Decorah School Board addresses legislative priorities; elects committee members

The Decorah School Board has reviewed the (IASB) Iowa Association of School Board list of potential legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative year, listed their top choices, and will submit the list to the IASB for inclusion into their legislative platform for lobbying candidates and the legislature. Among the Decorah priorities were: repeal of the mandatory school start date in Iowa; timely and appropriate educational funding; request that educational legislative action is research based and focused on student achievement; preservation of the integrity of the "statewide penny sales tax," specifically to provide for extension beyond potential school bond funding dates; and encouragement to progress in legislative action that would be rigorous in content standards and benchmarks consistent with the "Iowa Core."  Discussion also focused on the theme of dissuading the legislature from making any of the issues turn into "political footballs," as they feel has happened in the past.

In other action Monday night, the Decorah Community School Board appointed Brian Petersburg and Cindy Schissel to the Compensation Committee; and John Hjelle and Melanie Tietz to the Negotiation Committee.