Public comments arrive in East Union meeting

AFTON - A short but well-attended meeting brought four public speakers to discuss items on Monday’s East Union school board meeting agenda.

Three speakers spoke on the hiring of Ben Clear as building and grounds director for the district. Clear had served on the East Union school board as recently as 2023 and works as a substitute teacher and a coach in the district.

Gary Clear, father of Ben Clear, spoke in favor of his son’s hiring at East Union and said the use of a board item for hiring an individual instead of using the board’s consent agenda was “highly unusual.”

“My son has worked as a sub, as a coach; he’s always been committed to this school,” Gary said. “I do know there are some board members that have issues with him. I hope tonight... we can set those issues aside and look at what he can do for the district. I think you would be making a mistake if you don’t approve his hiring.”

Clarissa McCullough, a coach and online learning facilitator at East union, said during her public comments she had written a speech about addressing Ben Clear’s hiring, but instead pleaded to the board to make decisions with focus toward the community.

“Tonight, I would just like to express to our board the importance of making decisions that are in the best interest of our district, East Union Community School District, that prioritizes our students, our staff and our community,” McCullough said.

Ben Clear himself spoke during the public comments. In his speech, he said issues he didn’t know about were brought to the board and was confused why there was a supposed animosity toward his hiring.

Clear suggested these issues were based on events which had occurred three years earlier but was unable to get “a straight answer” from administrators he had spoken to. Since the unspecified situation, Clear said he has grown and become a better person, asking for the board to leave “personal feelings” out of their decision.

Giving multiple examples of the years in service to Afton and East Union, including as a coach and substitute teacher, Clear said he spent “countless hours doing things other people get paid to do.”

Clear’s hiring would ultimately not find a motion on the school board, letting the item die without discussion in a quiet and rare move.

The final public commenter, Kristie Nixon, spent her time describing concerns with East Union’s open meeting and election policies. The policies had become outdated and would be in need of updates to fit Iowa law.

Nixon had said East Union didn’t follow Iowa meeting laws enacted in 2023 and said the auditor’s office found East Union’s election maps incorrect.

“The process needs review because it’s not working right now,” Nixon said.

Open-meeting laws requiring new board members to be trained for at least two hours were enacted in 2025. Nixon said these laws haven’t been implemented into East Union policies either.

East Union adopted a revised board of directors’ elections policy which shifted the election date from September to November of odd-numbered years, but additional revision would need to occur in future meetings.

In other East Union school board news...

Secondary Principal Jason Riley in his report to the board said the school will reopen a search for a special education teacher. The district had temporarily closed the search to wait for a stronger hiring window. A influx of ten new special education students into the district this school year necessitated the reopening.

The following contracts were approved:

Becca Ross, secondary secretary, assistant HS volleyball coach; Amelia Herrera, secondary para; Kelsi Carlisle, elementary TAG teacher; Clint Young, assistant boys basketball coach; Brandon Parsons, night custodian; Kylee Short-Edwards, special education driver; Crystal Thomas, substitute driver; Stacy Cass, bus para; Teena Dike, van regular route driver.