The Storm Lake Community School District Board of Education held a work session last night to discuss long‑range facility planning.
Financial advisors Matt Gillespie and Travis Squires with Piper Sandler & Co., an investment banking company in Des Moines, outlined the district’s debt capacity and funding options, noting projects could be financed either through a public bond election or by borrowing against Physical Plant and Equipment Levy and sales tax revenues.
Superintendent Dr. Stacey Cole outlined facility priorities for the school district, with the high school topping the list. Concerns include overcrowded wrestling and weight rooms, scheduling conflicts that displace elementary and middle school programs, and locker room shortages.
A new competition gym, conversion of the auxiliary gym into a wrestling room, and expanded locker rooms were discussed as immediate needs.
Safety concerns were also raised, with proposals to relocate the athletic director’s office to the west entryway, near the high school’s parking lot, for better monitoring.
Cole noted the district also cannot host regional soccer because the football field is not regulation size. Parking, stadium design, and visitor locker rooms were flagged as challenges.
Other schools in the district face challenges due to the needed upgrades at the high school, says Cole. Both the elementary and middle schools face strain with sports practices interfering with other activities.
Middle school facilities face strain with wrestling practices crowding out basketball. Cole says a multipurpose room is needed.
Board members acknowledged that both a competition gym and a new stadium are priorities, but together would likely exceed the district’s $29 million debt capacity.
The discussion also touched on broader challenges, including property tax reform and the district’s limited tax base.
The meeting closed with a clear directive. Board member Erika Dierking said it’s not the board’s responsibility to set priorities, since each member has personal opinions. She said the priority should be placed on what’s most needed and best for the district.
Cole agreed, adding that school administrators will take the lead in developing those priorities.
