Details scarce amid Mid-Prairie admin investigations

KALONA — Three Mid-Prairie educators will face administrative hearings that could strip them of teaching and school administration licenses, after the Iowa Department of Education found “probable cause to establish violations” of the state’s code of conduct for teachers.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners last month set hearings for Mid-Prairie Superintendent Brian Stone, former Middle School Principal Rob Hruby, and former Special Education Director Amy Shalla. The orders came after an investigator found “probable cause” for a handful of rule violations in mid-May, according to notes on the employees’ teaching and school administration licenses, which are public records.

A former teacher at the district told The Union that the board of examiners’ decision arose from complaints that she’d filed, but spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of community retaliation, and declined further comments on the record.

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said further information about the hearings should be directed to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Representatives from the Iowa Department of Justice and Attorney General’s Office did not immediately reply to a request for more information about the hearings or the circumstances that led to them.

In its June 20 meeting minutes, the board of examiners ordered a hearing for all three Mid-Prairie employees, based on the “probable cause” they may have violated 282 Iowa Administrative Code rule 25.3(6)l, r and s. In order, those rules refer to school officials who:

Stone declined to comment on the allegations. Hruby and Shalla recently ended their employment with the district, taking new jobs at other schools, and could not be reached for comments.

Mid-Prairie’s school board held closed sessions on June 8 and July 1, invoking a section of Iowa Code that allows private meetings when discussing an employee’s job performance. Minutes from both meetings posted on the district website said they were for evaluations of the superintendent. Both sessions lasted about two hours, and were not followed with any action, according to the meeting minutes.

Board President Jake Snider said an attorney had advised members of the school board not to comment on when they became aware of the investigations or any developments related to them. But he said the board had few major issues with Stone since he started as Mid-Prairie’s superintendent in 2022.

“There’s always going to be ups and downs, he’s a first-time superintendent, but I’d say from the ups and downs that we have experienced, we’re headed on the right track,” Snider said. “He seems to be gaining traction, I think he’s doing a fair job.”

Stone was approved for a 3% raise at another meeting, on June 10, bringing his combined salary and benefits package up to a value of $211,096 for the coming school year. Snider said that raise was the same rate issued for most district staff following collective bargaining negotiations for the 2024-25 school year.

As for what happens next, Snider said the board would let the legal process play out before taking any action. He said it would be unwise to act without knowing the outcome of Stone’s hearing, and noted that a finding of probable cause wasn’t equal to proof of wrongdoing.

“There are several cases that have advanced to this stage … of probable cause, that were thrown out, several. So the odds of this going any further, we have no idea,” he said. “It can go one way or the other, but we’ll have to adjust and deal with those things as they come. Predicting which way it goes and trying to make decisions based on that prediction is only going to put us in a position to make a fool of ourselves.”

The board appeared ready to take a more assertive stance in its other public messaging, however. In a statement emailed to news media, the decision-making body said it would stand behind its superintendent, and disagreed with the state’s assertion of probable cause.

“The Board is of the understanding that there is no substantive basis for this finding and will work with the Board of Educational Examiners and counsel to ensure a fair and just resolution,” the email said, before continuing, “The Board will continue to support Superintendent Stone and all Mid-Prairie staff throughout this legal process.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com