On a day schools were closed due to wintry weather the Greene County Schools board of education approved almost $500,000 in summer projects. Two of the five board members attended the meeting via livestream to avoid snow and bitter cold.
The board at its Feb. 12 regular meeting approved having the dirt work done for two practice fields at the high school. The new practice fields will be more conveniently located for high school athletes who have had to drive to the middle school for practice. They’ll make it possible for boys and girls soccer teams to practice at the same time, and the field will be available for marching band rehearsals as well.
Cost of the two fields is $127,400. Murphy Construction will do the work. That does not include seeding or irrigation. According to school superintendent Brett Abbotts, that cost is nearly identical to what it would have cost to do needed improvements to the existing practice fields. “That was the intention in the first place, was to have practice fields at the high school. We have a water source there and locker rooms, so kids won’t be changing in the parking lot anymore,” he said.
Windows on the south side of the middle school will be replaced by Elite Glass at a cost of $53,500. That project had been previously estimated at $100,000.
Three heat pumps will be replaced at the elementary school by Drees Electric of Carroll. Excel Floor Covering of Jefferson will do two carpet project at the elementary at a total cost of $41,205.
The board approved $71,281 to DB Acoustics of Cedar Rapids to replace sound equipment at the high school gymnasium. School technology director Brent Gerzema explained that an electrician installed the sound system in the gym, not a sound engineer.
DB Acoustics did the sound system in the field house at South Dakota State University and several other Iowa schools. Gerzema said the DB rep “wowed” him as he outlined what could be done in the gym.
“You go into the auditorium and the sound there is ‘wow’. That was done by sound engineers. And our gym was done by an electrician. We have a million-and-a-half dollar gym and a 13 cent sound system,” Abbotts said. “It’s kind of embarrassing sometimes.”
Gerzema will explore selling or repurposing the existing equipment.
DB Acoustics had the lower bid of two on the project.
The district will purchase a minivan from Stew Hansen at a cost of $40,991, and two suburbans from Karl Automotive Group at a cost of $59,858 each.
Funding for the summer projects is from physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) and Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds.
The board approved three-year contracts with Raccoon Valley Lawn Care for $39,800 for mowing and upkeep of the football/soccer, baseball and softball fields at a total cost of $39,800 each year. The board also approved a one-year contract with the company for fertilizing the 41 acres (total) at the three schools and the bus garage, at a cost of $15,400.
The board set a public hearing on the 2025-26 school calendar for the next regular meeting, March 12. The draft calendar sets Monday, Aug. 25, 2026, as the first day of school for students. Winter break would be two full weeks, Dec. 22 through Jan. 2, 2026, and there would be a week-long break March 16-20. That break would be extended by one day for families, as teacher professional development is planned March 24. The last attendance day for seniors would be May 15; the last attendance day for students would be May 29. (Click here to see the draft calendar.)
The board approved the resignation for the purpose of retirement from middle school social studies teacher Kim Braun. She has spent her entire 40-year teaching career in the district. “It’s incredible. A big time thank you for her service to our district,” Abbotts said. The board heard a presentation on the district’s career and academic plan, as required by the state. The purpose of the plan is to help students identify their skills, interests and goals and align them with potential careers; to assist students in selecting courses and/or training; and to provide opportunities to explore diverse opportunities.
