At a public hearing the district outlined a high‑school LED lighting purchase estimated at about $350,000 and an engineer estimate of roughly $2.1 million for the middle‑school parking lot (against a $2.0M budget). Staff described system features, warranty terms and a summer construction timeline; the board closed the hearing with no immediate vote.
The Lewis Central Comm School District board approved a resolution authorizing approximately $9.5 million in general‑obligation bonds to be levied for repayment; board members voted unanimously and the district says higher taxable valuation will let it keep the levy flat and retire bonds earlier.
Board members heard a presentation on the ACE alternative‑education program, which uses flexible schedules and small cohorts to help students recover credits; teachers reported about a dozen graduates so far and described capacity of roughly 12–15 students per session.
During a public hearing, district administrators outlined a plan to add a new metal athletic building and gut-renovate the existing facility, with preliminary costs of about $1.4 million for the addition and $1.2 million for renovations and discussion of procurement and funding options.
Curriculum director Dr. Hartman described a seven-year review cycle, criteria and committee composition, and said preliminary FastBridge data show notable gains in grades using UFLI phonics supports; vendor presentations and implementation planning are scheduled ahead of a planned purchase and 2027–28 rollout.
Finance staff and the superintendent explained Iowa's SAVE revenue history and local uses, and warned that a proposed phase-out of the 1¢ school infrastructure sales tax could cut an estimated $6.5 million from district facility funding over the next decade.
At its Jan. 19 meeting the Lewis Central board approved four action items: purchase of a 12-passenger van for $35,002.78, a high‑school roof contract for $427,000, Optimized Systems commissioning for $59,006.20, and a disclosure counsel agreement with Ehlers and Cooney.
At a public hearing, district staff outlined a plan to replace roughly 47,200 square feet of high school roofing; an architect estimated $650,000 and bids are due Jan. 15, with board action tentatively scheduled for the Jan. 19 meeting.
The board voted to approve a modified supplemental application for at-risk dropout prevention totaling $694,596, with a required local match of $231,523 and estimated expenditures near $933,000; the motion passed during a roll call vote.
District staff and mentors showcased the Teammates mentoring program during commendations, reporting 52 active matches across grades 2–12, a 79% retention rate and a waiting list of more than 60 students; mentors described weekly activities and long-term benefits.
