East Union prepares for 2026 calendar

AFTON - While incoming Iowa legislation could change things, a schedule for East Union’s next calendar year was approved during Monday’s regular board meeting. The schedule will continue the district’s four-day school week.

The calendar would start the school year on Aug. 26 and end on May 29. The earliest time the school year can begin under Iowa law is Aug. 23. Proposed legislature could move the earliest time to the second to last Monday of August. In 2025, that would be Aug. 18.

Superintendent Tim Kuehl offered suggestions on how the district could utilize the additional days. He recommended either increasing the length of winter break or pushing up the date of graduation if the school were to change schedules.

The schedule will also align spring break with Southwestern Community College’s spring break. Students who take additional classes through SWCC will have their spring breaks at the same time.

The new start date would begin school years across Iowa the day after the Iowa State Fair closes.

In other East Union school board news...

The Early Childhood Center’s Infant Toddler Center finally has an opening date. The new center will begin care for infants and toddlers starting on March 3. An open house to introduce the new space to visitors will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 27.

Following Allison Cheers’s swap to a full-time science teacher, East Union will be looking for a full-time special education teacher. Cheers previously taught half her time in science and half in special education.

A heat pump in a high school classroom was approved to be replaced for $12,537.25. The board noted how multiple heat pumps have needed replacements in recent months.

Two public hearings were set for the district’s 2025-26 budget proposal. Both will take place before regular board meetings. The first will be at 5:30 p.m., March 24, and the second will be at 6:30 p.m., April 21.

The following contracts were approved:

Samantha Proffitt, elementary para; April Van Soelen, secondary master teacher, 2025-26 school year; Alex Kalbach, high school boys track and field head coach.