Riceville board approves hires, open enrollment and transfers small activity-account balances

The Riceville Community School District Board of Education convened on Jan. 19, 2026, and approved a set of routine personnel and financial items, including the hiring of a substitute teacher and a volunteer coach, acceptance of one open-enrollment student, and the closure of three unused activity accounts.

Board President Kyle Guertin called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. After approving the agenda, the board considered personnel actions. On a motion by board member Hale, seconded by Nancy Eastman, the board approved Alexa Houser as a substitute teacher and James Howey as a volunteer girls high school wrestling coach. The roll-call vote recorded Eastman, Hale, Guertin, Baethke and McCarthy as voting aye.

The board approved one open-enrollment request from Howard–Winn on a motion by Eastman, seconded by Hale; the record shows five ayes. The board also voted to close three small, unused activity accounts and transfer the remaining balances to the district’s general fund. The accounts and balances listed were X‑Wrestling ($34.67), Library ($90.00) and Food & Fitness ($3,892.47); the motion to close the accounts carried on a motion by Hale and seconded by Eastman.

Separately, the board approved a school fundraiser for National Honor Society after a motion by Hale and a second from McCarthy; that motion carried with five ayes. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m.

The board scheduled a work session for Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. and set its next regular meeting for Monday, Feb. 16 (the meeting record lists the year as 2025; the board’s January 2026 meeting implies the intended date is Feb. 16, 2026).