The Mount Pleasant Community School District Board of Education has taken the first step toward addressing future budget shortfalls.
During Monday night’s board meeting at the Mount Pleasant High School Media Center, with dozens of school staff, parents, community members, and local officials in attendance, the board voted 4-2 to set a public hearing on the district’s tax levy and potential Fiscal Year 2027 budget reductions totaling about 1.74 million dollars.
District leaders say the proposed cuts are being considered due to declining enrollment, modest increases in state supplemental aid, and the expiration of federal COVID relief funding known as ESSER.
Board members Mark Overberg and Craig Hurd voted against the measure, while Angie Blint, Aaron Williamson, Mike Hampton, and Josh Maher voted in favor.
Phase One of the plan targets the 2026–27 school year and outlines about $936,000 in reductions, including roughly $713,000 in personnel cuts affecting both certified and non-certified staff. Because of Iowa Code and employee contract protections, specific staff reductions cannot be announced publicly until affected employees are formally notified and the required process is followed. Once staff members are notified, they will have the opportunity to address the school board before the board votes on each contract individually.
Other proposed changes include eliminating the VIBE program (contract with Burlington CSD online schooling program), ending summer school, reducing a contract with Four Oaks, and trimming services through the Great Prairie Area Education Agency. The proposal also includes reductions in support staff hours and overtime, shifting some non-instructional software costs to the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), and lowering utility expenses tied to facility changes.
The dissenting votes came after board members reviewed financial projections and recommendations from the Piper Sandler consulting firm and Iowa School Finance Information Services, which analyzed the district’s current and projected budgets.
Hurd said he believes the proposed reductions rely too heavily on personnel and that areas like transportation and utilities should be examined further. Williamson, while voting in favor, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but said the board ultimately must act in the district’s long-term financial interest.
The board also voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the possible closure of Salem Elementary School at the end of the 2026–27 school year, which represents Phase Two of the district’s two-year budget reduction plan.
Phase Two would involve about $813,000 in additional reductions, including $290,000 in system-wide cuts and an estimated $523,000 in savings tied to closing Salem Elementary.
School officials emphasize the vote does not close the school, but simply allows the district to gather public input.
The public hearing on the possible closure of Salem Elementary is scheduled for Monday, March 23 at 6:10 p.m.