High School Principal Tim McConnell introduced the Erie students in the top 20%, 10%, and 1% in the nation for their ACT test scores. He said Superintendent Chuck Milem has been leading the district for six years and when he first started, he helped the district come up with a vision and motto that guides the students in their academics: “Growing Together, Pursuing Purpose, Finding You.”
“This is why we’re doing what we’re doing,” McConnell said of the students in the gallery, commending their “grit, accountability and pushing yourself outside the box academically.”
McConnell said this senior group of students “exemplifies what we’re trying to do academically.” They took advantage of opportunities such as ACT prep and BHC courses to get ready for the test and it showed. He thanked Milem for “giving us guidance and purpose. This is the answer and what we’re looking for.”
The ACT is used as a standardized college admissions and readiness exam by U.S. colleges to evaluate high school students, with students taking the test in the spring of their junior year. McConnell invited the ten students in attendance to share what they’re planning to do after high school, noting that a few students couldn’t attend due to volleyball games or work.
Top 20% in the Nation
- Isabella Floming – Unable to attend
- Brice Howell – Meteorology
- Alexus Kapple – Business communications, management, entrepreneurship
- Makayla Wetzell – Unable to attend due to work
- Navonna Lopez – Biology or biochemistry
- Lauren Punke – Unable to attend due to volleyball
- Nathan Punke – Business
Top 10% in the Nation
- Mara Ary – Psychology and teen mental heath
- Isabella Olvera – Elementary education
- Elley Weidel – Labor and delivery nurse
- Sarah Carlson – Mathematics
Top 1% in the Nation
- Elijah Foster – Chemistry
- Taylor Robshaw – Nursing and nurse practitioner
Foster received a perfect score of 36 in science and English, and Robshaw received a perfect score in reading. Over a million students took the ACT test nationwide, so Foster and Robshaw’s scores are in the top 99% percentile. McConnell noted that 25% of EHS students scored high for the ACT tests.
Administrative Reports
Milem provided a brief update on the leftover projects from summer. The track and field projects are mostly completed, other than installing the goal post this week, some additions to the discus area, and a new flagpole. The science rooms still have a few more things to complete and the final 5% retainage payment will be made when all is done.
For the 6th Day Enrollment Report, Milem said the district is up by seven students from last year, and this year’s senior class has 51 students. He noted they seem to be getting younger families moving into town, as he monitors and highlights enrollment each year.
Parent/teacher conferences will be on October 7-8, and food trucks will be set up again at the elementary school.
Board President Jason Norman reminded the three board members up for reelection, and anyone in the community who wishes to be on the ballot, to work on their petitions that need to be filed November 16-20. He also read a couple of thank you cards the district received.
Committee Reports
Milem said the EP co-op committee met and went over the athletic agreement line by line to review the language, which was the primary aspect of the meeting. They will have a few things to approve at their next meeting.
Consent Agenda
The board approved the Consent Agenda as presented with the August 24, 2026 Regular & Executive Session Meeting Minutes, Activity Accounts, Financial Reports, Bills Payable & Purchase Orders, and the Personnel Consent Agenda:
Employment
- Alyssa Huett, Bus Aide, $17.16/hr, effective September 8, 2026
- Lauren Larrabee, Bus Aide, $17.16/hr, effective September 14, 2026
- Heather Huizenga, Musical Director, $1,305 (Lane B/Step 0), effective immediately
- Kyle Foster, Head F/S Baseball Coach, $6,525 (Lane I/Step 4), effective immediately
Resignations
- Thad Jacobs, Girls Wrestling Coach, effective immediately
Action Items
Following a brief public hearing and no public comments at the start of the meeting, the board approved the FY27 budget as presented.
In a continuation of discussions about the Middle School facilities, Milem reported that bid documents are live for contractors to inspect. The district will offer a walk-through of the facility on Wednesday with Principal Justin Hovey and Maintenance Director Josh VanDeWostine, with Milem saying it will allow potential contractors to “get eyes on it as part of their bidding process.” He noted that there are twelve bid packages for various areas of expertise and thousands of pages in the bid packet.
On Thursday, Oct. 15, the contractors will meet in the media center where Milem will publicly open all the bids received. The board will then consider approval of bids at the next board meeting on Monday, Oct. 26. Milem also noted that all contractors and subcontractors will be vetted through Estes.
Milem next discussed the timeline of general work with the gym to be done first so it will be available next school year. While it’s under construction, students will have to eat lunch elsewhere, such as the band room like they did during Covid.
The timeline has all major parts of the gym done by the 2027-2028 school year, then work will start on the STEM and arts room and then the cafeteria renovation. They have a back-up plan for concessions next year, though the new stand should be done by August 2027. VanDeWostine plans to work on the track shed next spring to get it ready should they need to use it for concessions. Milem said the electrical components and circuits have already been updated, so it should be easy to have it ready.
“The number one concern is having the gym available for the students to run in,” said Milem of the timeline. He added that masonry should be better this time due to timing and being the off-season, as compared to the elementary school project. Acquiring locally sourced steel will be better for keeping the project on track. Milem hopes to get a lot of bids and competitive pricing.
The board approved a contract amendment with Estes Construction on the Master Agreement for the facilities project, with Milem explaining that they’re operating on the assumption that the steel contract could cause delays, so they sought bids and were able to secure a contract with Vegter Steel Fabrication LLC of Morrison.
Milem said this amendment allows Estes to speed up the process and get the best competitive pricing. “This secures that bid and contract to get (the steel) here on time or else we would have to wait, which pushes the timeline back further,” he said. The construction and building materials staging area will be in a non-irrigated area where the football team pushes the sled for practice.
The board discussed the first reading of the handbook updates, notably the new cell phone policy which is now state law. Mr. McConnell said they adopted a policy last year as a trial run and it’s been successful. Per state regulations, no phones are allowed for K-8, and high schoolers can only have them before and after school, during passing periods, and lunch. Each classroom has pockets where the students leave their phones; no individual lockdown pouches are planned. He noted that many students look down at their phones during the three-minute passing period, but there have been no issues and the students are complying well with the policy.
Elementary Principal Kali Livengood said she’s had to have a few conversations about smart watches, noting that if a student is caught using one the device will be taken to the office.
Milem noted that the board has discretion over lunch and discipline issues. “If it’s not a problem, why change it?” said board member Keith Naftzger. The board was asked to review the changes before a vote next month.
The board approved the first reading of the CERP (Cardiac Emergency Response Plan) which is to improve CPR and AED preparedness. Milem said this was another law enacted where they need to review it annually. The nurses have done well with the policy and they will have refresher courses at the next IEP day, covering “when to call 911, what to be looking for, and going over basics to be more practical.” The district also has portable AEDs, and all coaches are CPR and AED-certified to ensure they’re prepared in these situations. The device locations are listed on the building maps and are evaluated and checked on a regular schedule.
The board reviewed the closed session minutes from February – August 2026 and voted to maintain them as closed. They approved Press Plus 122 for the second and final reading, except for Policy 2-230 regarding the Board of Education comment process and keeping comments at five minutes or less.
Two FOIAs from Educator Support Network and Starbridge FOIA Data Hub were received and fulfilled.
The board closed with an executive session, and the next meeting will be held on Monday, October 26th at 6:30 p.m. in the High School Media Center.
Phasing Plan of Erie Middle School renovations for November 2026 to December 2027
