Don’t Miss a Winter Weather Announcement!

Superintendent News & Views

Don’t Miss a Winter Weather Announcement! 

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Schools!  I hope our students are all enjoying their break from school and finding an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate in preparation for their return to school on January 3. 

I’m pleased that we haven’t had had any big snowstorms or ice storms that have disrupted our school schedule yet this school year. It’s always great when we can make it to Christmas break without a weather-related cancellation. Parents, teachers, school administrators and even many students agree – while we don’t like disrupting our schedule and taking away scheduled learning time due to severe weather, we understand that there are times that safety simply must come first. 

While we try to keep disruptions and calendar changes to a minimum, there are times when changing our schedule at the last minute is simply the right thing to do for the safety of all.  Our school district is responsible for transporting hundreds of young people every day. We need to consider the safety of everyone concerned when making the decisions about school cancellations, delays, or early dismissals. 

As Winter progresses, there will be days when decisions of this nature will need to be made. Fortunately, there is no need to sit by the TV or radio waiting to find out if school has been canceled or delayed. Anyone who takes the time to sign up can have real-time notifications sent directly to you on your cellular phone, smartphone, or computer. Gladbrook-Reinbeck utilizes a system called IOWA SCHOOL ALERTS to send an instant text message or email when a decision needs to be announced. Iowa School Alerts is available to anyone who may be interested, whether or not they have children in school. 

If you subscribed to Iowa School Alerts last year or earlier this school year, you don’t need to subscribe again. If you’re unsure whether you’re signed up, did you receive text notifications from the school on August 23 and on September 22?  We used the system to announce early dismissals on those dates (due to a water main break on August 23 and excessive heat on September 22).  If you’re still not sure, it doesn’t hurt to take 60 seconds and sign up again.  The link to subscribe is http://tinyurl.com/GR-Notifications and it takes a minute or less to sign up.

While it’s great that we’ve made it to Christmas break without a snow day, keep in mind that Winter actually just began on December 21 – so there is plenty of time for Mother Nature to hit us hard with snow, extreme temperatures, ice, and reduced visibilities.  Be sure to get signed up for Iowa School Alerts today so you don’t miss out on an important announcement! 

2017 has been a great year for all of us at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Schools – not just weather-wise, but educationally as well. We’re looking forward to another great year in 2018!  I encourage you to visit my blog at https://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ to keep up-to-date on my activities and opinions as your superintendent in the coming year. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates, photos, and other information not found on the blog. 

Crayon Corner & Little Rebels Get an A+

Superintendent News & Views

Crayon Corner & Little Rebels Get an A+

By David Hill

Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

They LOVED us!   They gave us an A+.  Those two statements are a quick and easy way to summarize the Iowa Department of Education’s recent assessment of the 4-year-old preschool programs offered at Crayon Corner and Little Rebels Learning Center, as well as the Early Childhood Special Education classroom at G-R Elementary.  Now, a little more detail… 

As you may be aware, The Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District is partnering with Little Rebels Learning Center in Reinbeck and Crayon Corner Learning Center in Gladbrook to offer tuition-free preschool to all qualified 4-year-old students through the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program. Because this is the program’s second year, a team from the Iowa Department of Education recently visited Gladbrook-Reinbeck to conduct an on-site evaluation of the curriculum, the facilities, the policies, the teaching and support staff, and the services offered to determine whether the programs would be recommended for “verified” status moving into the future.

A preschool program must meet or exceed at least 85% of the state-established criteria in order to achieve “verified” status and to continue as part of the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program.  We’ve just learned that G-R’s preschool classrooms have all achieved the “verified” status; furthermore, the Department of Education has informed us that our classrooms meet or exceed 100% of the required criteria. 

The Department of Education team commended G-R’s ECSE classroom as well as the preschools at Crayon Corner and Little Rebels for their strong collaboration with community partners, the caring and devoted teaching staff, and the high-quality professional development offered to staff.  They noted the fact that all three teachers not only have the PK General Education endorsement, but also the PK Special Education endorsement as an additional strength of G-R’s program. They pointed out exemplary practices in curriculum, family communication and involvement, and promoting positive behavior among students. 

This is truly something to celebrate!  In laymen’s terms, these preschool classrooms not only “passed the test,” they earned an “A+.”  When I served as a principal in another district that went through this same type of evaluation process a few years ago, we also “passed the test” but were required to complete several “corrective action plans” to address certain criteria that were not quite met.  When the Department of Education staff visited G-R recently, they told me that it is quite rare for a preschool site visit not to require at least one corrective action plan as a follow-up…and that Crayon Corner, Little Rebels, and G-R Elementary should be very proud of this accomplishment.  

Many people deserve credit for this accomplishment. First and foremost, the credit goes to the teachers in our preschool classrooms who work tirelessly each day to provide positive learning experiences for our students. They also had the burden of providing documentation for of the criteria observed by the Department of Education team.  To Jennifer Smith at Crayon Corner, Lindsey Harbaugh at Little Rebels, and Samantha Formanek at G-R Elementary…we salute your efforts!  These teachers are backed and supported by amazing preschool board members, hard-working classroom associates, a dedicated elementary principal, and others who help to provide an environment for learning, growth, and improvement to occur. I want to thank the visionary leaders in each community who originally saw the need for providing comprehensive daycare, before & after school care, and preschool programs and worked together to make our early childhood centers possible.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck recognizes the importance of early childhood education and is committed to providing outstanding early childhood learning experiences. We understand that the youngest citizens in our school district represent the future of G-R, and the future of our communities. The tuition-free preschool programs offered at Crayon Corner and Little Rebels are just one component of the district’s commitment to early childhood education.

Both Crayon Corner and Little Rebels also offer quality daycare services, before-and-after-school care, and 3-year-old preschool programs in addition to their outstanding tuition-free programming for 4-year-olds. Within the Gladbrook-Reinbeck elementary building, we also offer special education services for those students who qualify, starting at age 3. Our elementary center is also proud to offer a Transitional Kindergarten class designed for students who meet the age criteria for kindergarten, yet lack the readiness kindergarten requires. For more information on all of these early childhood opportunities, see my blog post from last April entitled, “G-R’s Commitment to Early Childhood Education” at https://tinyurl.com/EarlyChildhoodGR. 

I’m proud to be the superintendent in a school district and school community that understands the importance of early childhood learning.  City leaders in Gladbrook and Reinbeck, as well as school district leaders and members of the public have invested tremendous public and private resources, along with a great deal of effort and “sweat equity,” into the district’s early childhood opportunities – indicating that they see Crayon Corner, Little Rebels, and the other components our early childhood system to be an investment in the future of our young people, our school district, and our communities.  I invite your questions and feedback.  Just visit my blog at https://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ or follow me on Twitter (my handle is @DavidRobertHill) to get the conversation started.    

A Holiday Gift That’s Also an Investment in the Future

Superintendent News & Views

A Holiday Gift That’s Also an Investment in the Future

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

I have a possible solution for your gift-giving dilemmas this holiday season, especially if you are connected to anyone under age 18 and would like to make an investment in their future. Instead of trying to figure out what is on the “wish list” of the special young person in your life, you can give one of the most meaningful gifts a child may ever receive. You can even earn yourself a state tax deduction in the process.  I’m talking about opening or contributing to a College Savings Iowa account. 

A contribution to a College Savings Iowa account is a great present for Christmas, birthdays, or other nearly any other special occasion.  It will show the child in your life that you value education and that you want to invest in their future.  Whether they are a toddler, a preschool student, in grade school, or in high school, a contribution to their College Savings Iowa account is a great way to show how much you care. Even if the special young person in your life is getting very close to their college years, it’s never too late to start planning for the future.

 Opening a College Savings Iowa account has two-fold benefits. Not only are you helping a young person prepare for his or her future education, but you can take advantage of the tax benefits as well.

College Savings Iowa lets anyone — parents, grandparents, friends and relatives — contribute towards college costs on behalf of a future scholar of any age.  Iowa taxpayers contributing to College Savings Iowa can deduct up to $3,239 per account from their state taxable income in 2017.

Contributions and earnings grow free of federal and state income taxes while invested. They remain tax-free when they are used to pay for qualified higher education expenses.

Administered the office of Iowa’s State Treasurer, College Savings Iowa allows multiple investment options, including options that take into account the child's age and the account owner's tolerance for risk. As a general rule, age-based accounts opened for younger beneficiaries are invested in stocks early on; these accounts try to maximize returns by taking advantage of the longer time horizon. As the beneficiary nears college age, the assets are automatically shifted to more conservative portfolios. This allows you to protect your capital and reduce the market risk before you begin making withdrawals for college expenses.

It takes just $25 and 10 minutes to open an account online. Investors can withdraw their investment tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses, which include tuition, books, supplies and room and board at any eligible college, university, community college or accredited technical training school in the United States or abroad. While participants do not need to be an Iowa resident to invest in the plan, they do need to be an Iowa taxpayer to take advantage of the Iowa income tax deduction.

For more information about College Savings Iowa, call (888) 672-9116 or visit CollegeSavingslowa.com.

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. These SUPERINTENDENT NEWS & VIEWS columns, in addition to my blog and Twitter postings, are part of my plan for open communication with the community as a part-time superintendent with duties in another area school district. If you’ve missed any of my columns or would like to re-read or share them with your friends and family, you are welcome to visit my blog at https://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where they are all posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates or other information not found on the blog.

New Faces, New Places at Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Superintendent News & Views

New Faces, New Places at Gladbrook-Reinbeck

By David Hill,

Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

The 2017-2018 school year started on August 23, and the first nine weeks of the school year have been GREAT!  We are pleased to welcome several staff members to the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Rebel family for the 2017—2018 school year: 

Chelsey Shuey is the new 7-12 Social Studies Teacher at the Jr./Sr. High School.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Central College in Pella. After student teaching at Oskaloosa Middle School and Pella High School, she substituted for a year in the Ames and Nevada School Districts.  Ms. Shuey is pleased to have joined the Gladbrook-Reinbeck staff, stating that “everyone has been very friendly and welcoming. The climate that GR has to offer makes me excited to come to work every day!”

Jackson Anderson is the new Student Success Coordinator, operating the new alternative high school program at the high school and teaching all of the courses in that program.  Mr. Anderson previously taught Junior High Special Education at Gladbrook-Reinbeck for three years.  He is a 2014 graduate of Wartburg College, and he expects to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa in 2018 with a masters degree in Educational Leadership. 

Of the new alternative high school program, Mr. Anderson stated, “…the program serves at-risk students within the district and from neighboring school districts.  I am very excited to be putting this program into motion.  What I enjoy most about this new position are the opportunities and personalization of education that we are able to provide.  It is a great feeling to work for a school that supports all learners.”

Cecilia Shutt has also joined the G-R staff as the new K-12 Vocal Music Teacher. Ms. Shutt holds a bachelor of arts degree in Music Education from Luther College. She is new to the teaching profession, having completed her student teaching experiences at Grinnell High School and DeSoto Intermediate School this past spring.  Ms. Shutt commented that one of the reasons she loves working at Gladbrook-Reinbeck is the people, stating, “The staff and students have been very welcoming as I'm settling in.”

Hillary Smith is definitely not a new face at G-R, but she is spending part of her day in a new PLACE, as she is heading up the new Transitional Kindergarten program in addition to her duties as a special education teacher.  Ms. Smith, who previously taught in Cedar Falls and Hampton-Dumont, has a degree in elementary education with endorsements in special education and early childhood from Wartburg College. 

When asked about the new Transitional Kindergarten class, Ms. Smith commented, “I am very excited for the new position. It truly is a dream job. I am so excited to see all of the changes this year.”

Kyle Formanek has also transferred to a new position in the district. He is serving as the new Technology Coordinator and Technology Integrationist. Prior to this year, he taught at Social Studies for five years at Gladbrook-Reinbeck.  He coached wrestling for 4 years, and is currently in his 6^th year of coaching football.  

Mr. Formanek has a degree from the University of Northern Iowa in secondary social studies, and is currently working on a masters degree in administration from UNI.  His new position involves working with teachers and students on the integration of technology in the classroom, while also offering background technology support.  He stated, “My position is very different from being in the classroom but I'm hoping once things calm down to get back in the classroom and work with students again.  I am learning new programs every day and helping meet the technology needs of the staff and students in this GReat district.”

Lindy Mick is G-R’s new K-12 Teacher Librarian. She previously taught junior high literacy, middle school TAG, and freshman English at Waverly-Shell Rock. While at Waverly-Shell Rock, she also helped coach the junior high Mock Trial team, assisted in coaching girls basketball, was freshman and JV volleyball coach, and was an assistant tennis coach.  Her professional training includes degrees in psychology and sociology from Wartburg and in secondary English education from Upper Iowa. She is also currently taking courses in the school librarian program at the University of Northern Iowa. 

Ms. Mick commented that she is excited to be a part of G-R, adding that “Everyone has been extremely friendly and willing to lend a helping hand. I had so much fun during conferences hosting the Book Fair and seeing the excitement from the families as they purchased books for themselves and their classroom teachers.” 

Brandy Sealman is in her 4^th year working for G-R, but this year has transitioned to a K-12 associate position. She previously was an associate exclusively at the elementary level and prior to that was a school nurse at G-R.  Ms. Sealman attended Hawkeye Community College and received her Associate's Degree in Nursing (Registered Nurse). She has worked in many healthcare settings (nursing homes, hospitals, Hospice and school nursing).

“In my new role,” said Sealman, “I get to join the JH/HS team and get to work with more awesome staff and students.”  She stated that ever since she first started at G-R, she has loved working with the students and staff, and that she loves it just as much today. She added, “I also love how our communities are so supportive of our school district, and I am definitely proud to say that I live in a small town and have a great school to be part of!”

Paula Kelley joined G-R as a Junior High Special Education teacher in August.  She has a degree in education from Wartburg College, and she previously taught 5th grade in North Dakota, Missouri, and Riceville, and taught K-8 PE for ten years. At her various schools over the years, she has coached volleyball, softball, track, cross-country, and basketball. She is currently in her first year of being G-R’s head volleyball coach and has been G-R’s head softball coach for the past 2 seasons.

Ms. Kelley has been a frequent substitute teacher at G-R for the past two years. She is a Gladbrook-Reinbeck alumnus, graduating during the first year of G-R in 1989. She stated, “Being a G-R graduate, I was excited to come back to my roots where it all started. This is my first year teaching special education and it has been overwhelming and exciting at the same time. I am looking forward to getting to know my students and to help them become successful learners and individuals.”

Shelly Fogt is a new associate at the elementary level, primarily working with grades 1 and 4. Expressing her feelings about joining the G-R staff, Shelly said, “I feel so blessed to be part of G-R staff…Last year I helped out as a teacher associate substitute and truly enjoyed being able to help out where and when I was needed. Thank you to All the GReat staff for being so patient with me.”

Karyn Morgan is the new Elementary Secretary at Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary School.  Prior to her current position, Karen was an associate at the elementary and the director and preschool teacher at Crayon Corner Learning Center.  Karyn was excited to move into her new position at the elementary, stating, “I love being part of the awesome staff here at G-R and I love greeting the kids every morning.”

I’ve always believed that it is the PEOPLE that truly make a school great, and this new group of Gladbrook-Reinbeck staff has been carefully selected for the skills, abilities, and aptitudes that they will bring to our educational community. We’re excited to have these new team members on board, and I encourage everyone in our educational community to help them to feel welcome and supported in the important work that they do. Welcome, new Rebels! 

I encourage your feedback on this column, along with any questions you may have. These SUPERINTENDENT NEWS & VIEWS columns, in addition to my blog and Twitter postings, are part of my plan for open communication with the community. As a part-time superintendent that also has duties in another school district, I believe that open and clear communication is critical. If you’ve missed any of my columns or would like to re-read or share them with your friends and family, you are welcome to visit my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com/ where they are all posted. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post updates or other information not found on the blog.

What’s Next for G-R?

Superintendent News & Views

What’s Next for G-R?

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

Ever since we learned the results of the September 12 dissolution referendum, I have been contemplating what to write in my first newspaper column after the election.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone - and that means EVERYONE - who participated in the election regardless of whether you voted yes or no.

This election yielded one of the highest voter turnout rates for any school election in recent Iowa history. Many times, when schools hold special elections for things such as a bond issue, a voter-approved PPEL, or other special circumstances - voter turnout is low and voters are uninformed.  In some of these cases, I'm not sure if it can really be said that the election results represent the true will of the citizens. However, with the high voter turnout on September 12, I believe we can truly say that the results of this election represent the will of the vast majority of the citizens of the G-R district. 

So, what’s next for G-R?  That’s a question I've heard numerous times over the last few weeks. People want to know what our priorities are now that the people have spoken and it is apparent that the district will not be dissolved. The good news is that our priorities haven’t changed…the only difference is that we can now focus on these priorities without the question of dissolution looming over us.  So, what are your superintendent’s priorities for the coming weeks, months, and years? 

First and foremost, we need to continue our focus on providing the highest quality educational experiences possible for the students who have chosen to attend Gladbrook-Reinbeck. That's our number one mandate as a public school.

While I believe G-R does an incredible job educating kids and helping them to become well-rounded citizens, it's important that we not rest on our laurels. Just as G-R’s amazing teachers, principals, coaches, and support staff have done for many years, we need to continue to be on the lookout for even better practices and programs that can help us to be even more effective in our work with students.

Secondly, we must remember that while our primary job is to serve the STUDENTS of this school district, we are also responsible to the taxpayers from ALL PARTS of the G-R district.  We must remember that when we talk about the Gladbrook-Reinbeck community, we're not talking about the towns of Gladbrook or Reinbeck specifically. The community we're talking about is the entire school district as one single entity. It’s our job to serve all students who live within those boundaries and choose to attend G-R.

When I talk about our responsibility to taxpayers, many people think I’m talking about keeping tax rates low. That’s correct, but that’s only one aspect of being responsible to the public. Another part of being responsible to the taxpayers in maintaining and protecting our investment district-owned facilities.

When residents of Morrison or Voorhies see the district investing money in facilities located in Gladbrook such as Crayon Corner, the former school building, and the athletic facilities in Gladbrook, they may wonder how they benefit from this. Conversely, people from Lincoln, Gladbrook, or the rural areas may ask how they benefit from our investment in the facilities located in Reinbeck.

Again, please remember that the district isn’t here to serve any particular town, we’re here to serve the entire school district as one single entity. Preventative maintenance and improvement of district-owned facilities will benefit ALL taxpayers in the end, as it will help us to preserve what we have and avoid more costly repairs in the future. Improved facilities also make the district a more attractive place for prospective students. Furthermore, EVERYONE benefits from having a well-trained workforce and well-rounded citizens living and working in their communities.

Additionally, we must continue our focus on the long-term financial health of the school district.  Financially speaking, the school district is in a much better place than it was just a few years ago -- and we are headed in the right direction when it comes to the district’s ability to continue meeting the needs of students for many years to come.  But again, this is not a place to rest on our laurels. 

In all of our planning and decision-making, we must constantly balance our mandate to meet the needs of our current student body with our desire for G-R to be here for the long haul.

Finally, we need to continue to work together to ensure that G-R is the kind of school that will attract students...whether that be new students moving into our district, students from other districts opting to open-enroll to G-R, or returning students who had decided to attend other area schools that may be interested in coming back to G-R. 

To those families that have decided to enroll their child in other school districts: We respect this decision, and we will continue to send the per-pupil funding to the district of your choice.  However, I want you to know that any G-R resident student who is attending another district is ALWAYS welcome to come back and become a G-R Rebel at any time. Just give us a call and we can make arrangements for your child to start at G-R next school year, next semester...or even the next day!  There is no deadline to meet and no paperwork required for returning to your resident district. Again, we will always respect your decision but please know that the door is open. 

I’m hoping that my future columns can return to the types of topics that I normally write about...educational issues, parent involvement, student achievement, lifelong learning, state politics as it relates to education, and a focus on our district’s unique programs and accomplishments. I’m also hoping to return to the pace of about one column per month! Thanks for your patience and attention over the past several months as my columns focused on dissolution-related topics. 

Feel free to join the conversation as we work together to make G-R the best school it can be.  You may leave comments on my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com and/or follow me on Twitter at @DavidRobertHill. Go Rebels!                 

Unofficial Results: G-R Dissolution Election

Update: OFFICIAL RESULTS
(Includes all qualified provisional ballots and absentee ballots counted after the election.)

NO votes: 1635

YES votes: 712

The “Final Push”

Superintendent News & Views

The “Final Push”

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

Gladbrook-Reinbeck's Parker Bown gets into the end zone with a helpful push from teammate Thomas Mussig in the second half against Saint Ansgar in the Iowa High School State football championship class A semifinals, held at the UNI-Dome on November 11, 2016.  

Reprinted with permission of the Waterloo Courier, copyright (2016). View Copyright Permission.

As we head into the “final push” leading up to the public referendum next week that will determine whether the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District will continue to exist, I want to ask district patrons to examine the photograph that accompanies this article. 

This photo was first published in the WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS COURIER as part of that paper’s coverage of Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Class A semifinal football game vs. St. Ansgar on November 11, 2016.  I decided to request the rights to republish this photo on my blog and in the NORTHERN SUN PRINT and REINBECK COURIER because I think this photo perfectly illustrates what I’d like to talk about in today’s column. 

The picture shows Thomas Mussig (from Gladbrook) giving a “final push” to Parker Bown (from Reinbeck) to ensure Parker would make it into the end zone for the touchdown. Did Parker get more praise, applause, and accolades because he scored the touchdown? Probably. But the REBELS scored the touchdown and EVERYONE on the team benefited from these two teammates working together. Of course, the Rebels won this game and went on to take the state championship – one example of the many awesome achievements in athletics, academics, and fine arts earned by Gladbrook-Reinbeck students over the years. 

Could Thomas and a team comprised only of Gladbrook students have won a state championship on their own?  One can only guess. Could Parker and a “Reinbeck-only” team have accomplished a state title on their own?  None of us can say for sure. But I think most people would agree it’s reasonable to say that the student athletes from all parts of the G-R school district – Gladbrook, Lincoln, the rural areas, Morrison, and Reinbeck – have had more opportunities and greater success working together than they would have had working as separate entities. 

This partnership – Gladbrook-Reinbeck – which has existed since 1998 as a merged district and for many more years under whole-grade sharing and athletic sharing, has served its citizens well.  G-R is a high-achieving school district with an incredible record of accomplishments.  G-R has done its job in providing outstanding educational opportunities for its students and preparing them for the future while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in the area. I think most folks would say that G-R has done a better job of preparing students for the future by working TOGETHER than they ever could have done working as separate districts. Yet here we are, about to vote on a possible dissolution. 

If the majority of the votes are “YES” votes, the Gladbrook-Reinbeck School District will cease to exist on July 1, 2018.  The territory and students will be split as is shown on the map depicted on the ballot.  Grundy Center, North Tama, GMG, Hudson, and Dike-New Hartford will inherit Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s assets and liabilities, and the current G-R students will be absorbed into those systems.  The G-R teachers and staff will lose their jobs.

If “NO” wins the majority of the votes, Gladbrook-Reinbeck will continue to be a school district.

The dissolution commission and school board have had multiple public meetings and public hearings, giving citizens the opportunity to ask questions and provide their comments. For those of you who couldn’t make it to these meetings and hearings, I hope I’ve done an adequate job making myself available to answer your questions.  Now, it’s time to vote.

Every vote is important! Polls are open on September 12 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. New voters may register to vote on-site at the polling place just prior to voting.

As you visit the polls, think of the photo showing Thomas giving Parker that “final push” into the end zone.  These two young men respected each other and worked together, and EVERYONE benefitted. During the “final push” leading up to the election, please show respect for EVERYONE involved in this process, EVEN IF THEIR OPINION DIFFERS FROM YOURS. Every eligible voter has an equal opportunity to influence the outcome. Please RESPECT your fellow district patrons, and please RESPECT the election results. If we truly want what is best for our students, we’ll all show each other this respect as a way of modeling appropriate behavior for the young people in our lives. If we can do that, our students will learn a valuable lesson – regardless of the outcome.

I invite you to join the conversation by leaving comments on my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com and/or following me on Twitter at @DavidRobertHill. 

I Have Some GReat News to Share!

Superintendent News & Views

I Have Some GReat News to Share!

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

It has been a GReat start to the 2017-2018 school year!  The weather has been favorable, temperatures in our buildings have been comfortable, and our athletic teams have gotten off to a great start for the year. Today’s column will consist of several positive news items to share with the G-R community. 

G-R PRAISED FOR LITERACY GROWTH

Sam Miller, the executive director of Central Rivers AEA (formerly known as AEA 267), recently sent a letter to the G-R school board commending G-R’s elementary educators for the outstanding growth in K-3 literacy.  

AEA Director Miller has been reviewing student achievement scores from last year’s early literacy assessments, and he noted that Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s K-3 students exhibited exemplary growth during the 2016-2017 school year. He further noted that G-R students’ rate of growth far exceeded the state average.  Director Miller stated, “Because we all know that literacy is a gatekeeping skill in life, the efforts your district is making to ensure that students read at the highest level are to be commended. We at Central Rivers Area Education Agency are proud to partner with you on your continued path to success!”

We appreciate Central Rivers AEA for their support – and I want to commend our hard-working educators for their efforts to help our students achieve at the highest levels! 

G-R’S TLC PROGRAM RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE

I recently received a note from the Iowa Department of Education recognizing Gladbrook-Reinbeck for our successful outcomes in the first year of the Teacher Leadership & Compensation (TLC) program.  The Department of Ed was impressed with the data in G-R's year-end TLC report, stating that it was obvious that our TLC program has accomplished its goals in the first year of implementation.

The Department of Ed consultant further stated, “As someone who reads many, many of these reports I want to tell you how much I appreciated the level of detail, thoroughness, and overall quality of your report.”  The Department of Education has asked permission to use a portion of G-R’s year-end report as an exemplary example to share with other districts in future years.

My compliments to our teachers, teacher leaders, principals, and curriculum director for the fine work they are doing! 

G-R’S ENROLLMENT IS UP!

We’ve been working on our preliminary enrollment counts and we have some positive news to share!  Our “served enrollment” in grades K-12 looks to be UP this year, for the first year in a while.  As of 9/1/17 when I am writing this article, G-R is serving 17 more students (that’s right, seventeen) than we served on the last day of school in May.  We gained students during the school year last year as well…so as of right now, it looks like we’re serving 26 more students than we served on the official “count day” last fall.  This is a GOOD indicator! 

Some of this growth can certainly be attributed to the two new programs that were started this year – a Transitional Kindergarten program and an Alternative High School program; therefore, this may not indicate a new trend of growth. Even so, a gain this large will certainly make a difference for our district – especially when you consider that our long-term financial projections were predicting a decrease in enrollment this year. 

Keep in mind that these are September 1^st numbers…the count that really matters is the Certified Enrollment which starts on October 1 and is completed by October 15. Certified Enrollment takes a few more factors into account such as open enrollment in and out, homeschoolers and a few other items. It is, of course, possible that we could either gain or lose students between now and that official count. Nevertheless, I am so pleased to be able to share this exciting news. 

POSITIVE FINANCIAL INDICATORS FOR G-R

We’re currently working on wrapping up the fiscal year that ended this summer. While there are still a few details to be ironed out, our initial review shows that the 2016-2017 fiscal year was a positive one for Gladbrook-Reinbeck.  We project that our unspent balance will INCREASE for the third year in a row. 

The district’s financial gains during the 2016-2017 fiscal year can simply be attributed to the fact that the district’s expenditures were less than the new spending authority that was generated. During the 2015-2016 fiscal year, a large portion of the district’s increased spending authority can be attributed to a large estate gift; however, even without this estate gift, the district would have gained spending authority that year. What does all of this mean? It means that the district’s efforts to reduce spending are working!  For the long-term sustainability of the district, we will need to continue our efforts to control spending. 

EXPANDED DAYCARE OPPORTUNITIES IN GLADBROOK & REINBECK

I’m pleased to report that BOTH of our district’s daycare centers are experiencing growth in the number of children served. These young people represent the FUTURE of Gladbrook-Reinbeck! 

Last spring, the Little Rebels Learning Center board in Reinbeck presented to the G-R board to express the need for an expansion of their facility, which is leased from the school district.  In April, the G-R board voted to commit $180,000 from our PPEL and/or SAVE revenues to fund approximately 1/3 of the cost of this expansion. The daycare board has a goal of raising $180,000 in private funds and the city of Reinbeck has committed $180,000 once the private fundraising goal has been met. 

In July, the daycare board in Gladbrook presented to the G-R school board to share that the Crayon Corner facility is also nearing capacity and concerned about turning potential children away. They presented a plan for a $35,000 remodeling project which would include the addition of a new classroom in the basement.  In August, the G-R board voted to commit $35,000 from our PPEL and/or SAVE revenues to fund this remodeling project.  The project will begin immediately, with the hope of accommodating additional students starting in October. 

It’s great that our communities are experiencing this type of growth.  This is a good indicator for the future of Gladbrook-Reinbeck!  For more information on G-R’s commitment to early childhood education, be sure to read my blog post from last April at this link: http://tinyurl.com/GRDaycarePreschool

I invite you to join the conversation by leaving comments on my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com and/or following me on Twitter at @DavidRobertHill.

Dissolution Q&A, Part 3

Superintendent News & Views

Dissolution Q&A, Part 3

By David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

This is the third column in a series which provides answers to questions about the proposed dissolution of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District that were submitted by interested citizens through an online form and special telephone line which allowed district patrons to leave a recorded message to ask a question.

I want to express my appreciation to those who submitted one or more questions for this column as well as the previous two Q&A columns. If you missed the first two columns in this series, you’ll want to be sure to check those out on my blog at rebelsupt.blogspot.com. Now, on with this week’s questions and answers!

Q:  I rent a home in Reinbeck and I don’t own any property. I’ve heard Reinbeck property taxes will go up if the school dissolves, but this doesn’t affect me.  I do have to pay an income surtax each April when I file my income taxes. What is the income surtax in the Dike school district? Would the income surtax go up or down for me?   

A: The caller is correct to state that their apartment in Reinbeck would be located in the Dike-New Hartford school district if the “YES” vote prevails. Dike-New Hartford’s current income surtax is 8%, which is higher than the 3% income surtax currently paid by Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s taxpayers.  Here is a comparison of the fiscal year 2018 income surtax rates for all of the districts that would be affected by the dissolution: NORTH TAMA: 8%; GMG: 10%; GRUNDY CENTER: 6%; HUDSON: 2%; DIKE-NEW HARTFORD: 8%.

As I stated in my column on property tax rates, school boards establish their tax rates (including income surtax rates) ANNUALLY as part of setting their budgets; therefore, these numbers could (and likely would) change over time.

Also, it may not be correct to state that higher property taxes don’t affect you as a renter.  When a landlord’s property tax rates are higher, this additional cost may result in higher rent for tenants.  Everyone is a consumer whether they own or rent property. When commercial property taxes are higher for area businesses, this additional cost may be reflected in higher retail prices on goods and services. 

Q: I’ve seen a lot of “Vote NO” signs posted. Is this an appropriate use of public funds?

A: The signs you have noticed were NOT paid for with public funds. They have been privately funded and privately distributed.

Q: Is the G-R school district currently in financial trouble?

A: The district’s CURRENT financial health is good, but we do have reason to be concerned about the future. The Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) recommends an Unspent Authorized Budget (UAB) ratio between 5% and 15%, and G-R’s ratio is even higher than 15% -- that’s a real positive. A UAB ratio that is between 0% and 5% is major cause for concern, and a negative UAB ratio is illegal.  At the point of a negative UAB, the state requires schools to develop a workout plan and if the workout plan is not successful, the state may forcibly dissolve a district with a negative UAB ratio.  Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s current UAB indicates that the district has more than adequate spending authority at the present time.

Q: If the district isn’t in financial trouble, why did you have budget cuts?

A: Nearly every Iowa school district, with the exception of a few fast-growing districts, has been forced to make budget cuts in recent years. This is primarily due to several consecutive years of inadequate funding from the state.

G-R has developed five-year financial projections with help from renowned school finance experts.  These projections show the district’s UAB ratio (described in the previous question) declining to about 5% five years from now, primarily due to inadequate state funding and because of the same declining enrollment trend that most Iowa districts are experiencing.

While 5% is still in the “healthy” range, we are concerned about the projected drop in spending authority which could negatively affect opportunities for our students in future years. Making budget cuts now will help the school to be financially viable for many years into the future. Our priority is to select budget cuts that will have minimal effect on students. This will ensure G-R’s financial viability for the long term.

Q: Someone told me G-R only has a few years left before it is forced by the state to dissolve due to finances.  Is this true?  How many years does G-R have left, financially speaking? 

A: Your school board and administration are committed to ensuring that G-R remains a financially viable district for many years into the future. If we are responsible in our decision making and continue to look for savings opportunities, we believe that Gladbrook-Reinbeck will be here for many years to come…far into the foreseeable future.   

Q: How is it that you couldn’t afford to keep the Gladbrook building open, but you can afford to expand and remodel the daycare buildings in both towns?

A: G-R’s greatest area of financial concern is our GENERAL FUND. The primary purpose of closing a building was to allow for efficiencies to directly affect the general fund. Funds to remodel and expand the Crayon Corner Learning Center and Little Rebels Learning Center don’t come from the general fund – they come from funds which legally can only be used for facilities projects and a few other limited uses.

The G-R School Board is making investments in both of the daycare/preschool facilities because both centers have expressed the need for additional space to meet the needs of students. The board has voted to provide $35,000 for the proposed remodeling of the Crayon Corner Learning Center in Gladbrook – this is 100% of the amount requested by Crayon Corner.  The board has voted to provide $180,000 for the proposed project at the Little Rebels Learning Center – this is roughly 1/3 of the amount needed for the proposed expansion.

We’re proud to have Crayon Corner and Little Rebels as part of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck educational system – these centers represent the FUTURE of our district!   

Q: Has a school district in Iowa ever been dissolved before?

A: Yes, but not in this way.  A handful of very small Iowa districts have been dissolved by voters based on a recommendation of the district’s own school board because they were just too small to meet student needs.  A few other Iowa districts have been dissolved by the state due to financial difficulties. A dissolution process initiated by a group of district citizens had never happened prior to May, 2015 here at Gladbrook-Reinbeck. 

Q: Why does the school board want to dissolve the school district? G-R is a GREAT school!

A: The school board does NOT want to dissolve the school district. In fact, the board recently passed a resolution stating it is unanimously opposed to dissolution and of the opinion that a “NO” vote is appropriate in the upcoming election.

The school board cited various reasons for its opinion, including the likely closing of additional school buildings, the elimination of about 100 teaching and support staff jobs, and the loss of high-quality programs and services offered by the district. G-R’s record of outstanding academic, athletic and fine arts accomplishments while maintaining one of the lowest school property tax rates in the region is also cited as a reason for the school board’s opinion.

You are welcome to join the conversation by leaving comments on my blog at http://rebelsupt.blogspot.com and/or following me on Twitter at @DavidRobertHill.