From the Desk of the Superintendent...
November 22, 2016
DECEMBER 2016 DISTRICT DISPATCH
Our certified enrollment is down by a very slight margin this year. The number of resident and open enrollment “in” students we are serving stands at 779.36. That is a decrease of 0.55 students from the 2015-16 school year when we served 779.91 students. Looking back, we served 772.47 students in 2014-15 and 734.7 students in 2013-14. (Partial weighting applies in situations such as a homeschooled student who takes a class at the high school.) The aforementioned number reflects students for whom we receive state funding because they live within the boundaries of our school district or they attend Underwood as a result of open enrollment. In addition, four-year-old boys and girls in prekindergarten qualify for partial weighting.
On Monday, November 14, 2016, the members of the Underwood Community School District Board of Directors approved a resolution appointing and approving Bankers Trust Company of Des Moines, Iowa, as the paying agent, bond registrar, and transfer agent for $3,525,000.00 in general obligation school refunding bonds, Series 2016, to refinance our previous general obligation bonds for the new middle school/elementary expansion project. The board members also approved the form of tax exemption certificate, continuing disclosure certificate, and a resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds. As I mentioned in my November District Dispatch article, this action has lowered the overall interest rate from 4.019% to 1.696% and has reduced the school district’s total principal and interest cost by $399,948.01. This will essentially cut a full year off our twenty-year payment schedule which began in 2007. The transaction is scheduled to close on December 1, 2016.
This past fall the Underwood Eagle Marching Band under the direction of Steve Moore, color guard choreographer Annabelle Schwery, drum line leader Danny Belt, and drum majors Maddy Marsh and Carlie Wilson had another excellent season. Junior marching French horn player Cody Verhage was awarded the outstanding marching award at the 61st annual Clarinda Band Jamboree where the Marching Eagles brought home their first division I rating of the season and the color guard placed second out nineteen marching band color guards that were participating. The following weekend saw the Marching Eagles earn another division I rating at the Loess Hills Fieldfest in Glenwood. The grand finale came the following weekend at the Iowa High School Music Association (IHSMA) Marching Festival which was held on a very windy day in Treynor. The Marching Eagles came home with their third division I rating of the season. This marks the twelfth year in a row that the Marching Eagles have earned a division I rating at the IHSMA Marching Festival. Following the marching band season, the following band members received special recognition at the marching band awards night: best marching senior, Ben Wade; best marching junior, Alexis Redshaw; best marching sophomore, Luke Warden; best marching freshman, Lauren Brown; most improved marcher, Jared Redshaw; most improved section, drum line/front ensemble; outstanding section, color guard; and Spirit of the Eagle, Cody Verhage. Senior baritone player Dylan Eblen also received a special honor this past fall when he was named as an alternate for the IHSMA All-State Music Festival which is held each November in the Hilton Coliseum on the campus of Iowa State University in Ames. Congratulations band members!
The fall variety show, 2016 Broadway and Beyond, under the direction of Bryce Hesterman and accompanied by Arla Jo Clausen was a great success. This entertaining production was presented on October 28th and 29th and showcased the high school concert choir and several soloists performing songs from The Lion King, Les Miserables, and The Phantom of the Opera. Soloists included the following students: Noah Russell, Brytani Lobendo, Maddy Marsh, Dylan Harvey, Meghan Funk, Brock McDonough, Conner Holben, Emily Ask, Julie Hedegaard, Katreena Norris, Cecilia Myers, Carlie Wilson, Alyssa Wacker, Gabe King, Hannah Wahab, and Gemma Whannell.
Special fall season sports honors were awarded to several Underwood student athletes. In cross country, the girls’ team consisting of Karley Larson, Kiley Cook, Mary Grace Martin, Erica Rowe, Lauren Shapcott, Cecilia Myers, and Naomi Wilson qualified for the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge with Karley placing third among all the girl runners. The girls’ cross country team finished first in the Western Iowa Conference and the boys finished third in the WIC. Karley Larson, Kiley Cook, Mary Grace Martin, and Thomas Conn were named to the first-team WIC all-conference roster. In volleyball, the team just missed going to the state tournament in a close loss to Central Lyon played in Sioux City. Emma Bonnet was selected to be on the first-team WIC all-conference squad and Sydnie Collins and Cailynn Wichman earned honorable mention honors In football, first-team all-district accolades went to Thad Bohbot, Roger Freese, Isaiah Humphrey, Hunter Goehring, and Jared Martin; second-team all-district recognition went to Adam Owen, Conner Fink, and Ian Mackerman; and honorable mention honorees were Clay Yates, Jesse Jensen, and Brandon Magnuson. Academic all-conference and all-district recipients included Jasmin Benedict, Emma Bonnet, Brock Brensel, Sydnie Collins, Kiley Cook, Dylan Eblen, Hunter Goehring, Jesse Jensen, Jarret Joldersma, Brandon Magnuson, Alexis Morales-Foote, Cale Nelson, Lance Parish, Nick Starnes, Cailynn Wichman, and Ben Wade.
On behalf of the employees of the school district, the school board members, and my family, I wish each of you the very best during this holiday season.
