School board members in Iowa are elected to four-year terms. Elections are held every other year on the first Tuesday in November, and new members begin their term at the following board meeting. The school board then elects a president and vice president from among its members to serve one-year terms.
In addition to school board meetings, board members serve on a variety of district committees and represent the district’s interests at the local, state, and national levels. Board members and the school district work cooperatively with Linn County and the cities of Marion, Robins, and Cedar Rapids on various initiatives. The school board and district are also actively engaged with community organizations such as MEDCO and the Marion Chamber of Commerce, as well as partnerships with neighboring school districts on a wide range of issues.
The Linn-Mar Board of Directors is an active member of the Iowa Association of School Boards and the Urban Education Network, which represents Iowa's largest school districts serving more than 40 percent of the state's students.
The seven elected members of the LMCSD Board of Directors are
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Katie Lowe Lancaster |
Barry Buchholz |
Justin Foss |
Midhat Mansoor |
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Brittania Morey |
Laura Thomas |
Melissa Walker |
To email an individual board member, click on their name. To email the full board, Superintendent Kortemeyer, and Jon Galbraith, Board Secretary/Treasurer, |
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Board Secretary/Treasurer |
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Board Communications Expectations and Procedures
Members of the community may contact individual board members or the entire board via email. Per the board's operating procedures manual, the primary response will most likely come from the superintendent, or board president, on behalf of the entire board. Individual board members may or may not respond to individual emails, which is a personal choice.
The overall consensus of the board is to allow the district contact most directly related to an issue to provide a detailed response rather than seven responses redirecting to the primary contact. While you may not receive a direct response from all board members, all board members are committed to reading all community correspondence submitted with respect. Communications containing derogatory language will not be provided a response.
The best way to communicate with the district is to follow the chain of command, beginning with the staff member most directly related to your question or concern and then proceeding to their immediate supervisor and so forth. (Reference: LMCSD Chain of Command/Communications Chart linked below)
Media Relations
Members of the news media are encouraged and welcome to attend open board meetings. The board president is the spokesperson for the board and the superintendent is the spokesperson for the district. While it is the responsibility of the board president and the superintendent to respond to inquiries from the media about the district, all media inquiries must originate with the communications/media coordinator. For more information see Policy 1001.2 News Media Relations.
Executive Director of Communications
Renee Nelson: 319-447-3005 / Email
- Board Operations Manual
- Board of Directors Conflict of Interest Forms
- LMCSD Chain of Command/Communications Chart
- Communications & Media Relations
- LMCSD Strategic Plan
- Linn County School Board Election Resources