The Channel

On Thursday, May 21, Central Rivers AEA staff will come together for our annual All-Staff Meeting/Retirement Celebration at the Cedar Falls office. This end-of-year gathering is a time to reflect, recognize and reconnect across teams. The day begins with morning discipline meetings, followed by sector meetings and a lunch on your own, then an afternoon retirement celebration with updates:

• 9:00 –10:45 am: Discipline meetings
• 10:45 – 11:00 am: Break/transition
• 11:00 am – 12:15 pm: NE & NW Sectors meet until 12:00 pm, South & East Sectors eat lunch until 12:15 pm
• 12:15 – 1:15 pm: NE & NW Sectors eat lunch until 1:15 pm, South & East Sectors meet until 1:00 pm
• 1:15 – 1:30 pm: Break/transition
• 1:30 – 2:30 pm: Retirement celebration & all-staff updates
  • Zoom Link: https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/95953185606
• Seating & accessibility: For the best view of the closed captions, we invite you to sit in the front rows near the TV displays.
• Schedule for the day

Want to share a memory, kind words or a thank-you with our 2026 retirees? We’ve set up a Padlet for each retiree where you can leave a message. Just click the link below for the person you’d like to recognize. There’s no deadline, so take your time – your message will mean a lot and help make their retirement even more meaningful. Thank you for helping us celebrate their years of service and the difference they’ve made! If you have any questions or need further assistance assessing the Padlets, reach out to Ashley Samek or call 319-273-8280.

• Katie Anderson, Early ACCESS Educator
• Margy Averill, Special Education Secretary
• Bret Battles, Audiologist
• Diana Boeck, Early ACCESS Educator
• Corlene Collum, Prof. Learning Conf. Center Service Facilitator
• Rhonda Eilderts, Detention Center Teacher
• Joe Kremer, Assessment Coordinator
• Lorelei Lake, Special Education Consultant
• Patsy Luker, Receptionist/Secretary
• Michelle McFee, SLP
• Suzann Mulnix, SLP Assistant
• Lori Nurse, Early ACCESS Educator
• Greg Priske, Detention Center Teacher
• Laura Rinnels, Admin Assistant – Integrated Services
• Cheryl Rosenow, Acquisitions & Data Management Technician
• Melissa Sander, Early ACCESS Educator
• Elaine Schult, Early ACCESS Service Coordinator
• Jody Seemann, School Psychologist
• Lanette Sents, SLP Assistant
• Ann Tippett, Early ACCESS Educator
• Tina Westphal, Educational Assistant

Congratulations to our River Hills staff who are also retiring!

River Hills Schools’ retirees have a separate celebration, so no Padlet is available, but we celebrate them just the same!

• Tammy Knox, Educational Assistant
• Diane Lavenz, Educational Assistant
• Jane Reynolds, Educational Assistant

Central Rivers AEA staff: open enrollment for insurance benefits ends on May 22, 2026. This will be your time to choose your benefits. The benefits you choose will then become effective on July 1, 2026. During the open enrollment period, think about any life changes from the past year that might affect your coverage, review your current elections, and gather dependent information you may need.

Reminder: Everyone must enroll!

All eligible employees are required to complete enrollment. Even if you don’t want to make changes, you must log in and confirm your elections. Review the Benefits At A Glance summary for additional information.

New this year

• No rate changes for medical, dental, or vision. Your premiums are staying the same.
• Virtual visits through Doctor on Demand are now covered at 100% under all three medical plans.
• Additional dental cleanings are now available for members with certain health conditions.
• This year only, all staff can elect up to $200,000 in Voluntary Life/AD&D coverage without completing a medical application (No Evidence of Insurability).

How to enroll

1. Log on to the Employee Dashboard at https://launchpad.classlink.com/centralriversaea. 
2. Select the “HR/Bus Office” folder (lime green).
3. Select the “CRAEA Benefits Enrollment” application.
4. Follow the prompts to enroll in your 2026-27 benefits.

Questions? Contact Kevin Klobassa, Benefits Specialist at (319)-273-8202 or benefits@centralriversaea.org. Stay tuned for more information about your benefit offerings and how to make the most of them this year.

Most of the key dates for the upcoming school year are now official! Please keep an eye on your inbox, as you’ll soon receive calendar invites for meetings specific to your role – such as discipline or region meetings, etc.

To help our team provide the best support possible, we kindly ask that you submit your mileage claims on a monthly basis. This regular schedule allows our staff the necessary time to review and approve claims efficiently. Looking ahead, please keep in mind that all mileage and expense reimbursements through June 30, 2026 must be submitted in Weblink by July 7.

As we continue to navigate changes across the AEA system, we know that travel and mileage are top-of-mind for many of you. While statewide leaders are still working toward a unified approach to travel compensation, a final decision hasn’t been reached for the upcoming school year. To support you in the meantime, our Central Rivers AEA Board of Directors has approved a renewed mileage addendum for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

What’s new for 2026–27?

Building on what we learned during the recent pilot program, this renewed version adds two important updates to make travel fairer for everyone:

• Established Commute Cap: For the 2026–27 school year, the maximum commute dedication will be capped at 25 miles one way (50 miles round trip). This provides a clear ceiling for non-reimbursable miles.
• Increased Flexibility: We have secured more flexibility to solve “one-off” situations. This allows leadership to address unique challenges that may arise specifically due to job assignments and placements that don’t fit a standard mold.

What remains the same?

To keep our daily operations stable, most parts of the current travel policy remain unchanged. This includes:

• Reimbursement rates and per diem limits.
• Lodging limits.
• How you document and submit your travel.
• Audit procedures and timelines.

Looking ahead

The 2026-27 addendum will be in effect from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. It serves as a vital bridge while we continue to participate in broader, statewide conversations regarding a permanent mileage solution.

If you missed the all-staff update on Tuesday, April 14 via Zoom, the slide deck and recording information can be found below. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 12, from 4:00-4:30 pm.

Resources from 4/14/26:

• Zoom recording
• Slides
• Zoom link for future meetings: https://centralriversaea.zoom.us/j/97464868978
• Meeting ID: 974 6486 8978
• One tap mobile
• +13092053325,,97464868978# US
• +13126266799,,97464868978# US (Chicago)

We are hosting a series of in-person training sessions focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI) this August at the Cedar Falls office. These sessions are designed to be a collaborative space where we can learn together how AI might serve our mission of empowering educational partners. We want to ensure everyone feels confident and prepared as these new tools continue to evolve.

Training schedule

We’ve set aside specific days to work with different teams from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm:

• August 12: Educational Services
• August 18: Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
• August 19: Team Representatives

To make things simple, we will meet at our Cedar Falls office for these sessions. We truly value your time and expertise, so you will be paid at your per diem rate for attending. While this is a required training, we want to be mindful of your summer plans; if you have a vacation already scheduled, just check with your supervisor to have the requirement waived. We will share specific training outcomes as we get closer to August. In the meantime, if you have questions or need clarification, please reach out to your supervisor.

Join us in thanking our amazing board members during School Board Recognition Month! Serving almost 62,000 students, 5,000 educators and over 500 staff members, these nine dedicated volunteers are the backbone of the agency, setting the course for all we do! Help us thank them for their dedication and commitment to Iowa’s students and our agency staff by sending them an email of appreciation.

• Nicole Lovik-Blaser – District 1
• Dr. Deb Rich – District 2, President
• Dr. Mary Stevens – District 3, Vice President
• Dr. Tony Reid – District 4
• Dennis Craun Jr. – District 5
• David Hill – At-Large
• Jenn Peter – At-Large
• Dr. Cynthia Phillips – At-Large
• Dr. Theron Schutte – At-Large