the Villisca Community School and Corning Community School District boards held three joint special sessions at Southwest Valley High School, repeatedly entering closed session under Iowa Code 21.5(1)(i) to conduct superintendent interviews and to discuss finalist candidates; the minutes record unanimous votes to enter closed session but do not name candidates or record any appointment.
The Villisca Community School and Corning Community School District boards held three joint special sessions March 17, 2025, at the Southwest Valley High School board room to conduct superintendent interviews and later to discuss finalist candidates, according to the boards'minutes.
President Jason Poston called the meetings to order at 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:12 p.m., respectively, with Villisca directors Gourley, Shipley, Williams, Mullen and Poston listed on the roll calls and Corning directors Stephanie Hodapp, Howard Anderson, Staci Venteicher, Trent Roberts and Adam Boswell also present. EDWise search firm representatives (Joe Erickson, Bob Olson, Troy Lentell and Paul Tedesco at various sessions) and Corning Board Secretary Jodi Lyddon were recorded as present in the minutes.
At each session the boards approved the agenda and moved into closed session for superintendent interviews under Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i), the statute that allows boards to evaluate the professional competency of an individual in closed session when that individual requests it. The minutes record the motions and seconds by board members (for example, a motion to enter closed session in the first session was made by Mullen and seconded by Gourley) and state that each roll call vote "was approved unanimously." The first session entered closed session at 4:30 p.m., returning to open session at 5:34 p.m.; the second session entered at 6:01 p.m., returning at 7:05 p.m.; the third session entered at 7:14 p.m., returning at 7:58 p.m.
During the late-evening session the boards took a short break and then again entered closed session at 8:12 p.m. "to discuss superintendent finalist candidates" under the same Iowa Code citation; they returned to open session at 9:30 p.m. and adjourned at 9:31 p.m.
The minutes list the formal motions approving the agenda, the motions to enter closed session, and the motions to adjourn, and they record unanimous approval on roll call votes each time. The minutes do not list candidates' names, any formal votes to hire or appoint a superintendent, or next-step deadlines; candidate identities and any selection decisions are "not specified" in the minutes.
The joint meetings were chaired by President Jason Poston and the minutes were signed by Board Secretary Jessie Forsythe and President Poston. The EDWise search firm was present to facilitate the superintendent search process. The minutes show the boards followed the procedural steps to conduct interviews and to discuss finalists in closed session but do not record any public action to hire.
Next procedural steps, if any, were not recorded in these minutes; the records show only the times of closed sessions, roll call approvals to enter closed session, and adjournments.
