FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT...
by Ed Hawks
February 22, 2010
MARCH 2010 DISTRICT DISPATCH
We started the 2009-10 school year with seven “make-up days” to utilize before going into the month of June with students. However, because of the severity of our winter this year and the consequent large number of snow days, the members of the Underwood Board of Education took action on February 15, 2010, to approve revising our 2009-10 school calendar to include two additional snow make-up student days in March and two additional snow make-up student days in April. Those four additional student days are as follows: Friday, March 26, 2010; Monday, March 29, 2010; Friday, April 2, 2010: and Monday, April 5, 2010. Please note that we will be having 1:30 p.m. dismissals on Monday, March 29, 2010; Friday, April 2, 2010; and Monday, April 5, 2010. The early dismissal on Friday, April 2, 2010, carries over the early dismissal planned for Thursday, April 1, 2010, and the early dismissals on Monday, March 29, 2010, and Monday, April 5, 2010, are designed to provide time for faculty members to participate in professional development activities that were originally scheduled for the “regular professional development day” on Monday, March 29, 2010. Please mark your calendar now to reflect these changes and keep your fingers crossed that we don’t have a March that comes in like a lion and then keeps chasing us all the way to the beginning of April!
In addition to the severe winter weather, the State of Iowa’s 10% across-the-board cut in school funding has made the 2009-10 school year extremely challenging. With approximately 80% of our annual budget contractually committed to employees’ salaries and benefits, we are dipping into our reserves in order to make it through the school year in view of the over $342,000 cut we are experiencing. In addition to dipping into our reserves, we are cutting back as much as possible in discretionary areas such as attendance at workshops, new equipment purchases, and technology upgrading. It will take us a few years to recover from this year’s difficult 10% across-the-board cut. However, by planning carefully, spending frugally, and guarding against becoming overstaffed, we will gradually restore our unreserved-undesignated fund balance to the point that we can meet payroll and pay bills without borrowing money during July and August when we do not receive any state aid payments.
Looking ahead to April, please note that we will be having prekindergarten round-up on Thursday, April 8, 2010, and kindergarten round-up on Friday, April 9, 2010. The elementary office is presently in the process of identifying prekindergarten and kindergarten students for the 2010-11 school year. You don’t need to wait until round-up time to register your child for prekindergarten or kindergarten. If you know that your child or grandchild will be five-years-old on or before September 15, 2010, please call the elementary office at 566-2326 to inquire about registering for kindergarten. Our kindergarten program is an all-day program that lasts for the entire school year. If you know that your child or grandchild will be four-years-old on or before September 15, 2010, please call the elementary office at 566-2326 to inquire about registering for prekindergarten. Unlike kindergarten, prekindergarten is not mandated by the State of Iowa. Our prekindergarten program is a half-day program which lasts for the entire school year. We limit our enrollment to 36 students each year for this program.
