(KIWA Staff Photo)
Alta, Iowa (SLR) — The City of Alta wants Homecoming back — and it showed up Monday night to say so.
About 15 people attended last night’s Alta‑Aurelia Community School District Board of Education meeting, where the board was required under Iowa Code 279.8B to take public comment on Alta’s petition to bring the annual Homecoming football game back to town.
The petition is the latest flashpoint in a months‑long dispute that began when the school district’s administration — not the school board — decided to move all high school football games and track meets from Alta to Aurelia. Superintendent Denny Olhausen has said repeatedly that the move aligns with district goals, such as giving students the best facilities and investing taxpayer dollars into property the district actually owns. The Alta field is city‑owned and the Aurelia field belongs to the district.
Alta city leaders argue the decision breaks decades of shared practice under a 28E agreement dating back to 1962 — and that the board never publicly engaged with their concerns. The district maintains it is still honoring the agreement by continuing to use and maintain the Alta field, even as varsity contests move to Aurelia.
Alta Mayor Desi Suter opened last night’s comment session, saying the city’s request is modest and rooted in long‑standing courtesy.
Suter also pushed back on online criticism of the petition, saying Alta residents feel they have been shut out of the district’s decision-making.
She questioned whether students or staff were ever asked for input and raised concerns about the future of the city‑owned ball diamonds included in the 28E agreement, which expires in 2032.
Several residents echoed those concerns. One speaker said voters expected high school activities to remain in Alta when the two districts consolidated. Another pressed the board on why the football and track decision was made administratively rather than by a board vote, a question board members say they have been hearing frequently.
Not everyone opposed the move. A resident who grew up in Alta but now lives in Aurelia voiced support for the district’s decision.
Board President Tom Hinkeldey reminded the audience that the board has already explained its rationale for shifting football and track to Aurelia — and that last night’s meeting was not a debate.
Tension rose briefly when a resident asked which board members supported the move. Hinkeldey declined to engage in back‑and-forth during public comment but said he’s willing to talk individually.
The board also heard a written comment from a 2002 Alta graduate who urged both communities to focus on students, not old divisions.
When a resident questioned why only one written comment was read, Hinkeldey clarified that only one person formally requested their statement be entered into the record.
Hinkeldey closed the segment by saying he has offered to meet with the Alta City Council and believes some public assumptions about district plans are inaccurate. He noted that the district’s transparency — including floating early ideas — sometimes leads the public to fill in gaps before decisions are made.
The board did not take action last night. Under Iowa Code, the petition only required the district to allow public comment, not to vote on the Homecoming proposal.
