Jewell-Jay Moline was elected at the new president of the South Hamilton Community School Board at their meeting on Monday evening in Jewell. Moline takes over the seat held by Leigh Miller who resigned after her years of service. Brandon Gibson was selected as School Board District Three School Board member for the term ending in November,2027. District 3 covers the area around Stanhope and a small portion of northern Boone County. Ryan Stuck was elected as Vice President of the South Hamilton School Board. All three were administered the oath office at Monday’s board meeting.
The South Hamilton discussed the participation of 8th graders in High School athletics. This is in regard to the Iowa House File 2592 and recent rules for districts to allow students in eighth grade to participate in an interscholastic athletic contests or competition at the high school level. A draft of administrative regulations was shared that 8th grade will be very limited in order to maintain strong 7th and 8th grade athletic programs.
Discussion on the $7,500,000 School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2026 for the auxiliary gym was a part of the South Hamilton School Board session. The board appointed UMB Bank of West Des Moines to serve as a Paying Agent, Bond Registrar, and Transfer Agent for the bonds and project for the gym. A bid from Cornwell, Frideres, Maher and Associates as the South Hamilton School auditor for the 2026 through 2030 Fiscal Years was approved Monday evening. The South Hamilton board approved the disposition of the retiring fleet of elementary Chromebooks through Tech Defenders.
In personnel matters, the South Hamilton accepted the resignations of Amber Pergande as a food service employee and Marisa Jackson as a school custodian. Sawyer Higgins was hired as a preschool associate starting in the 2026-27 school year later next month.
The South Hamilton Summer School program was a success, providing students with valuable learning opportunities. Camp Intervention was held last week and offered engaging, hands-on STEM experiences for participating students. The Elementary class lists have been finalized and will be shared with families in early August.
The new gym floor at South Hamilton has been completed. Construction on the auxiliary gym continues to progress on schedule with footings installed and water, sewer, and sprinkler system connections all completed. In preparation for the start of the South Hamilton school year, the custodial staff has been busy deep cleaning classrooms and other district facilities.
As South Hamilton prepares for its opening day of classes on August 24th, the pre-school year will begin on Tuesday, September 8th for 2026-27. Additional information regarding schedules, start-of-year procedures and expectations will be communicated to preschool families prior to the start of the school year.
In other matters, the South Hamilton School board learned about the recent FBLA Leadership Conference held last month in San Antonio, Texas. A delegation of five South Hamilton High School students attended with its teacher, Amy Trask. Qualifying for the national conference is a significant achievement and reflects the students’ dedication, preparation, and success in FBLA competition. Each of the students shared highlights from their experience, including the competitive events they participated in, leadership and networking opportunities and the valuable skills they developed throughout the conference. The South Hamilton School Board approved the consortium agreement for the THRIVE Academy for the 2026-27 academic year.