FROM THE DESK OF THE SUPERINTENDENT...
JANUARY 2015 DISTRICT DISPATCH
Welcome back to the new year and the beginning of the second semester. Students resume classes on Monday, January 5, 2015. With winter here, the possibility of late starts, early dismissals, or school cancellations due to inclement weather is always with us. Please remember to tune in to the following radio and television stations if the weather appears threatening: KMA (960 AM), KFAB (1110 AM), KNOD (105.3 FM), KMTV (Channel 3), WOWT (Channel 6), and KETV (Channel 7). In addition, our school district subscribes to the SchoolReach Instant Parent Contact System. This automated telephone broadcast service enables school personnel to notify all households and parents by telephone within minutes of an emergency or unplanned event that causes a late start, an early dismissal, or a school cancellation. If you have not signed up for this service and are interested in participating, please contact the principal’s office where your child or children attend. In addition, if you signed up in the past but have stopped receiving calls, it may be because you have changed telephone numbers and we are not aware of the change. If you think this might be the case, contact the principal’s office where your child or children attend and make sure your new number is the one on file.
At last November’s school board convention in Des Moines, I attended a session which focused on school funding inequity in Iowa due to transportation costs. State law specifies that the board of directors in every school district in Iowa shall provide student transportation services. This commitment to getting children to school has been a critical component in assuring that all children, no matter where they live, have an equal opportunity to receive an education. However, distances traveled and associated costs vary significantly across school districts in Iowa. Some school districts spend an insignificant amount of their financial resources to transport students to and from school while other school districts spend almost $5,000.00 per pupil transported per year. During the 2012-13 school year, the transportation cost per pupil transported per school district in Iowa ranged from $227.62 to $4,902.14, with an average cost per pupil transported of $600.52. Underwood’s cost per pupil transported during that time was $546.28. Options being considered to address this problem include the following: (1) additional funding to school districts whose transportation costs exceed the state average cost per pupil; (2) additional funding to school districts whose transportation costs are 25% more than the state average cost per pupil; and (3) additional funding in the amount of $20.00 per pupil for transportation to all school districts in Iowa. It will be interesting to see whether or not this topic receives much attention in the upcoming legislative session.
The Underwood Performing Arts Center’s inaugural season is just around the corner. As I mentioned in the December District Dispatch, highly acclaimed performers Jaimee Paul and Jim Curry will bring their talents to Underwood’s new performing arts center in February and April of 2015. Miss Paul’s silky voice and sophisticated stage presence bring American standards such as “Route 66” and “Summertime” to life while Mr. Curry’s tribute to John Denver captures the persona and charm of one of America’s most beloved singer/songwriters. Miss Paul will be performing with a jazz combo led by her husband Leif Shires at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 15, 2015, and Mr. Curry’s John Denver tribute will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2015. Check out the Underwood Performing Arts Center website at http://underwoodperformingarts.com/ to learn more about these talented performing artists. Tickets are $25.00 each and ordering is fast and easy. Go to http://www.midwestix.com/ and get your tickets today. Ticket orders have been coming in steadily since the first part of December, so don’t delay. If additional information is needed, call the school district’s central office at 566-2332 or the high school at 566-2703.