Big things planned for the 2023-24 school year
Greetings! I hope everyone has had a relaxing and safe summer. It has certainly flown by. Before you know it, the 2023-2024 school year will be in full swing.
A lot of things have been happening at school during the summer. We just wrapped up our July summer school session. It was great to see so many kids in the building. The pool has been a hit with summer swimmers! The kitchen staff has also stayed busy preparing breakfast and lunch for students in June and July. We also welcomed our new elementary school principal, Mrs. Frischmann.
The maintenance department has also been busy this summer. They have been cleaning classrooms and getting things ready for the school year. We take great pride in our building.
Speaking of building, workers are putting the finishing touches on our FEMA addition. A Grand Opening Ceremony was held August 16th at 3:30 p.m. in the FEMA gym. We had great attendance, over 100 people attended. There was a ribbon cutting and an opportunity to tour the building. Refreshments were provided. Again, a huge thank you to those who supported the project and the referendum. We can’t wait to use the much needed space.
Our staff in-service was held August 14-17. August 16 was our annual Open House Night. Students and parents were able to meet their teachers and check out their classrooms. It is always a fun night and great to see so many smiling faces. We will be looking for public input as we look at facility needs in 2023-2024. A community facilities committee met on July 10th to prioritize district needs. The hub of those needs fitting into three main categories. Those categories are added space, safety and security upgrades, and upgrading aging infrastructure. We continue to increase our enrollment. We are up 140 students since 2009. We have used up all available space including converting computer labs and storage areas into classrooms. Since the 2009 addition we have added seven classrooms at the elementary school, two at the middle school, and now it is time to add much needed space at the high school. The second area is safety and security. We continue to look for ways to make our building more safe and secure. A more secure middle/high school office entry area is a top priority. Finally, some of the original infrastructure at the middle/high school is over 60 years old and needs attention.
Why is this a good time to address these needs? The School Board has been financially responsible over the years, paying off debt early to save interest. Our current debt load is scheduled to fall off in 2024. That means we can take care of needs, adding new debt, with a goal of keeping the tax rate level.
Other than 2016-17, due to a TIF ending, our current mill rate is the lowest it’s been in the last 15 years. The goal is to keep it that way. The community will be involved in the process. There will be a community survey distributed in September to determine what needs will or will not be supported by the community. Please look for that survey and provide your input. Everyone’s voice matters. Also, look for listening sessions throughout the year. If there is preliminary support for projects, we would look for a referendum vote in April 2024.
The new grant funded all inclusive playground addition should be open any day now. Be sure to check that out. It is a place that ALL kids can enjoy! This fall we will also be utilizing grants to begin an educational trail near our new school forest for both students and the community to enjoy. This will be a multi year process.
The 2023-24 school year will be here before we know it. We will continue to strive to be a school district with excellent staff, programs, and student achievement. It is always a great day to be a Falcon!
Feel free to contact me if you have a question. You can call, email, or stop in. My goal is transparency and my door is always open.
