Building Local Community Through Arts, Cultural, and Recreational Events, and the Exchange of Goods and Services
Agenda: Joint meeting with the Board of Health Discussion topics: – Medical Procedures Policy – Space needs – Longterm …
The Decorah Community School District is pleased to report that construction of the district’s new elementary school remains on schedule and significant progress continues on site, including the recent installation of precast concrete wall panels. The new elementary school project, approved by voters in November 2024, will replace the current John Cline Elementary School and is scheduled to open for the 2027-28 school year.
Construction continues to make significant progress. Early site work and utility relocations were completed this spring, followed by the successful installation of rammed aggregate piers ahead of schedule and a community groundbreaking celebration in May. Throughout June, crews completed the building’s footings and foundations, laying the groundwork for vertical construction. In July, the project achieved another major milestone as precast wall panels were erected and the first structural steel components arrived on site, bringing the future facility into view.
The district is still awaiting final approval of project plans from the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office. Project plans were originally submitted to the State in January of 2026. Since that time, the District’s architects, Emergent Architecture, and the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office have maintained communication throughout the review process.
The remaining discussions are not related to the structural integrity, safety, or overall design of the building. Instead, they focus on occupancy and operational considerations and ensuring the State has a complete understanding of how specific spaces will be used so that the appropriate life-safety requirements can be applied. Emergent Architecture continues to work closely with the State Fire Marshal’s Office, providing additional information and discussing potential solutions, and is confident the remaining items can be resolved through continued collaboration and clarification of the building’s intended use.
Decorah Superintendent Tim Cronin said the District appreciates the constructive dialogue with the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office.
“We appreciate the ongoing communication with the State Fire Marshal’s Office as they work to fully understand how the building will function and how each space will be used,” Cronin said. “We look forward to completing the approval process and moving this important project forward.”
The City of Decorah has worked closely with the district, design team, and construction team to evaluate the project and determine how work can proceed safely while awaiting the final state review. Project partners have confirmed that any additional modifications required through the review process can be accommodated without impacting completed work.
At this time, district officials do not anticipate the ongoing state review will affect the overall project schedule.
“We appreciate the community’s continued support and patience as we work through this process,” Cronin said. “The progress taking place on site is exciting to see, and we remain focused on delivering a state-of-the-art learning environment for the students and families of Decorah.”
Additional project updates will be shared as information becomes available on Decorah’s District website at: https://www.decorahelementaryupdates.org/
Decorah Community School District is pleased to announce the adoption of ParentSquare, a new district-wide communication platform designed to simplify communication between schools and families while strengthening family engagement across the district.
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, ParentSquare will become the primary communication platform for district announcements, school news, classroom updates, athletic and activity information, forms, and more. The platform replaces multiple communication tools with one unified system that is accessible by email, text message, phone call, mobile app, or web browser.
ParentSquare was selected to provide families with a more consistent and user-friendly experience while giving staff a single platform for communicating with parents and guardians.
One of ParentSquare’s most valuable features is its ability to automatically translate communications into families’ preferred languages. The platform also gives families the flexibility to choose how they receive notifications and provides convenient access to forms, calendars, volunteer opportunities, and school updates from any device.
Decorah Community School District believes this investment will strengthen partnerships with families by making communication more timely, accessible, and convenient for everyone.
Families will receive additional information before the start of the school year explaining how to activate their ParentSquare accounts, download the free mobile app, and customize notification preferences.
Community members who do not currently have children attending our schools can receive notifications by signing up for the DCSD ParentSquare Community Groups.
ParentSquare is the leading family engagement platform helping K-12 school districts nationwide connect with every family through an award-winning, all-in-one communication system. Serving more than 22 million students across the United States, ParentSquare combines messaging, websites, attendance, forms, payments, and more into one easy-to-use platform. With automatic translation into more than 190 languages and multiple communication options, ParentSquare helps schools ensure every family stays informed and engaged. Learn more at www.parentsquare.com.
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There will be no rural waste collection this Thursday, July 30th or Friday, July 31st because this is the 5th Thursday and Friday of the month.
Agenda: Pledge of Allegiance 9:30 a.m. Verizon Representatives Re: lease options 9:40 a.m. Miscellaneous – Interfund Loan …
Diego Rodriguez, director of student activities and leadership
Luther College Dean of Students Julie Thornton announced that Diego Rodriguez has been named the college’s director of student activities and leadership.
“Diego brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in supporting students at a variety of higher education institutions, NASA and student affairs. His most recent experience at the University of Iowa, coupled with his time at Texas A&M and Grinnell, will help us to continue to strengthen student support and student engagement,” Thornton said.
Before joining Luther, Rodriguez served as the director of multicultural and international student support and engagement at the University of Iowa. In this role, he provided leadership to more than 40 clubs and student organizations and multiple cultural centers across campus. He advised student leaders, supported student leadership development initiatives, and helped them navigate university policies, develop programming and cultivate inclusive and impactful communities.
Rodriguez was the assistant director for educational programs at the Institute of Data Science at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He designed and proposed credit-bearing education and workforce development programs. He also strengthened partnerships across the university, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities.
At Grinnell College, Rodriguez led the college’s employer engagement and internship program and developed strategic recruitment initiatives to connect Grinnell students with career opportunities.
Earlier in his career, Rodriguez held several leadership roles with NASA and managed national education and workforce development initiatives for the national space agency.
Rodriguez earned a Master of Education in Differentiated Instruction at Concordia University-Texas in Austin, Texas, and a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration at Concordia University-Wisconsin in Mequon, Wisconsin. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio.
Rodriguez joined the student life team on Wednesday, July 8.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program selected 2026 Luther College graduate Sophia Chadima to be an English teaching assistant in the Czech Republic for the 2026-27 academic year.
July 15 2026
The Karen Julesberg Scholarship benefits first-generation students, income-eligible students and students with disabilities.
July 9 2026