Corning and Villisca school boards enter closed session to evaluate staff member at the request of the individual

The Boards of Education of the Corning Comm School District and the Villisca Community School District met in a joint special session on March 12, 2025, at the Southwest Valley Middle School Media Center. President Staci Venteicher called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m.

Corning board member Stephanie Hodapp moved to approve the meeting agenda; Adam Boswell seconded. The motion “carried unanimously,” according to the meeting record.

Later in the meeting, Corning board member Howard Anderson moved—and Hodapp seconded—that the boards “hold a closed session as provided in section 21.5(1)(i) of the open meetings law to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when a closed session is necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual’s reputation, as that individual has requested a closed session.” By roll call, Anderson, Boswell, Hodapp and President Venteicher voted Yes; the record shows no No votes. The boards entered closed session at 5:16 p.m.

The transcript also records that board member Trent Roberts entered the meeting at 5:19 p.m. The boards returned to open session at 9:34 p.m. After returning to open session, Hodapp moved and Anderson seconded a motion to adjourn; the motion carried unanimously and the meeting adjourned at 9:34 p.m.

The meeting record does not disclose the identity of the person whose professional competency was evaluated, any findings from the closed session, or any formal personnel action. The transcript states the closed session was held at the request of the individual and was invoked under the cited portion of the open meetings law to avoid “needless and irreparable injury” to that person’s reputation.