Brad Leeper (standing, left) and Laura Peterson of Invision, deliver a presentation Monday updating the South Tama County Board of Education on progress toward a second middle school bond referendum. Tentative plans are looking toward a bond vote in March 2022.

In a meeting held at the soon to be reopened South Tama Middle School in Toledo on Monday, the South Tama County Board of Education heard updates from the Invision architecture firm on the progress toward a second middle school bond referendum.

After an initial bond effort failed at a special election in March 2020, the district restarted the process this spring to gather information and prepare for a potential second election in 2022.

Project timeline

Invision representatives detailed a project timeline that began with a community survey and formation of a local task force in May. The community task force helped develop questions for the public survey that asked district stakeholders to prioritize factors when considering a middle school project.

The results of the survey were assessed in June and a wide variety of options for how to go about the project were developed and tested by the group in July.

South Tama 5th Grade Teacher Nicole Walker stands in the doorway of her classroom as a group toured the recently renovated middle school building in Toledo. Walker recalled placing the welcome message decal pictured on her door just minutes before the storm arrived last August. Several of the fifth grade classrooms on the third floor of the building saw significant water damage as a result of the damaged roof.

In July and August Invision set up focus groups with local civic leaders, students, members of the business community and members of the agriculture community to solicit feedback on the project.

Later this month, the task force will hold a financial session where options to fund a middle school project will be laid out and discussed.

In September and October, Invision and the local task force plan to hold community input sessions that will set out the different options for the project developed earlier this year and seek broader public feedback about which direction to proceed.

The STC Board of Education looks to hear a presentation and recommendation from the task force in November where they may take action to move one of the project options to a vote.

Should the board approve the project in November, efforts would shift toward preparing for a bond referendum and special election in March 2022.

South Tama Middle School Principal Ben Adams opens the recently renovated middle school in Toledo for the public to walk through this past Monday night.

Similar to 2019-20, petitions would need to circulate and be signed around the holiday season for the measure to proceed to a vote.

Barring any setbacks, the group would plan to hold community information sessions in January and February to further detail the project and to answer questions as voters throughout the district prepare to cast a ballot in early March.

Project options

Invision representatives also presented a broad overview of six options they and the task force have been testing and exploring over the past few months.

The options vary most in regard to location. They included:

– An addition to the east side of the current middle school building where the parking lot is now

– An addition to the former Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo connected to the east side of the IJH school building, making an L-shape out to the north.

– An addition to the former Iowa Juvenile Home extending north from the center of the IJH school building into the existing courtyard.

– An addition to the current high school in Tama extending from the south side of the high school.

– An addition to the current high school out to the east, building on the current front lawn and front parking lot at the high school.

– A stand-alone building north of the high school in the area currently being used for baseball field parking.

The options were graded by the group based on 10 criteria that were identified as important from the survey results and focus groups held this summer.

The criteria included (in no particular order): ability to have centralized air conditioning, growth potential of the site, long term cost of the facility, upfront cost to build, ability to have controlled/secure entrances, accessibility, storm shelter access, variety of learning spaces, the overall size of the building and distributed spaces for diverse learners.

Of the six options, the two connected to the high school building received the highest/most favorable grade with the most consistent difference appearing in upfront cost and learning space criteria.

The option connected to the current middle school building received the lowest/least favorable grade with long term cost and growth potential cited as the lowest graded criteria.

Community members will have the opportunity to more closely view project options and ask questions of the architecture and task force teams at public work sessions in September and October. Those dates are yet to be announced.

No budget figures were discussed at the Monday board presentation, though Invision representatives said they were working with broad cost estimates based on other school projects in the state that have taken bids recently. As the options for the South Tama project get narrowed down in the coming months, it is expected more detailed pricing will be determined and communicated.

What’s old is new again

Prior to the start of the board meeting Monday, Middle School Principal Ben Adams opened the recently renovated middle school in Toledo for the public to walk through.

The building was badly damaged in the 2020 derecho last August, which tore open portions of the roof, allowing water to enter the building.

“It feels great to be back here,” Adams said. “A lot of people have been working endlessly to get this space ready and we’re so excited for the start of the year.”

The most badly damaged portions were on the third floor on the southeast side of the building. A large puddle had gathered on the southeast corner of the roof above teacher Levi Klopping’s 5th Grade classroom and as the storm went through the roof finally gave way and water rushed in, seeping through the floor and into the lower levels.

Over the past year, the middle school grades held classes at the Elementary and at the Partnership Center in Tama as their building was being treated for water damage and restored back to usable condition.

The most noticable difference while walking through the building is the absence of lockers and newly painted walls and baseboards. Flooring, ceiling tiles and lights were also replaced in areas that had been damaged.

Although students and staff are largely excited to return to their home building, many of the same challenges that brought on the 2019-20 project and bond referendum, such as accessibility, safety, classroom size and centralized air, still remain.

5th Grade teacher Nicole Walker was present in her room at the middle school during the tour and said her 5th Grade team was welcomed warmly by the Elementary staff last year but they are eager to rejoin the other three grades in the middle school building.

“We really do love this building, but she’s given us a lot and realistically, long-term we need to think about the best plan for our students,” Walker said. “I have a daughter who’s coming up in school and I want her to have a sturdy school. I want us to get a plan so our students can continue to have a positive learning experience.”

Board approves handbooks

Staff and student handbooks for all three buildings were approved by the board Monday.

Discussion was had regarding two specific points within the high school and middle school documents.

An earlier decision to allow high school students to wear hats and hoodies while in school was reversed as concerns about safety and student oversight were discussed.

Those concerns will be brought back to high school staff and students and further discussion on the dress code policy will take place at a future meeting.

The decision to remove lockers from the middle school was discussed as Adams presented the middle school handbook to the board.

Adams said removing lockers was done in part as a measure to control disruptive behavior taking place in the hallways between class periods.

He said the school will continue to accommodate students with any special needs when necessary.

In other business…

Contracts were approved by the board including Tara Upah, HS Color Guard Coach; Josh Bly, HS Asst Football Coach; Rashell Mendoza, HS Concessions Manager; Debbie Price, P/T Special Ed Para.

Transfers were approved by the board including Kenadie Geiger, 3rd Grade Teacher to Elementary Interventionist; Devin Stacey, MS Special Ed Para to MS At-Risk Para.

Volunteers were approved by the board including Mary Fasse-Shaw, Jeff Shaw and Darcy Lamp, Fall Musical; Bailey Chyma, HS Football; Stan Upah, HS Volleyball; Morgan McFate, HS Football Cheer; Sabrina Holtz, HS Volleyball.

Resignations were approved by the board including Marylou Aguirre, Partnership Secretary; Sandy Jensen, HS Custodian.

The board approved a high school volleyball overnight trip for a camp at Central College.

The board approved Lincoln Savings Bank and the State Bank of Toledo as official depositories for the upcoming school year.

The board approved the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle as the official publication for the district for the upcoming school year.