Cozad school board elects Joel Carlson president, completes routine appointments

The Cozad Community Schools Board of Education unanimously elected Joel Carlson as board president during its Jan. 12 regular meeting and completed its annual reorganization and administrative appointments for 2026.

The board closed nominations and cast a unanimous ballot to elect Joel Carlson as president, Michele Starman as vice president and Stacey Mundell as secretary. The board appointed Susan Kloepping as district treasurer and designated the Perry Law Firm as the district’s attorney. The board also named Homestead Bank, Waypoint Bank and Security First Bank as district depositories and designated the Cozad Local as the official district newspaper. Committee assignments for 2026–27 were approved with a rotating board member serving as the second School Board representative on the Wellness Center Board. All motions passed on unanimous votes recorded by the meeting clerk.

Superintendent Dr. Dan Endorf was designated the district’s representative for federal and state programs. The board approved Jeremy Yilk as the district’s Non-Discrimination Compliance Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator. Board members reviewed the 2012 Board Code of Ethics and the district’s Mission and Vision statements and signed Potential Conflict of Interest Statement forms.

Board President Carlson and other members described the actions as routine governance housekeeping to set leadership and administrative roles for the year. The board approved the 2026 NASB annual board calendar and meeting schedule as presented.

The board finished reorganization work and moved on to the remainder of its agenda; the next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 16, 2026.