Central Preschool

Last year I made some changes to the Central Preschool program based on parent feedback.  Many of you shared concerns with how hard it was to get your children to and from school in a half-day program.  You also shared concerns with not having a junior kindergarten program for students who were maybe a little young or not quite ready for kindergarten.  This school year we increased our preschool programming to two full-time programs which include junior kindergarten, and from the feedback I have been given this has been a very positive change for Central.

Next school year we will be offering much of the same with the only change being a stronger focus on our junior kindergarten program.  Ms. Jacobsen will be taking all 4-year-old preschool students while Mrs. Erickson will be taking all junior kindergarten and possibly some 4-year-old students.

Both classes will be offered the same as they are offered this school year:

• Monday-Thursday, no school on Friday.
• Half-day or Full-day option.  Half-day option is 8:15 to 11:30.  Full-day option is 8:15-3:30.
• Half-day option is free.
• Full-day option is $125 a month plus lunch fees for those choosing to participate in our hot lunch program.
• Transportation is provided for the full-day program.
• Transportation is provided for arrival of the half-day program.

New this year Central will be offering a scholarship program for families that qualify for free & reduced lunch.  The goal of the scholarship program is to ensure all families can afford to send their children to our preschool program.

• 2015/2016 Central Preschool Scholarship Application  (may not pull up correctly unless you download the application)

The capacity for our preschool program still remains at 40 students, so make sure you contact the school immediately to ensure a spot for your child.  Currently we have 35 students signed up.  

Central will be hosting Preschool Round-Up on Friday, May 8th from 9-11:30.  Students will get to meet their classmates and teachers.  I will host a parent meeting to share more information on our program details including the new scholarship program as well as be available to answer any questions you may have.  Please make sure you call the elementary office (563) 245-1472 and register for this day.

Looking forward to meeting Central's newest students and new families.  See you May 8th!

Advocacy for Iowa's Public Schools

The Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB) and School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) have arranged tomorrow as a day to lobby for schools from home.  It would be great to have Central parents/stakeholders getting involved with this.  The key issues for Central are as follows:
1) Inequity in school funding for rural school district (I have spoke a lot about this on my Blog).
2) Budgets have already been approved and the legislature has broken their own law by not setting school funding.  What this means, property owners have taken on extra burden through property taxes to cover the State's shortfall.
3) Adequate funding so we do not have to continue to cut programs and people.  Central's expenditures raise an average of 3-4% a year.  1.25% and even 2.6% funding will not equal our raise in expenses.  Worst, if the two parties can't agree, the funding will default to 0%.

No matter where you lie politically, my guess is that you follow my Blog because you support our local school district.  Both sides need to work together to be financially responsible with our tax dollars, but also provide for the future of our state, our children!

Here is the information provided to me from IASB, please get involved anyway you can.

Advocacy in Action
Find a Path to Yes on April 22

The legislature is still in a holding pattern when it comes to school funding. School districts across the state had to certify their budgets on April 15, without knowing the funding rate. Several districts will have to cut programs and staff to balance their budgets while waiting for some type of direction from the legislature. Now is the time to let tell legislators that they must "Find a Path to Yes!"

School board members across the state have made phone calls, sent emails, and submitted letters to the editor encouraging their legislators to come to an agreement on adequate school funding. We are encouraging all school boards to recognize April 22 as "Lobby for School Funding from Home Day." 

What can you do? Here are some ideas:

• Have each board member make a personal contact with legislators through phone or email.
• Reach out to your communities to engage businesses, city organizations, PTA's to make a phone call or send an email.
• Have students make signs with the slogan "Find a Path to Yes," and take pictures of them holding those signs. Share the pictures with legislators, and on social media. 
• Call your local radio station and ask that they interview you about what the failure of action means for Iowa's school children. Use your district as an example. 
• Send a press release to your local newspaper detailing what actions you will likely have to take if we do not "Find a Path to Yes." Include information about the budget you certified.
• Find a creative way to use social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Here are a few keys points you can make when speaking with your legislator:

• Ask legislators to quickly decide on an adequate funding level.
• Remind legislators that no action means the rate is 0%. Detail what that means for your school district.
• Highlight innovative projects or students that have been recognized for accomplishments in your district and how a low funding rate could jeopardize programs. 
• Talk about the long term negative effects of low Supplemental State Aid

We encourage you to contact your legislators on all media platforms, whether it be email or social media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - use hashtag #iaschoolfunding and#ialegis. If you send an email, "CC" IASB by using the email address advocacy@ia-sb.org. Lets do all we can so legislators "Find a way to Yes" on behalf of Iowa's school children! 

Why Equitable School Funding is Crucial to Rural Schools

Over the last 25 years the percentage of children living in poverty has grown from 32 to 51 percent across the United States.  Iowa's trends are very similar and the amount keeps climbing.  In many cases these numbers are much higher in our rural communities and our rural school districts do not have the resources our larger school districts have to address these challenges.  (You need to look no further than our recent site-visit to prove this, as I participated in numerous interviews because I represent numerous people)

We can bicker all day about 1.25% or 2.6% school funding, but at the end of the day everyone knows neither number is a real investment into education.  Iowan voters are also not being told the truth about either of these percentage increases.  Last year the Iowa Legislature passed education reform in the name of Iowa Teacher Leadership & Compensation (TLC).  The premise of the education reform was to increase the roles of the best teachers in each school district, and to compensate them for their time in those roles.  Each school district was to receive approximately $310 per student to be used toward TLC.  While some politicians are making this out to be a huge investment to Iowa schools, the process is incredibly inequitable.  1) They decided to phase this in over 3 years.  The phase in was to represent 1/3 of the student population, not a 1/3 of the school districts.  2) The money set aside for TLC was promised not to have a negative affect on the current education funding schools already received.

So lets look at the facts.  I'll work backward and address #2 first.
2) TLC funding was promised to remain separate from all other school funding.  With our state budget growing at 4-5%, many ask me why is education only going to grow at 1.25%-2.6%?  Logical question.  The reason for such low percentage amounts is that doesn't include the full education funding picture.  We have seen this in our politician newsletters and in our newspapers where one party is arguing saying education is getting this many dollars, the other party is adding in TLC funds and stating education is getting this many dollars.  So actual percentage growth with TLC is higher than 1.25%-2.6%, and ranges more around 4%.  I think most school districts would be happy with a 4% increase, but that brings me back to my first point.
1) TLC funds are phased in over a 3-year period.  So lets take a peak at who really is receiving this funding.  There are 338 school districts in the State of Iowa.  If we consider rural school districts to be 600 students or less (Clayton Ridge is 598, for better understanding of size), that would be 143 of the 338 total school district as rural.  That makes 42% of Iowa's school districts, small rural school districts.  Now, out of that 143, what percentage do you think received TLC funds?  Would you be shocked if I told you 1%?  Only 5 districts of 600 students or less are currently receiving TLC funds.  So even though small rural school districts make up 42% of the total school districts, only 1% of them got TLC funds.

So not only did the small rural school districts that need the most help not receive the funds, they are also being punished with a less total school funding package because TLC funds are being lumped into the overall number for school funding (something we were promised by our politicians they would not do).  All 143 small rural school districts have the same issues (transportation costs, higher poverty rates, special needs students, homeless students, etc) that school districts with +600 students face.  So why can't we get funded equally to better provide for our children?  Iowa students shouldn't have their zip code determine their worth.  Please help me in asking the question of why our children are worth-less?

Thank you!

A big thank you to the voters of the Central community for your support of the physical plant and equipment levy and allowing the Central School District to access the one cent sales tax.  Both of these revenue sources allow our school district to purchase transportation, purchase technology, and maintain our buildings and grounds.

Your support of Central is greatly appreciated.