A new partnership with Allen Community College will expand athletic opportunities for Iola students.
During their meeting at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, USD 257 board members approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Monday evening with Allen Community College to share athletic facilities.
The agreement was developed by athletic directors from both institutions and refined during recent meetings. The plan allows Iola teams to continue practicing at Riverside Park while using Allen facilities when available.
Superintendent Stacey Fager said the partnership is already prompting improvements. He noted Allen is installing lights and a new scoreboard on the softball field and has plans for additional upgrades in the future. He noted that athletic directors and coaches will coordinate scheduling and usage as the partnership evolves.
The Iola school district already utilizes Allen’s facilities for baseball and softball.
Board members approved the agreement and requested the start date be changed from “Spring 2026” to March 1, 2026. They also requested the Allen Community College board of trustees review the document.
USD 257 board members also approved a second MOU to share an athletic trainer with ACC. The trainer will be employed by the college and provide services to Iola middle and high school athletes during the week and at home games.
It was noted that every other school in the league already has some sort of athletic training partnership in place.
Fager said the arrangement is likely the best option available without directly employing a trainer and would be a huge benefit for student athletes.
IN OTHER NEWS, Title I teacher Cathy Adams discussed strong reading growth tied to the elementary school’s journaling initiative.
The program is part of the district’s MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Supports) framework and brings teachers, specialists and support staff together daily to work with students in their classrooms.
Adams explained that keeping a journal helps reinforce multiple literacy skills at once, describing how students practice punctuation, handwriting and organizing ideas as they write and read their work aloud.
The data shows major progress.
“Starting at the beginning of the school year, about 41% of our first- graders were at grade level in reading. But by the end of the year, 72% of them were at grade level,” Adams said. The improvements continued into second grade, where teachers report fewer students needing intervention. The journaling approach has now expanded to grades two through five, where students focus on paragraphs, compound sentences and dictionary skills.
SAFE BASE Director Angela Henry asked the board to support a new grant application and extend the district’s financial commitment to the after-school and summer program. “We are planning on submitting this grant proposal to keep SAFE BASE operating,” Henry said.
The current grant ends in stages over the next two years. To strengthen the new application, Henry requested the district commit $45,700 annually through 2031. The funding would help maintain year-round programming and expand summer opportunities.
Henry described last summer’s educational trip across Kansas that included museums, fossil sites and overnight learning experiences.
