FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT
by Ed Hawks
April 22, 2009
MAY 2009 DISTRICT DISPATCH
At the regular school board meeting held on Monday, April 13, 2009,
the Underwood Community School District Board of Directors approved
the certified budget for the 2009-10 school year at a total maximum
amount not to exceed $9,931,540. Key information shared with the
school board members included the following: (1) taxable valuation
in the school district has increased from $183,205,764 to
$191,992,289; (2) the general fund property tax levy is projected
to increase from 12.54234 to 13.28921; (3) the management fund
property tax levy is projected to increase from 0.81875 to 0.83337;
(4) the schoolhouse fund property tax levy will remain at 0.33; and
(5) the debt service property tax levy will decrease from 2.26645
to 2.16593. The grand total property tax rate is projected to be
16.71851. This is an increase of 0.76097 from last year’s property
tax rate of 15.95754, but a decrease of 0.23838 from the previous
year’s property tax rate of 16.95689. The school district’s
financial condition remains strong. In order to maintain a strong
financial position, the school district must closely monitor
expenditure increases and guard against becoming overstaffed and
underfunded. Our goal is to maintain a cash balance backed by
spending authority which enables us to operate for at least two or
three months without having to borrow any money.
Our school district’s building principals and faculty members from
the elementary school, middle school, and high school have been
busy during this past school year attending workshops and receiving
training regarding the Iowa Core Curriculum. The vision of the Iowa
Core Curriculum is to ensure the success of all students by
providing them with a world-class curriculum which identifies the
essential content and instruction that all students must experience
in order to be prepared for the world of work and lifelong
learning. Recently, the Iowa Department of Education announced the
launch of a new website at www.corecurriculum.iowa.gov which is
designed to help parents and community members learn more about the
Iowa Core Curriculum’s statewide academic expectations for
kindergarten through twelfth-grade students. The website offers a
look at the skills and concepts all students must know under this
new statewide curriculum initiative. The Iowa Core Curriculum
includes concepts and skills in literacy, math, science, social
studies, and twenty-first century learning skills (i.e., civic
literacy, financial literacy, technology literacy, health literacy,
and employability skills). For additional information regarding the
Iowa Core Curriculum, please visit the Iowa Department of
Education’s website at www.iowa.gov/educate and click on “Iowa Core
Curriculum” on the left-hand side of the page.
The Underwood Community School District is joining other school
districts throughout Iowa to honor its elected school board members
during School Board Recognition Week which runs from May 10-16,
2009. “Making Strides in Public Education” is this year’s Iowa
Association of School Boards’ theme. This theme recognizes that
school board members are local leaders working hard to help all
students succeed and become productive members of society. The
members of our local school board are Bill Bracker, Neil
Darrington, Julie Handbury, Greg Konsor, and Keith Petersen. When
the opportunity presents itself, please join me in telling them
“thank you” for a job well done.
The last day of classes for students will be Thursday, May 21,
2009. We will have an 11:30 a.m. dismissal that day. Have a great
summer!
