Hinton CSD Superintendent speaks on fourth attempt of bond vote
Perhaps “fourth time’s the charm” should be the mantra for Hinton Community Schools this Election Day, as for the fourth year in a row, Plymouth County voters will decide on a bond issue concerning the upkeep and improvement of Hinton schools. This bond, which needs 60 percent voter approval to pass, focuses on the middle and high school facilities and will not exceed $8.6 million.
Ken Slater, the Hinton Community School District Superintendent, spoke on the latest attempt to pass the bond.
Slater says in the past, the community gave two big points of feedback about the bond issue: the wording on the ballot was too complicated, and the tax impact was too high.
Starting tonight, building tours will be offered to the public to display areas of the school that need improvement. Satellite in-person voting will also be an option on Wednesday.
Superintendent Slater says a new school building is not an option with Hinton’s bonding capacity.
Detailed information about the Hinton bond issue can be found below.
https://sites.google.com/hintonschool.com/bond26/home
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Dordt University appoints new Executive Director of Development
Dr. Ross Douma has been appointed as Executive Director of Development at Dordt University. Douma will provide strategic leadership of the university’s development programs, including major gifts, corporate and foundation donations, the Annual Fund, and alumni relations.
Douma has served as President of Avail Academy in the Minnesota Twin Cities since December 2023. Prior to this role, Douma served as Director of Athletics at Dordt from 2019-2023 and as Head Men’s Basketball Coach from 2009-2018. Douma has also spent time working in education, from serving as an administrator and athletic coach at Southwest Chicago Christian Schools to teaching and coaching at Hartley Melvin Sanborn Community School District.
This hire is part of a succession plan for Director of Development Lyle Huisman. Douma will work closely with Huisman by providing continuity and a seamless transition as Huisman moves into a Senior Gift Officer role at Dordt.
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Iowa State Bar Association gives District 3B judge top marks
The Iowa State Bar Association has released their Judicial Performance Reviews for 2026, which asks licensed attorneys in Iowa to rate judges. District 3B Judge Daniel Vakulskas was one of 12 judges to receive a 100 percent retention rating from their respondents, meaning the attorneys surveyed would like to keep that judge on the bench.
Judges are rated on a five-point scale on categories such as knowledge and application of the law, punctuality, management and control of the courtroom, temperament and demeanor, treating people equally regardless of background, and courtesy to litigants, lawyers and court personnel. Judge Vakulskas received at least a 4.5 out of 5 rating in all 14 categories of the review, as well as the perfect retention rating. 45 attorneys took part in rating Judge Vakulskas.
