A-P board talks funding future projects

PARKERSBURG – The Aplington-Parkersburg School Board discussed funding for future projects in a budget work session following last Monday’s regular board meeting.

​The board met with Matt Gillespie of Piper Sandler about the district’s options for funding future projects, with funding sources and potential timelines presented to the board in a session lasting almost one hour.

​During the regular meeting, A-P Curriculum Director Paula Buchholz presented data from last spring’s ISASP testing for grades 3rd-through-11th. Buchholz explained the percentage breakdown of students not yet proficient, proficient and advanced proficient, and the percentage of students that made one year of expected growth.

​The board also heard a presentation from the Aplington-Parkersburg chapter of FFA, with members Cora Berends, Hannah Bill, Hannah Buttjer, Wyatt Junker, Adison Williamson and instructor Jamie Pudenz presenting the 2022-23 budget, out-of-state travel requests and chapter updates. The board approved travel dates for Northwest Missouri Livestock Judging on Oct. 5-6; the National FFA Convention on Oct. 25-29 and SDSU Little International from March 30-April 1, 2023.

​A-P Superintendent Travis Fleshner updated the board on several matters, including:

​- VW busses purchased last year are now scheduled for May delivery;

​- Work is completed on high school wrestling room repairs, a Parkersburg Elementary street drain project and the parking lot at the baseball field;

​- Reviewing the negative lunch balance policy;

​- Various financial updates, including voter-approved PPEL discussion and information for the board work session.

​In other business, the board:

​- approved joining the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Natural Gas Program;

​- approved first reading of board policy review for 100 & 200 series;

​- appointed President Jill Kalkwarf as 22-23 IASB delegate;

​- approved contracts for Denise Freeseman, food service; McKenzie Hippen, janitorial; Haleigh Hempen, junior high girls basketball coach; Kurt Hempen, junior high girls basketball coach.