(Atlantic, IA) – Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met Wednesday evening (Dec. 10) in a regular session. During their meeting, the Board approved the resignations of:

• Gratt Reed, HS Girls Track Coach
• Alex Wilson, Special Education Para, and
• Regina Honke, HS Counselor’s Office Secretary.

The Board approved also, Recommendations To Hire:

• Mark Andersen, Play Director for the Spring of 2026, and Speech & Debate Co-Head Advisor
• Dan Beaman – Substitute Bus Driver
• and, the hiring of Rebecca Bryan as a Special Education Teacher for the Schuler Elementary and Atlantic Middle, schools. Bryan has a Master’s Degree and 21 years of experience.

Atlantic School Board President Josh McLaren & Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen (YouTube image from the 12-10-25 School Board meeting)

The Board discussed facility projects updates and timelines as mentioned during a Work Session that preceded the regular meeting.

They also discussed forming a partnership with the City of Atlantic for an expansion & enhancement of the Bull Creek detention basin, to control erosion and the flow of the creek in the downtown area, during periods of heavy rain.

The School Board heard from Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, who said a study by students with Iowa State University determined the first step in that remediation process, is the creation of a detention pond.

A Committee exploring the option is expected to start their meetings after the first of the New Year. If the Board does not agree to having the basin located on school property, Mayor Garrett said there is only one other site where it could be constructed, but even that is not a certainty at this stage.

The Board agreed to form the exploratory partnership with the City. The Atlantic School Board also discussed an Early Retirement Policy.  No formal action was taken at this time.

Action items that were approved by the Atlantic School Board, include:

• Out of State Travel for the Baseball Team, on Sunday June 28th, 2026, for the St. Louis Cardinal’s game vs. the Miami Marlins and an Atlantic vs. Clarinda High School game at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Athletic Director Andy Mitchell said the team was selected by the Cardinals organization to watch the game and participate in the local varsity match-up afterward.

The local teams will have full access to the field, the use of both dugouts and can view pictures and see themselves on the Jumbotron. The Cardinal’s announcer will step-in for the high school game. The Atlantic and Clarinda School Districts will be responsible for selling 700 tickets each, at $27 apiece. That price includes a ticket to the Major League Game, a hot dog and drink, as well as a ticket to the high school game. The districts would be responsible for making-up the difference for any tickets that don’t sell.

Andy Mitchell said KJAN General Manager Jim Field will reach out to the Cardinals in  January,  to help coordinate the details. KJAN carries St. Louis Cardinal’s games. He said the kids are excited at the prospect of playing at the storied venue.

• Mentor Changes
• A proposed Student Handbook change to the Tardy Policy, which states on the 11th incident of tardiness: Students must check their phone into the office for the rest of the day; on the 15th occurrence –  The students’ phone must be checked-in again. An administrative review will take place, a required parent conference will be scheduled, along with an individualized plan to address continued lateness.
• And, they approved an SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) application for Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) for: At-Risk/Drop Out Prevention; Open Enrollment-Out, and EL (English Language) Instruction Beyond 5-years. The application is for Fiscal Year 2027.

The Board’s next regular meeting is in the High School Media Center on January 14^th, beginning at 6-p.m.