The Guthrie Center School Board heard an update from Superintendent Steve Smith on the implementation of a whole-grade sharing agreement with the Adair-Casey school district at their meeting Monday night.

A junior high school leadership group of students will meet at the Adair-Casey campus today to discuss ways to smooth the transition of integrating the two districts’ junior high and high school programs. On Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m., Adair-Casey students and their parents are invited to an open house tour at Guthrie Center High School. A similar tour for Guthrie Center students and their parents will take place next Wednesday, February 24th at Adair-Casey Junior High School. Superintendent Steve Smith told the Board that he has met with all faculty in both school districts and says no teachers have refused to go along with traveling to work at a different school building as part of the whole-grade sharing agreement.

Additionally, the Board approved three open enrollment-in requests from Panorama and one request out to Panorama. The Board also accepted an early retirement request from teacher Sharon Wessling.

Plus, the Board unanimously approved an agreement with the Carroll Community School District to share a swimming program. Elementary School Principal Diane Flanery  told the Board that a Backpack Program will be implemented at the school in the near future, with the goal of providing meals on weekends for food insecure students. The program is sponsored by the Food Bank of Iowa at no cost to students, their families or the School District.

Finally, the Board set Monday, March 21st at 7 p.m. in the Guthrie Center High School library/media center as the time and date for a public hearing on continuing participation in the instructional support program.