Iowa Superintendents Finance & Leadership Consortium (ISFLC) February Conference

Wednesday, Feb. 18–Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
FFA Enrichment Center, Ankeny

Register Now


The ISFLC February Conference is the second of two conferences offered in the winter as part of the ISFLC program. Both of these conferences are developed for current and aspiring superintendents, as well as school business officials. All session tracks are led by Iowa experts with skills and expertise in identified criteria areas. Please note that aspiring superintendents must first complete Dollars & Sense: Fundamentals of School Finance (Track 1) as the initial program of study. After completing this session, aspiring superintendents may register for any of the remaining session tracks. View the agenda.

General Sessions

Day 1: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026

• Amanda Schmidt, ISFLC Director
• Anna Harmon, Policy & Legal Services Director, IASB & David Hoth, Policy and Legal Services Assistant Director

Day 2: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026

• Legislative Panel—Emily Piper, Lobbyist, IASB, Michelle Johnson, Government Relations Director, IASB & Dave Daughton, Government Relations Director, SAI
  

Intensive Sessions (Tracks)

How to Prepare & Present Your District's Budget with Confidence (Track 3)

Track 3 is approved for renewal credit for both superintendents and SBOs.

Instructors:
Brandon Hansel, Business Manager, Fort Dodge Schools
Mike Kalvig, Business Manager, Waverly-Shell Rock Schools
John Parker, Iowa Department of Management

Build Your Leadership Toolbelt for Student Success—Capitol Visit (Track 13)

Iowa's Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) guide effective leadership for Iowa schools with a comprehensive set of criteria reflecting the necessary knowledge and skills. This intensive session, using ISSL as a framework, will add tools to your leadership toolbelt with the ultimate goal of student success through effective leadership and advocacy.

Leadership is essential for systemic change, but first, the conditions and leadership skills needed for this change must first be addressed, as well as any individual leadership challenges. As you spend substantial think time on how to define metrics for measuring personal style and fit based on district needs, you will also consider ways to develop skills within your district leadership team. Remember, a leader is only as good as their team!

Led by two experienced superintendents, participants will discover how to go from concept, to planning, to successful execution of a shared vision of learning; a positive school culture; an effective instructional program; and community collaboration. In addition, you will dig into integrity, fairness and ethics and how to apply them consistently in all facets of your work.

On day two, you will head to the Capitol for a hands-on, in-person outing to further develop your leadership skills by interacting with your legislators and learning firsthand how to respond to and influence the political environment.

Instructor:
Mark Lane, Superintendent, Woodward-Granger Schools

 

Funding the Financial Spectrum of Special Education (Track 14)

Employee Laws & Regulations Every Employer Should Know (Track 31)

Employee relations—personnel matters—labor laws. Few words strike fear in the hearts of individuals as it does when hearing these words uttered. It doesn't have to be this way! Your district is likely one of, if not the largest, employers in your community. It is critical that as a leader in your district, you understand employment law, and that you can effectively administer it as well.    

The instructors are well-equipped to lead participants through activities to ensure in-depth understanding of employment-related issues from hiring all the way through to separation of employment. Once you've mastered these concepts, you'll transition into the myriad of legal issues that may arise throughout the employment process and discover when it's appropriate to contact district legal counsel, as well as learn how to develop and maintain a strong working relationship with employees.    

As you're building your skills throughout the two days, you'll take a look at your board policy; explore administrative regulations; and review forms, records and other materials that relate to employment law. Additionally, scenarios will be presented to help you identify issue spotting in topic areas such as special education, the First Amendment, social media, or other PR related issues etc.—what's wrong with the scenario, how would you approach it differently, etc.    

Join a seasoned superintendent and experienced attorneys from the Iowa Association of School Boards and Ahlers & Cooney, P.C. to go deep into all these topics and more, including federal legal requirements, public records requests, employee rights, and compliant filing. 

Instructors:
Tara Paul, Superintendent, Indianola Schools
David Hoth, Legal & Policy Assistant Director, Iowa Association of School Boards
Siobhan Schneider, Ahlers & Cooney

Registration Details

Fee: $350 per person. Includes training materials, continental breakfast and lunch each day. Online registration closes Friday, Feb. 14 (two business days prior to the event). A cancellation fee of $115 per attendee will be assessed for cancellations received within seven business days of the conference or for those who fail to attend without notice.

Register Now

At this time, our billing process is set up to invoice the school district for ISFLC event registration. IASB encourages registrants to coordinate payment with their respective school district business office.

Important registration information for students, principals, other aspiring superintendents: Thank you for your interest in the ISFLC Conference! Please note that if you have not registered for an IASB event previously, our staff will need to add your information to our system before you are able to register. If you have registered previously for an IASB event but are unable to log in, you can request a password reset on the website. Your email address must be the same one in our system, otherwise you will not receive the password reset email. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please email Jeff Rohrick with any questions or if you need assistance.

Credits: All tracks are eligible for Superintendent License Renewal Credit through the School Administrators of Iowa. Tracks 1, 3, 14, 31 and 40 will carry School Business Official Authorization.

 

Lodging

Special hotel blocks have been reserved for attendee. Book your stay early to secure the discounted rates:

• Tru by Hilton Ankeny – $119 per night
• Residence Inn Des Moines Ankeny – $169 per night; Last Day to Book is Monday, January 19, 2026.
  

 Click the links above to reserve your room directly within the IASB conference hotel block.