The Lisbon School Board met on Wednesday, July 8, to discuss its priorities for the 2026-27 school year, focusing primarily on policy-related topics.
IASB 2026 Legislative Priorities
The Lisbon School Board set IASB 2026 Legislative Priorities for the 2026-27 school year.. This item is reviewed and adjusted annually.
Each year, the board is asked to give their top 5 priorities out of a list provided in the Legislative Resolutions section of the IASB Legislative Platform.
“We know everything [IASB has] on their platform for resolutions is good stuff, so it’s not like it’s a problem,” Pino said. “It’s what the masses of school board and the members think, and then they take that, gather that, and determine how hard they push or advocate.”
Last year, the board ranked their priorities in the following order:
• Student achievement
• Early literacy
• Sharing and reorganization
• Supplemental state aid
• School funding policy
This year, however, the board wanted to make funding their main focus.
According to Pino, schools are feeling defeated with the lack of advocacy that IASB has done for things like supplemental state aid in previous years.
“It can feel like, ‘well, we advocate every year, and it doesn’t move the needle, but if you don’t mention it, maybe we’re giving up or we’re not showing it some priority.’ So, there’s two schools of thought. […] If you don’t say anything, it’s not a problem; if you do, it doesn’t really help,” Pino said.
The board ranked their 2026 priorities in the following order:
• Supplemental state aid
• Undated mandates
• Sharing and reorganization
• School funding policy
• Student achievement
According to Lisbon School Board vice president, John Prasil, “Student achievement is important, but we can’t do it without the funding.”
The 600 Series
At least once every five years, Iowa schools must review the 600 Series, a document created by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) to recommend educational program policies. Based on the recommended policies, each school is allowed to create their own.
On Wednesday, July 8, the Lisbon School Board completed their review of the 600 Series that they had completed five years ago.
The focus of the Lisbon School Board during their review was primarily on things that needed to be adjusted or eliminated. The following changes were made:
Language was adjusted to make it fit legal verbiage of 2026.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy was pulled so that the board could become more educated on AI before adopting the policy.
A tuberculosis test requirement was adopted for foreign students.
The homeschool assistance program policy was pulled, as Lisbon does not have a homeschool program.
An online courses policy was pulled so that the board could become more educated on the policy before adopting it.
Language regarding animals in the classroom was adjusted to accommodate the use of service animals, assistive animals, therapy animals, or emotional support animals.
“The pieces to iron out will be ironed out by next month. […] Not a lot changes, but the point is, since we review these every five years, it’s not that we can’t pull, but we might as well have them,” Lisbon superintendent, Autumn Pino, said.
Insurance Decisions
The Lisbon School Board has decided to adopt property and casualty insurance coverage through EMC Insurance Group for 2026.
“We’re able to add replacement cost coverage on three buses that are less than 10 years old, budgeted at $200,000. So, if something—hopefully nothing happens—but if it did, $200,000 is hard to come up with,” Lisbon School Board president, Jen Caspers, said.
Additionally, the Lisbon School board adopted cybersecurity insurance coverage through Jester Insurance Services for 2026.
“We keep getting advised, related to [cybersecurity], because they’ve watched how things go if something happens in a system, and it’s way more expensive than people realize,” Pino said. “This creates a good opportunity for good coverage, so we at least have that as a cushion, because I think people are nervous.”
According to Caspers, the cybersecurity coverage is extra liability and umbrella coverage in the case that the school’s systems get hacked.
The total of the two types of coverage combined is an increase of $4,913.30 from 2025.
“When we think about the world of insurance, it’s not outlandish related to coverage and what we’re getting,” Pino said.
2026-27 School Meals
“We still have a healthy budget in this area; not every district does, but we do so far. So, we took a look at the cost coming up and what we can manage and not manage, and so this is why we still try to be within reason for families,” Pino said.
For families who are unable or struggle to pay for school meals, paperwork can be filled out for assistance. However, according to Pino, there are more families who need help than are actually applying for it.
The application for assistance is entirely confidential.
Facilities Plan Update
John Baker, a member of the Lisbon School Board, shared that the facilities group is discussion the creation of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible ramp from the north parking lot to the school.
Currently, the way in which wheelchair users have to get into the school next to the auditorium is by crossing from the parking lot to the concession stand for the football field and track, then continuing along the sidewalk to the ramp that leads to the north entrance.
“Just in case there’s any confusion, we do meet compliance out there,” Pino said. “However, there’s a difference between compliance and trying to be more accommodating for somebody that needs that.”