School Board affirms relationship with beleaguered Iowa Association of School Boards

The Decorah Community School Board held a brief discussion regarding their association with the Iowa Association of School Boards at its meeting Monday night.  IASB has been under investigation amidst financial troubles and alleged misspending. The Decorah School Board recently had contact with the current acting director and IASB personnel working with the Lighthouse project, a project that the board has been invested in for some time. Board members said they felt bad that the many good personnel of IASB were being dragged down and blindsided by the actions of a few. They also affirmed that their yearly cost to be part of the association ($4,975) was well worth it, and that workshops and activities were very reasonably priced compared to many professional development opportunities. Superintendent Mike Haluska even noted a recent insurance refund check of $25,000 that was a direct result of membership in the association.

Haluska said a forensic audit of the association is currently underway and results should be available in a couple weeks. He also noted that many of the allegations may have been exaggerated by the press. Decorah Board member Rick Valley noted that the school districts do need an effective lobby with the Iowa Legislative; unfortunately some are afraid that the IASB lobby will be less respected than in the past.