ARMSTRONG?- The Armstrong-Ringsted Consolidated School District Board of Education will give district patrons the chance to weigh in again on plans for closing the Ringsted building at the end of this school year.
While the board has agreed that operating two buildings is cost prohibitive, given utility and upkeep costs, superintendent Randy Collins said with the recently approved whole-grade sharing agreement with North Kossuth and Sentral school districts, it makes even more sense to close the building. A-R is sending its elementary to Sentral while North Kossuth is retaining its elementary in Swea City.
"It doubly doesn't make any sense to keep Ringsted open," Collins said.
A study committee appointed to find future uses for the building met Jan. 12. Collins said two parties have expressed interest in the building. One, from a Colorado company, is looking for buildings in rural Iowa for assisted living facilities. Collins said the district has been working with attorney Kevin Sander on disposition of the building and also advertising it with on the Iowa Lakes Corridor's online inventory of available area buildings.
Collins said selling the building would also help reduce district maintenance costs - as well as generate property tax.
The board will also act on a resolution adopting a redistricting plan. Collins said the plan is mandated after the 2010 Census. He said the district completed questionnaires with the University of Iowa and Prairie Lakes AEA which did a study redrawing boundary lines which the district must approve. All three of the district directors must meet residency requirements.
The board will also act on approving the senior trip, contracts and resignations and a citizen complaint which would call for a possible closed session.