"Counting the Days"

Superintendent News & Views

“Counting the Days”

An update on numerous topics of interest as we approach the final month of the 2016-2017 school year, by David Hill, Gladbrook-Reinbeck Superintendent

      As a student, I remember counting the days as the end of the school year approached. While I was one of those students that just LOVED school, I also just couldn’t contain my excitement about the approaching summer break! Even now as a school administrator, people often ask me this time of the year if I am “counting the days” until the end of the school year. If you are reading this column on the date of its publication in the newspapers (May 5, 2017) then we are about one month away from the last day of school. Ready or not, it’s time to start counting the days.

      Normally, my SUPERINTENDENT NEWS & VIEWS columns focus on a single topic. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, I’m going to break with this practice and briefly cover several topics of interest in this week’s column. I hope you’ll find this information useful as a student, parent, or patron of the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District.

THANK YOU, GLADBROOK VOLUNTEERS!

      On April 19, one of our school buses was involved in an accident near Goos Implement on Highway 96.  Thankfully, no one on the bus was hurt. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the people who were the first to respond at the scene to make sure our students were safe. Because so many of our students now have cellular phones, many parents arrived at the scene immediately after the accident. The ambulance crew and Gladbrook Fire Department were AMAZING as they responded to the crisis and took control of the situation. It’s folks like this who make our small communities a great place to live and raise a family. THANK YOU for your service during our time of need…and all throughout the year! 

CORRECTION – DISTRICT DISSOLUTION ARTICLE

      More than one of our area papers recently printed an article which may give people the impression that the SCHOOL BOARD will soon be voting on whether to dissolve the district. I feel the need to set the record straight, as this just isn’t correct. A school district can only be dissolved by a majority vote of the district’s citizens.

      Here is a brief update on the TRUE status of the proposed dissolution: In the near future (possibly even at the May board meeting, depending on the responses from neighboring districts) the dissolution commission will present its plan to the school board. The plan is identical to the plan developed by the first commission last summer. When the school board receives this plan, it will vote on whether to make changes to the plan or to keep it as presented. The board will then hold a public hearing, have its attorney draw up ballot language, and present this ballot language to the county auditor to be voted on by the public in a regular or special election. 

      While a date for the vote hasn’t been finalized, it is likely that the public vote on the possible dissolution of the G-R district will take place in September, at the same time as the regular school board election.

DISSOLUTION QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

      There were no questions from the public at the G-R Dissolution Commission’s public hearing held on April 17. I hope the reason for this is that the commission has been very transparent in its work. The fact that the proposal hasn’t changed is likely another factor.  Still, there may be members of the public who have questions about the process, or what a dissolution would mean to them. I understand that not everyone can make it to the commission’s public meetings. 

      If there still are questions, I’d like to address as many of those as possible in my column or on my blog sometime prior to the dissolution vote.  Therefore, I’ve created two simple ways that members of the public can submit a question:

1. Go to a web browser and type http://tinyurl.com/DissolutionQuestions in the address bar. Type your question and click “submit.” 
2. Call (641)715-3900 from a touch-tone phone (toll charges may apply). When prompted to enter an extension number, enter 702533 followed by the # (pound sign). Record your question, speaking slowly and clearly. 

      I will review all questions submitted and look for patterns, trying to address those that are of greatest interest to district patrons. Before calling in a question or submitting a question on the web, you may wish to visit the district’s website to review the commission’s agendas and minutes. THANK YOU for your interest in the future direction of the G-R district! 

NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

      This is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our Gladbrook-Reinbeck teachers for their hard work and dedication. In my short time with the district, I’ve quickly come to realize that G-R employs some of the very best teachers in the profession today. I am honored to be G-R’s superintendent, and I am very proud to play a role in supporting the work that these talented teachers do each day. Thank you, teachers, for making a difference in the lives of your students. You help our students achieve success in school, in their activities, and in their communities; and, the work you do will pay dividends for MANY YEARS TO COME!!! 

SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH

      May is School Board Recognition Month in Iowa, honoring the men and women who serve on the of Boards of Education in school districts across the state. These dedicated public servants become school board members because they are committed to improving public education and their communities. When you see your elected board members, please thank them for their dedication and their service to our school. They deserve our recognition for a job well done! Because this recognition is a month long, I’ll have time to go into more depth on this in a future column. 

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

      Like most Iowa school districts, the weather sometimes gets in our way and prevents us from having school. G-R has also been fortunate enough to have some cancellations due to the Rebels’ outstanding athletic achievements this year. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the last day of the school year for the 2016-2017 school year will be on Tuesday, June 6.  The 2017-2018 school year will begin on Wednesday, August 23. 

As you can tell, it is a very busy time for all of us involved with the Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District. I hope you’ve found the information in this column to be useful. My 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 more important than ever before. 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.