Our Mission
To improve the learning outcomes and well-being of all children and youth by providing services and leadership in partnership with families, schools and communities.

Our Goals
• Increase learning growth for students
• Decrease the gap in achievement
• Increase annual graduation rates
• Increase gateways to post-secondary success 

From the Chief Administrator...Hello Heartland AEA!

I am now a week into my new job as your administrator and wanted to take some time to introduce myself to all of you with this brief letter of introduction until such time as we can meet in person. Getting to meet over 600 people across 11 counties is no small task, but it’s something that I'm looking forward to. In the meantime, here’s a quick bio and a bit of self-reflection from the new guy….

For the past 16 years, I've lived in Ottumwa, where I was both associate superintendent and superintendent of the Ottumwa Schools, before becoming the chief administrator at Great Prairie AEA in 2011. Prior to this, I spent two years in the Heartland AEA area as the superintendent at Stuart-Menlo/West Central Valley. Prior to that experience, I was an elementary and middle school principal in Arizona and in Burlington. I began my teaching career in 1982, teaching language arts and reading in Carroll. I attended Luther College and later graduated from the University of Iowa. I did my master's and doctoral studies at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz, and I grew up in Carlisle (Class of '78). I am married to my wife, Kris, and we have two grown children, one living in Des Moines and one living in the Minneapolis area.

That’s where I’ve been, but more importantly, here’s what I believe. I am a staunch advocate of the AEA system and of public education in general. Iowa’s education system has served me well, served my family well and I believe served the State of Iowa well. I am of the firm belief that one of the things that sets our system apart and makes Iowa a great place to live is our strong educational service agency system. I am extremely proud of the work we do as AEAs, and I never pass up the opportunity to share our story with anyone who will listen. We do more than just serve school districts--we create hope and provide equity of opportunity for teachers, kids and families in every zip code in Iowa.  

To further share with you the things I believe and think are important after six years in the AEA system, I decided to let my farewell letter to staff at Great Prairie AEA become part of my introduction at Heartland AEA. Here is that farewell post. 

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we'll be in touch again soon!

Jon Sheldahl

Chief Administrator

Update: Guthrie Center Office In New Location, Winterset Co-Location on Hold

Guthrie Center Office

The Guthrie Center regional office is up and running in its new location at the AC/GC High School at 906 School Street in Guthrie Center. The office will keep the phone numbers, fax number and P.O. box number from the previous office. 

The new office is located inside the front door of the high school and to the right. Staff will spend the rest of the summer and early fall getting unpacked and settled into the new area. There is no longer a sound booth in the Guthrie Center office—one is now located in the Carroll regional office.

Tinna Walberg, regional director serving schools in Region 1 noted, “We are excited about the collaborative possibilities we could have with students and teachers in the building now that we are here.” 

Winterset Co-location

After further discussion with the Winterset Schools about a possible Heartland AEA co-location at Winterset Middle School, the decision has been made to hold off on a co-location for this school year. If the need for a co-location in our western service area continues, the Agency will discuss the possibilities with Winterset and other partners at a future time. 

Reminder: Use the FSA Store to Purchase Your FSA and HRA Eligible Products; 121 Benefits Reminders

The FSA Store was founded on the idea that it should be simple and easy to use your FSA or HRA plan. This e-commerce site was built to take the guessing games out of eligibility. The site hosts over 6,000 products that are FSA and HRA eligible, in addition to tools and resources. And through the Agency’s new FSA/HRA administrator, 121 Benefits, you now have access to the FSA store! This is a great place to shop if you need to spend down some of the money in your Flex account! You can access it at the web link above or through a link in your 121 Benefits account.

• The largest selection of FSA and HSA eligible products that can be purchased online using the medical debit card or any major credit card.
• Free shipping on orders over $50.
• FSA Eligibility List is searchable and sortable by plan type and eligibility.
• FSA Calculator to assist participants in understanding how much to allocate.
• Prescription Processing: every product denoted as FSA eligible or FSA eligible with prescription.
• Extensive Learning Center Q & A
• Customer Service 24/7, chat and phone support 
  

Use the code on the coupon below (121MAIL) for $10 off your first order!

Up and Running With 121 Benefits 
Everything is up and running with our new vendor, 121 Benefits! Just a reminder...there is a weekly deadline of noon on Fridays. You must submit a request for reimbursement by Fridays at noon in order to be paid on the following Friday. If you have any current pending claims, you will receive your first one this Friday.

As always, contact Juliette Houseman, Benefits Specialist, if you have any questions.

Bondurant-Farrar CSD Has New Email Addresses & Website

The Bondurant-Farrar CSD has a new domain that applies to its email addresses and website. 

Website: www.bfschools.org

Email addresses: lastnamefirstinital@bfschools.org

2017 School Board Elections: Will You Consider Serving?

The Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) encourages sitting board members to offer their expertise for another term and asks motivated community members to consider serving on their local school board. 

IASB needs leaders who care about our children and our communities. 

Visit the IASB website for a toolkit to help interested citizens understand school boards in Iowa and their role, qualifications and steps to become a school board candidate, school election dates and deadlines, FAQs, rewards of school board service and more. 

As you consider running, IASB encourages individuals to consider what board service means to you. Make a difference for students, your community and ultimately the future of Iowa. Invest in the future—serve on your local school board. 

Reminder: Discounted Iowa & Iowa State Football Tickets Available for AEA Staff

Bravo Sports Marketing is again offering discounted tickets to both Iowa and Iowa State football games for staff in all of Iowa’s AEAs. These special prices come at no expense to the AEA system – this discount comes solely from Bravo Sports Marketing.

Iowa Tickets

Iowa State Tickets