A tad much

The Clay Central/Everly school board on April 24 received a bit of sticker shock.

Members reviewed an estimate for playground upgrades at the Nature Learning Center, which is used by preschool students at recess. Boland Recreation, of Marshalltown, returned a quote for $390,815 to revamp amenities in the area.

"Are we building with diamonds or what?" asked Board Member Allison Goyette. "I think $390,000 is slightly atrocious."

While the price tag made eyes pop, CC/E Director of Student Services Michelle Huntress reminded the board that it asked preschool staff to come up with their "pie in the sky" playground.

"This is the whole enchilada," she said. "We didn't hold back knowing there was probably going to be some changes."

According to discussion, the Nature Learning Center has become outdated and hard to maintain. Many of the untreated wood fixtures are rotting and weed management has become an annual headache.

Boland's quote included a five-area breakdown of the Nature Learning Center featuring a play unit, climbing rock, swing set, boulder ridge climbing wall, various activity panels and hopscotch board. Optional surfaces were poured rubber or bonded rubber.

The quote did not include removal of current fixtures in the Nature Learning Center. Board Member Allyn Heikens thought a scaled back investment of around $60,000 was more reasonable.

"You might be looking at around $30,000 for removal and groundwork alone, but we don't know," she said.

Huntress was directed to prioritize the greatest needs in the Nature Learning Center and report back at next month's board meeting. According to discussion, a new swing set and surface improvements will be targeted. Playground upgrades will be paid for by using district SAVE funds.

• Approves second sharing agreement

The board on a 4-1 vote approved a second whole-grade sharing agreement with the Sioux Central Community School District. CC/E has another agreement in place with Spencer.

"If everything is clear and legal, I say go for it if it makes our patrons happy," Heikens said.

According to Assistant Superintendent Jeff Scharn, the agreement will most notably affect transportation. Now, Sioux Central will be able to transport CC/E students in grades 7-12 to and from locations inside CC/E's boundaries. Previously, only Spencer could do that.

The agreement does not pertain to students in PK-6. If they choose to open-enroll out of CC/E, parents will have to find their own means of transportation.

Under the agreement, CC/E will keep 15 percent of per-pupil state funding, with rest going to Sioux Central.

Board President Denny Dalen was the lone dissenter. He noted that when CC/E ceased offering grades 7-12 in 2019, it tried to establish multiple sharing agreements with Spencer, Sioux Central, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Okoboji all at once to give affected students the most options. It was later determined the sharing agreements weren't legal, which led CC/E to establish only one with Spencer.

"I have reservations. There was a lot of red tape around this the first time," Dalen said. "It got sticky...and we had to backpedal."

Scharn said the agreement has been reviewed by the Iowa Department of Education and should be able to stand moving forward.