Education

Waukon churches are banding together again this July to bring hot lunches to area children, ages 18 and under, through a local Feed the Kids program.

In 2024, its second year, Feed the Kids served 1,975 lunches and distributed 2,267 breakfast bags in the 18 days of the program. This was an increase of almost 500 meals from 2023, the inaugural year of the local program. The number of days to serve those meals will be 22 this year, an increase of four days over last year’s program.

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) provides a summer feeding program to local children ages 18 and under during the months of June and August, but there is no such program that takes place for July through the school district. Community members felt there were still “food insecure” children who needed to eat all summer long, and the local Feed the Kids program got started.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

The Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors held its regular meeting Monday, June 9 at 7:03 p.m. at Kee High School. Board President Arla Wagner called the meeting to order with board members Heather Lutz, Joe Manning, and  Melanie Mauss present. Also attending were Interim Superintendent Patrick Heiderscheit, PK-12 Principal Donna Thomas, and Board Secretary Michele Martin. Visitors included Jay Mathis, Tommy Martin, and Dave Ellefson.

The board approved Tommy Martin as the new board member representing District #1, replacing Bobbie Goetzinger, who resigned from the board seat after recently accepting employment within the school district. Tommy Martin accepted the position and took the oath of office. Michele Martin was appointed and sworn in as Board Secretary.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) School Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting Monday night, June 16. Under the Consent Agenda, the Board approved the following certified sub pay rates per day: Teacher Sub Pay, $140 and Teacher Long Term Sub Pay, $190. The board also approved the appointment of Macy Manning as assistant varsity softball coach and the resignation of Daryl Roe from her position of assistant varsity softball coach.

One open-enrollment into the district was approved, and the board also approved a Student Teacher Agreement with Iowa State University and Preschool Partnership Agreements with Growing Bear Daycare Center and St. Patrick School Preschool Center, as well as renewing the district’s membership with Iowa School Finance Information Services. The board also gave its approval to renewal of the Elementary Social Studies Curriculum for an annual subscription cost of $8,977.

Robey Memorial Library and The Oneota Valley Literary Foundation (OVLF) are partnering to host the Main Street Story Walk again this year, featuring Laurie Keller’s children’s story, Arnie the Donut, for the month of June. Throughout June, families can enjoy reading Arnie the Donut by following the story displayed in the windows of five selected downtown businesses, each labeled in the above submitted image and listed below.

The Story Walk will guide participants from one location to the next, with a portion of the story posted in the front window of each participating business. The featured businesses are all located on Spring Avenue and West Main Street in downtown Waukon and include #1) The Blend, #2) Mirror Images, #3) AJ Bar & Grill, #4) KNEI Radio, and #5) Teslow’s Formal Wear.

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District Board of Directors met for a special meeting Friday morning, June 6. The agenda included several personnel matters.

Pending a satisfactory background check, the board approved the following personnel hiring recommendations for the 2025-2026 school year: Morgan Johnson, 2nd grade teacher; Nicole Decker, preschool teacher; Kevin Johnson, head girls varsity wrestling coach; Kelli Olson, TLC Instructional Coach; and Lauren Drew, 2nd grade PLC Teacher Leader.

The end of the school year does not come easily to the members of the Waukon High School Band. The band participated in the Iowa High School Music Association (IHSMA) State Solo and Ensemble Festival March 29 and the State Large Group Concert Band Festival May 9.
While these two events have approximately five weeks between them, Band Director Jo Ann Sherman points out that the month of April can be a very busy month at the high school with Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) testing and the Easter break breaking up the band’s rehearsal schedule.

At the Solo and Ensemble Festival, the band had 14 soloists and 13 ensembles perform. Each event performed for a single judge who critiqued their performance and gave them a rating. The band received 11 Division I ratings, 15 Division II ratings and one Division III rating on the day.

Each year the Waukon Middle School staff votes on and acknowledges a boy and girl student from each of the sixth, seventh and eighth grades for the Middle School Citizenship Award. These students demonstrate the following attributes:
Attitude - The student is goal-oriented, enthusiastic, and respectful of school policies and procedures.
Academics - The student maintains an appropriate grade point average. This might not be straight A’s but the student works hard for the grades they get.
Character - The student performs random acts of kindness, maintains a friendly rapport with peers and faculty, and is a positive role model to classmates as well as fellow middle school students.
School Spirit: The student participates in extracurricular activities and clubs. The student exhibits pride in being part of the Waukon Middle School.
Community Involvement: The student volunteers their time and services to members of the community.

“This, by no means, should be interpreted as a movement towards consolidation of these two districts.” ~ Jay Mathis

ACSD Board approves sharing agreement with EACSD for Superintendent, addresses other personnel matters during May 28 special session

by Brianne Grimstad

The Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) Board of Directors met for a special meeting Wednesday, May 28. The main item on the special meeting agenda was a revised Superintendent Contract and an Operational Sharing Agreement with Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) for the 2025-2026 school year. The sharing agreement would allow the role of ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis to be shared between ACSD and EACSD, to which the board gave unanimous approval.

A group of students at Waukon High School wrapped up their first-year diving into cybersecurity. The Iowa Communications Network (ICN) assisted by introducing a line-up of industry specialists to the students. Plus, ICN provided free resources that were used all semester long.

Kelli Olson, Curriculum Director in the Allamakee Community School District, shares that the collaboration opened doors to industry experts and training, making lessons more meaningful. From January to May, ICN lined up virtual speakers each month to offer insights and career tips for the students.

ICN’s Cyber Lead kicked off the sessions by sharing his thoughts on career options, cybersecurity, and what his daily routine looked like. The highlight was explaining how to keep up with the latest information and trends. Knowing how a system works in normal situations helps people standout.

by Susan Cantine-Maxson

Following a work session at 6 p.m. Monday, May 12 to discuss budgets and staffing, the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) Board of Directors held its regular meeting at 7 p.m. at Kee High School in Lansing. Board President Bobbie Goetzinger called the meeting to order, with all board members present, including Heather Lutz, Joe Manning, Melanie Mauss, and Arla Wagner. Also in attendance were Interim Superintendent Patrick Heiderscheit, PK-12 Principal Donna Thomas, Intervention/Prevention Specialist Chad Winters, School Business Official Kris Smith, and Board Secretary Michele Martin. Visitor Shari Lubahn was also present.