Teachers highlight High School issues amid renovation talks

Part Two – Andy Brim, Head Football Coach

Editors note: We asked three teachers for their thoughts. This is the second of a series of articles concerning the Webster City High School project; considering what is needed and how the building has functioned for the students, teachers and staff.

A lot of good people are working on ideas for improving Webster City High School, if voters agree in a referendum scheduled for September 8, 2026. We wanted to make sure some of the people that would be most affected by any change in the building had their say - teachers. For this article, we turned to our second teacher with years of experience in Webster City schools. He also had plenty to say.

By Robert E. Oliver

Andy Brim, Instructional Coach, Sunset Heights Elementary School, Head Football Coach, WCHS

Andy Brim began his teaching career in his hometown of Webster City in 2009. His first assignment was teaching elementary classes, which he still does today, referring to it as "my day job." His other job is head football coach for the Webster City Lynx. This will be Brim's 20th year of coaching at WCHS, qualifying him to speak to the need for improvements to the school's athletics facilities.

Brim wasted no time, making it clear he has his own priorities for any and all improvements to the facilities at WCHS. "First and foremost, we need to improve our classrooms at the high school," he said. "Those facilities have been overlooked for many years when they should have been updated."

Turning to athletics, he described sports as "something that gets kids to school, something that keeps them coming to school, and keeps kids interested." It's a reference to the attendance problem faced by many schools across the country.

The website of Attendance Works, a group advocating solutions to chronic absenteeism in American schools, says, ". . . federal data shows for the 2020-21 school year, at least 14.7 million students nationwide were chronically absent, meaning chronic absence has almost doubled from the more than 8 million students, pre-Covid-19, who were missing so many days of school that they were academically at risk. Chronic absence, missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason, excused, can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third-grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school."

Brim spends a lot of time in the high school weight-training room. "It would be my preference to build a new weight room," he said, "and it ideally would be all on one floor." The present two-story weight room opened in 2013 as part of the competition gym addition to WCHS.

Comparing the school's athletics facilities to others in the North Central Conference, Brim says, "puts us at the bottom of the barrel. We have a great football field playing surface, and a great competition gym, but the smallest press box, and restrooms, concessions and bleachers that are atrocious. By not being proactive in these areas, we've fallen behind."

Brim pointed out that strength and endurance training are now top priorities in high school sports programs across the country.

"When I played football, we were not strong across-the-board like today's kids," he reflected. "Trends in athletic fitness have trickled down from colleges. I think better nutrition is the next trend we'll see."

Brim is aware that top-tier high school football teams in Iowa directly impact their athletes

"(They) feed their kids before and after practice and games. Our student-athletes arrive at the high school at 6:45 a.m. Most haven't eaten breakfast at home," he confirmed.

"Top tier facilities reward the kids that put in the time and effort to excel in their sport," Brim concluded. "It's a tangible way to reward that big commitment so many of our kids make."

Looking at the bigger issue of high school remodeling and new construction, Brim set forth his own priority list. "Safety and security at school should be a huge selling point. That would be my first priority, along with improved classrooms."

"If we have the funds, then putting football, soccer and track in a single stadium facility makes the most sense to me, " he said. But the biggest issue is the current track.

"A new track is probably our number one outdoor facility need," he admitted.

As to the upcoming referendum, Brim leaves little doubt how he feels: "I can't think of a better place to invest than in our kids."