School weighs grant options for shelter/gym

Despite a tight deadline and a six-figure upfront cost, the Nodaway Valley School Board approved moving forward Monday with design fees tied to a major grant opportunity that could bring a storm shelter to the Greenfield campus for shared school and community use.

The board previously held a lengthy discussion during its regular meeting last Wednesday, which included a presentation from FEH Design regarding a $12.5 million grant opportunity for storm-safe facility improvements. In this case, the grant would cover a building, connected to the high school, that would be both a competition gym and storm shelter, with capacity for up to 1,600 people in an emergency.

Largely due to the May 2024 tornado, the district is believed to be a strong candidate for the funding. The district would need to bond to cover elements more specific to the gym part of the project, such as bleachers and baskets, as the grant only covers the building and items specific to a storm shelter.

Standing in the way of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, or BRIC, grant is a $250,000 design fee needed to advance the already underway application to a point where it can be submitted by the June deadline.

The motion to pursue the grant included a stipulation that 50% of the upfront design costs be secured through community funding.

The application is partially complete, as the district had been working toward a similar grant several years ago before the program was discontinued due to federal changes. The program has since been reinstated in some form following multiple rounds of legal action by a group of states.

The district had several options to consider before approving the FEH design agreement and moving forward with the BRIC grant.

One alternative was a separate FEMA grant opportunity exceeding $4 million, which would have focused on locker rooms without a gym or large community storm shelter area. This grant also required a local financial commitment.

Additionally, the district faces other facility needs. A presentation in December by architectural firm SiteLogIQ outlined a tiered facilities assessment for each building, identifying major needs such as additional classroom space.

Board member Susan Stevens initially made a motion last Wednesday to proceed with the BRIC design fee, but the matter was tabled due to unanswered questions. FEH later provided additional information, which helped guide the board’s decision Monday.

Board member Molly Herrick questioned the proposed location of the gym/shelter on the south side of the high school. District officials involved in the grant process said the location best meets requirements to maximize accessibility. Herrick also noted there is no guarantee additional funding won’t be needed later.

Board member Daniel Shilling, who said last Wednesday he lacked enough benefits to outweigh the risks of proceeding, continued weighing the decision Monday on whether moving forward was responsible.

Board member Adam Woosley asked how Orient-Macksburg joining with Nodaway Valley affects socioeconomic requirements for the grant application, but the population and socioeconomic status of the Greenfield community is the only consideration in the application because the proposed shelter would be located within the Greenfield city limits.

Board President Kristen Jensen asked how a bond process might work if the district pursued both the gym/shelter project and another project identified by SiteLogIQ at the same time. She said she is exploring community funding sources for a significant portion of the $250,000 design fee, noting the project serves both the school and the broader community.

Superintendent Dr. Pam Stangeland said that while the timeline feels rushed, requiring community investment could demonstrate public support for both the project and the district.

Herrick said the safety component of the project was a major factor in her support. She added that if the BRIC grant is not awarded, the completed designs could still be used in the future, saying “the good outweighed the bad” in her view.

Stevens said pursuing the project should reflect that Nodaway Valley is thinking about its communities, not just its students.

Activities Director Sara Honnold said that a new competition gym, which would hold more than the current gym does, would expand the district’s ability to not have to have any morning practices and would enhance its ability to host postseason events.

In other action during last Wednesday’s regular meeting, the board approved a consent agenda that included:

• resignations from all teaching and coaching positions by Jack West; Katie Geidel, teacher librarian; Ben Lyons, bus driver; David Schweitzer, elementary para; Katelinn Hicks, middle school para; Mick Long, assistant football coach; Corinne Bond, assistant high school volleyball coach; and Kassey Ostendorf, elementary special education teacher;

• hires for Melissa Crook, high school language arts teacher; Joe Marcus, assistant high school baseball coach; and Brad Honnold, assistant middle school baseball coach;

• two fundraisers for the archery team going to nationals.

Other action items included:

• approving the excess debt surplus levy;

• approving the fiscal year 2027 budget;

• approving classified and extra-duty contracts;

• approving the graduating class of 2026, pending completion of requirements;

• approving Interstate Studios for school photography and printing services;

• approving SWCC career agreements;

• approving the 2026-27 Local Government Risk Pool Commission 28E agreement;

• approving an updated master services agreement with Direct IT Services;

• approving an AEA purchasing agreement;

• approving Keystone pay applications;

• approving the Boys and Girls Club to use part of the elementary facility for the summer;

• approving a series of board policies;

• approving a memorandum of understanding with Green Hills AEA;

• approving a management agreement with Rising Hope Academy.