By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Community School Board held their first meeting of 2026 last night.

The board held a public hearing for an easement agreement with the Oskaloosa Water Department for a water tower and formally approved the agreement. Superintendent Mike Fisher told the board that the agreement stipulates that the district will allow the water department to construct a water tower west of Oskaloosa Elementary School, and in return, they’ll receive free water hookups for all new buildings during the life of the agreement, on top of receiving branding rights for the water tower. Construction on the tower won’t begin until 2027 at the earliest.

In other business, the board approved two course changes for Oskaloosa High School for the upcoming school year, adding an Honors English 9 class and changing the pre-requisites for Earth Science. They also approved Dickinson-Bradshaw to be their legal counsel; Fisher said that the firm would mostly assist them with real estate and financial matters.

The next regular meeting with the Oskaloosa Community School Board is scheduled for February 10.