Monday’s STC school board meeting saw a quick moving open session meeting followed by two closed sessions. Both labeled as: Iowa Code 21.5(1)(e)

“To discuss whether to conduct a hearing, or conduct a hearing for suspension or expulsion of a student, unless an open meeting is requested by the student or the parent of the student.

No action was taken on the first closed session while the second one resulted in the expulsion of a student.”

The board voted 3-1 to expel “Student B” for the first semester of the 2026-2027 school year, with the student eligible to return for the second semester under probationary status and conditions established by administration. Board members Elizabeth Dolezal, Rick Hopper and Megan Thiessen voted in favor, Joe Hanus opposed and Danya Keahna abstained.

Elsewhere in the board meeting, the board approved a quote to fix the baseball field lighting for $8,975. After weighing the cost of fixing just seven of the lights that are burnt out, it became apparent that replacing all the lightbulbs made more financial sense for the district.

The board also revisited concerns raised during public comment at its previous meeting, when parents, staff members, and students spoke about a variety of issues at the middle school.

Superintendent John Cain presented a summary of feedback received, noting that administration is working to organize concerns into broader categories including student achievement, communication and student and staff well-being. Cain said the district intends to review the feedback and determine next steps while continuing conversations with building administrators.

The board discussed several topics that emerged from the comments, including communication, fundraising procedures, safety planning, and student support systems. Board President Elizabeth Dolezal said the district has a responsibility to listen to concerns raised by the community and thoughtfully evaluate them.

One issue specifically discussed was the lack of a female staff member available to supervise the girls locker room during PE.

Dolezal also mentioned the importance of protecting student privacy when discussing behavior and disciplinary matters, noting that individual student situations cannot be publicly addressed by the board. No formal action was taken, but more discussions are to come.

The board approved a personnel that included the hiring of Josh Casey as a high school maintenance and custodian employee. The motion passed on a 3-2 vote, with Rick Hopper, Elizabeth Dolezal and Megan Thiessen voting in favor, while Danya Keahna and Joe Hanus voted against the recommendation.

Casey has a criminal history that includes convictions for operating while intoxicated (OWI), disorderly conduct, possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic abuse assault and false imprisonment. The board did not publicly discuss those convictions in detail before voting on personnel at Monday’s meeting, but did hold a special session to discuss the hire after the last regularly scheduled meeting.

The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 22 at 5 p.m.