Green Hills AEA goes above and beyond to assist schools

The Green Hills Area Education Agency is continuing to do its part to assist school districts around the area. 
At a recent meeting with administrators with the Red Oak Community Schools district, Green Hills AEA Chief Administrator Jason Plorde said representatives from Green Hills were making a three-year tour and meeting with every single board across the Green Hills AEA area for a multitude of reasons - one of the biggest, to share funding information.
“Like you, we have funding. Funding is very critical, and we provide critical services to all schools in our area, but particularly rural schools. Legislators are always looking for places to cut, and if it starts to cut into our funding, it affects not only us, but rural schools. We have a healthy staff, and we have Green Hills AEA folk that are in your schools,” Plorde said.
Currently the Green Hills AEA serves 43 public schools, six non-public schools, and has seven offices with 315 staff which serves 37,755 students and 4,934 teachers around the state and in Red Oak.
Field director Jeremy Stukenholtz is serving in his second year in the position. Stukenholtz said his focus was making sure the Red Oak District was getting what it needed.
“I supervise our staff that is out in the field, but I also serve and support and try to help the schools in our region and make sure that not only is our staff doing good work, but also try to support administrators and find ways that we might partner further so that we can do other things to help and support and work together,” advised Stukenholtz.
Among those areas of support that are offered are assistive technology, audiology, a family - educator partnership, occupational therapy, specially designed education in math and literacy, special education representatives, speech-language pathology, and transitions for high school students with disabilities.
“A lot of this is digital now. It’s not so much the van driving around and delivering videos and things like that, but it’s books and DVDs and assistive technology and partnering in any way we can to support the district. We have good people who do great work,” commented Stukenholtz. “Currently 142 students in the Red Oak District are part of an individualized education plan, and the Green Hills AEA has a very special relationship with Red Oak’s administrators.”
Stukenholtz added the Green Hills AEA is working harder to partner more in terms of managing and working on student behavior.
“That’s an issue all over our country, honestly, and so we are trying to find ways to partner and help in that regard,” Stukenholtz said.
Stukenholtz added his main message was to express appreciation for the partnership with the Red Oak District.
“We have been welcomed into the Red Oak District. We think about the Red Oak District a lot, and we’re thinking about solutions and ways we can help. Education is hard, and I think it’s become more challenging in the last few years. We are completely invested in Red Oak and want to continue to find ways to keep partnering in the future,” explained Stukenholtz.
AEA Board Member John Gambs, who was a former instructor at the Red Oak District, said he’s always had a rich history in education, having a father who served as a school board member for more than 30 years, and appreciates the efforts of the Red Oak Board.
“I have a vivid memory of him looking at the latest technology to look at teaching vacancies and needs, the Des Moines Register. He used to shake his head and ask where we were going to find teachers. I do appreciate all the things you do,” Gambs said. “At certain times, it’s a lot of time, and you spend a good portion of that time energy and thought goes towards the board. Sometimes you may get some unwelcome advice from people you may know, but that’s just the way it is.”
Superintendent Ron Lorenz said for anyone who was looking at the business reports and saw funding that appeared to be leaving Red Oak and going to the AEA didn’t realize it was a product of the AEA having no taxing capacity.
“They would love to have that money, but the reality is, if the AEA goes away, Red Oak isn’t getting that money. The creation of the AEA in the early 1970s was about equity. There are things we as a district cannot provide that are federally required, such as speech occupational therapists and behavioral therapists. We couldn’t hire them, and without the AEA, we’re sunk,” Lorenz said.
Lorenz also added that while the Red Oak district was hurting for funding, the AEA was losing funding as well, which in the end, hurt the kids.
“Every dollar they take away from the AEA comes back to hurt district and kids, because he expectations don’t change, it’s just the capacity to meet them,” Lorenz stated. “I do appreciate everything the AEA does because we are well served, and we do believe they’re investing in our district.”