Let’s Demand Equal Opportunity for ALL Iowa Students!!!

Election day is just around the corner. While the presidential race seems to get most of the media attention, don’t forget there are other candidates on the ballot who seek your vote and the opportunity to represent you on a more local level.

On November 8, Iowans will have the opportunity to cast a vote for one of the candidates hoping to serve as their state representative. Many state senate seats are also up for election. Many people don’t realize the importance of these Iowa House and Senate seats. In many ways, the decisions made by the IOWA legislature have a greater effect on our daily lives than do the votes of our U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators. 

Speaking as a superintendent, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to make an endorsement or suggest that district patrons cast their votes in a certain way. However, I will say this:

If education is important to you –

If local schools are important to you –

If the young people in our communities are important to you –

And if the future of Iowa is important to you –

…then I encourage you to visit with the candidates about educational issues and make sure you know where they stand (and that THEY know where YOU stand) in terms of support for our students and our schools.

Legislators often hear from school superintendents, administrators, teachers, and school board members. After a while, they likely get tired of hearing from those of us in the educational community. The legislature and the candidates need to hear from parents, community members, and local business owners that our schools are valued and a vital part of our communities!

We hear a lot about equity and equal educational opportunity these days. I think it is generally agreed upon that regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, etc., our students deserve equal opportunities in our schools. Yet, there are inequities in the ways that Iowa’s schools are funded which have led to our students having unequal educational opportunities. In the following paragraphs, I’ll explain two such inequities: The inequity in per-student funding and the differences in funding available to spend on student learning due to district population density. 

INEQUITY IN PER-STUDENT FUNDING

Iowa’s school funding formula has built-in inequities that impact districts and the students they serve. Since the 1970’s when the current school funding formula was established, Gladbrook-Reinbeck has been allowed a lower amount of per-student funding than some districts, and a higher amount of per-student funding than some other districts, year after year. This isn’t something that our school board can control – the value was set by the state many years ago.

To compare G-R with one area district, let’s look at Hudson. Hudson’s allowed “District Cost Per Pupil” has given that district access to $75 per student per year more than G-R, every year since the 70’s. While $75 may not seem like a lot, that number multiplied by the district’s annual enrollment (and then multiplied by the 40+ years that this inequity has existed) amounts to well over 1.5 million dollars! 

Across the state, there is a $175 range in basic per-student funding that exists just because “it has always been that way.” This means many districts have less to invest in each student from day one. Please ask the candidates to explain their feelings on this issue, and ask them to end this inequity immediately if they are elected. If you refer to it as the “$175 per student difference in District Cost Per Pupil,” they’ll know what you’re talking about. Remind them that ALL of Iowa’s students – regardless of where they live – are important assets for our future!

INEQUITY DUE TO POPULATION DENSITY: 

Districts serving a large rural area must spend more on transportation; therefore, they have less to spend on classroom instruction. Districts such as West Burlington (Land Area: 2 Square Miles) and Marion (Total Land Area: 3.6 Square Miles) have very few students who even qualify daily for bussing. These districts spend virtually nothing on transportation compared to larger rural districts like Gladbrook-Reinbeck (Land Area: 189 Square Miles).

In some urban and suburban districts, a bus can have enough stops in three or four miles to be filled to capacity, while in some rural districts a bus can travel three or four miles and only stop for the occasional stop sign. Yet, many rural districts are unable to reduce the number of bus routes due to state laws limiting the amount of time students can spend on the bus.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s students deserve equal educational opportunities, yet districts like ours are forced to spend a higher percentage of our available funds on transportation leaving less money to provide these opportunities. Consider asking your legislative candidates their feelings about this transportation equity issue. I believe the Iowa legislature should be asked to provide an additional funding stream for transportation or use a formula based on population density when determining Supplemental State Aid.

Our rural students represent the future of Iowa. No matter where they live, they deserve equal access to a top-notch education! Each and every student deserves a quality education regardless of whether they live in one of Iowa’s large metro areas, a growing suburb, or in a rural area that may be losing population. Your advocacy is more important now than ever before. An election is a great opportunity to talk face to face with those who seek to represent you, to find out where they stand on the issues, and to express your feelings to the candidates.

I’m sure there are other issues – many of them unrelated to education – that are also important to you. I encourage you to exercise your rights as a citizen by visiting with the candidates and finding out where they truly stand on the issues that matter most to you. And then…by all means…go out on November 8 and VOTE! 

You are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where this column and all of the columns I have written for the Northern Sun Print and Reinbeck Courier are posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill. 

This blog post has been submitted for publication in the Northern Sun Print and the Reinbeck Courier.

Getting Our Kids to School Safely is EVERYONE’S Business

This blog post has been submitted for publication in the Northern Sun Print and the Reinbeck Courier.

Because the week of October 17 is National School Bus Safety Week, I want to share some information about Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s efforts to provide safe transportation for all students. The Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District is proud to offer a safe and free system of school bus transportation to all students residing within in the towns of Gladbrook, Lincoln, and Morrison as well as the district’s rural areas.

G-R’s buses are equipped with all of the required safety equipment (crossing arms, retracting stop signs, strobe lights, and flashing stop lights) and are regularly inspected by the Iowa Department of Transportation to ensure student safety. Our drivers must meet all state requirements for transporting students including proper licensure, continuing education, and random drug screenings.

Statistically, riding a “big yellow bus” is the safest way for students to travel to and from school and school activities. However, riding the bus does have its risks even with all of the safeguards that are in place.

Many of our G-R students who live closest to our attendance centers are not eligible for bus transportation and must walk, ride their bikes, or catch a ride to school.  Walking and bicycling to school also come with inherent risks.    

We at G-R take our obligation to provide safe student transportation very seriously. Getting our students to and from school safely each day is serious business, and EVERYONE in our communities can play a role in keeping our children safe. 

While the National School Bus Safety week focuses specifically on bus safety, I think it also gives us a good opportunity to review some things that EVERYONE in our communities can do to help keep our students safe as they travel to and from school, regardless of their mode of travel.  Here are some things to consider.

SHARING THE ROAD WITH YOUNG PEDESTRIANS

According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the children who lose their lives in accidents on the way to school are 4 to 7 years old, and they're walking. Remember, children this young don’t always follow the rules and they don’t always understand who has the “right of way” in various situations. Here are a few precautions motorists take to keep kids safe:

WATCH YOUR SPEED.  When you are in a hurry, posted speed limits can seem like an unnecessary annoyance; however, they are designed for the safety and protection of pedestrians and motorists alike. The number one thing motorists can do to avoid an accident is to keep their speed down. 

KEEP THE PATH CLEAR. Don't block crosswalks when stopped at an intersection, forcing pedestrians to go around you; this could put them in the path of moving traffic.

WAIT TO PASS. Never pass a vehicle stopped for pedestrians or stopped to drop off/pick up students.

THINK BEFORE YOU HONK. Don't honk or rev your engine to scare a pedestrian or “make a point” with a student, even if they aren’t following the rules of the road. You may cause a distraction that actually causes an accident.

YIELD THE WAY. Take extra care to look out for children in school zones, near playgrounds and parks, and in all residential areas. Even in cases where you may have the right of way, stop and yield to pedestrians crossing at crosswalks, intersections, or even those who may be inappropriately crossing in the middle of the street.

SHARING THE ROAD WITH SCHOOL BUSES

If you're following a bus, allow a greater following distance than if you were driving behind a car. It will give you more time to stop once the yellow lights start flashing. Passing a school bus that is stopped to load or unload students is illegal, and the fines assessed for this infraction are VERY hefty. Here are a few other suggestions for motorists that can help to avoid a tragedy:

WATCH FOR LIGHTS. If the yellow or red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended, traffic must stop. Never pass a bus if it is stopped to load or unload children.

GIVE THEM SPACE. The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them space to safely enter and exit the bus.

BE AWARE OF DELAYS & CHANGES. Even if you don’t have kids in school, it’s a great idea to watch one of the local TV stations to know when school is delayed or releasing early due to fog, snow, or ice. Perhaps you aren’t accustomed to seeing buses and walkers on the road at 9:30 a.m., but when there is a two-hour delay, you’ll want to be extra cautious at this time.

REMEMBER, THEY’RE KIDS. Children boarding or exiting the bus are often unpredictable, and they tend to ignore hazards and take risks.

TIPS FOR BUS RIDERS & THEIR PARENTS

Even though statistics show that riding the bus is the safest way to get to school, every year thousands of students are injured in bus-related accidents.  Many of these accidents can be prevented if children know and follow some basic rules for bus safety. It only takes a few minutes to review these bus safety tips with your children:

BE ON TIME.  When students are in a hurry because they are running late for the bus, they aren’t concentrating on safety.  Too often, accidents result.  Set your morning routine so that your child arrives at the bus stop or at the end of the driveway at least a couple of minutes before the bus is due. 

STAY IN THE “SAFE ZONE.”  Buses have blind spots and many children have been injured because the driver simply didn’t see them.  Tell your children to always stay in the “safe zone” – at least 10 feet in front of the bus. 

AVOID HORSEPLAY.  Bus pick-up points, whether a designated stop in town or at the end of a rural driveway, are not playgrounds.  Goofing around while waiting for the bus, especially if play extends into the road, can be deadly.  Make sure your children understand this danger. 

STAY PUT.  Students are often so eager to leave the bus that they often start for the front before the bus has stopped.  Let them know that they should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop before leaving their seats. 

HEADS UP.  A dropped book can turn into a serious accident if the bus driver doesn’t see it.  Tell your children to let the driver know immediately if they drop something while getting on or off the bus. 

NO DISTRACTIONS.  Kids may think that bus rules – no shouting, no throwing things, etc. – are just to keep them in line, but there are serious safety issues involved.  They should understand the importance of never distracting the driver.

Yes, we do take time at school to review bus rules and safety guidelines with all of our students. So why are we asking parents to review this information with their children? Students can always use a review of this important and potentially life-saving information. If they know that their parents are in agreement with the school on these tips and guidelines, it will help them to better understand the importance. It only takes a few minutes to review these bus safety tips with your children. Please, take the time.  

Our Gladbrook-Reinbeck students represent the future of our communities and our world. Each one of them is priceless. We are proud of the safe system of transportation that we are able to offer at no charge to our students, but we know that a transportation system is only as strong as its weakest link. THANK YOU for taking time to consider what you can do to help keep all of our students safe as they travel to and from school.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my columns from the Northern Sun Print and Reinbeck Courier and leave comments if you wish. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter, where my handle is @DavidRobertHill.