Bell and Bus Times for Next Year
On Friday, Andy Craig, president of Assumption, and I met with several representatives of the Davenport Community School District: Mike Maloney (DCSD’s Director of Operations), Beth O’Dette, and Kristy Kleinsmith. On the phone was the consultant whom the district is paying to find ways to reduce transportation costs. None of the options the consultant had tried in the week since our last meeting were resulting in the reduction of five bus routes, the number of routes needed to be eliminated to save the $300,000 the district is planning on saving in transportation costs. This $300,000 reduction is part of the budget that the DCSD will be looking to pass on April 9th.
While these results are disappointing, the DCSD is not done looking at options. Dr. Art Tate, DCSD’s superintendent, has directed the consultant to do more work. One idea that we discussed at length was to increase the number of riders that are scheduled for a bus route. JFK, for example, has about 160 students signed up to ride a bus before school, after school, or both. Routes have to be determined as if all 160 are riding every day. Our actual daily ridership, however, is about 80-90 students. If routes were designed for the buses to carry more students with the realization that 50% won’t actually be riding every day, fewer routes may actually be needed. Of course, if all the students were to ride each day, then there could be issues. It is also possible that the longer routes would increase the amount of time spent on a bus. Currently, the average ride time is 35 minutes, and state law caps it at 60 minutes for K-6 and 75 minutes for 7-12. Other ideas that were discussed were to change faith-based schools’ start times to an earlier time than currently and tweak public school times.
While we all recognize that some changes are likely to take place, the DCSD also recognizes that the fewest changes not only for us but also for its own schools and families are probably the most desirable. However, $300,000 still needs to be found. It is likely that the budget, which includes the $300,000 cut in transportation costs, will be passed on April 9th before the consultant can run more scenarios, which he indicated might take him until the end of April or beginning of May. It is possible that the DCSD will pass a budget with $300,000 in cuts to transportation before it takes up the details for how the $300,000 in cuts will be made.
The bell times are not on the agenda for DCSD’s April 9th board meeting. The current intention is to have them on the April 23rd agenda. It is time to let our voices be heard. We need to encourage the DCSD to find ways to make the transportation work for us. Please consider attending the DCSD’s board meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 9th and/or April 23rd in the Jim Hester Board Room on the 3rd floor of the Achievement Services Center located at 1606 Brady Street. You may sign up to speak before the meeting. You will likely have 2-3 minutes to speak, as set and timed by the board. Board members will not respond to comments made in Open Forum (but they still listen!) To email the board, you can use the following address: BoardComments@Davenportschools.org. Communications that contain your name and address will be distributed to all board members; anonymous messages are not distributed.
To see the video of the DCSD board meeting at which the bell time proposal was presented, click HERE . The bell time issue is at about 1:22 – 1:34 of the video.
Iowa Assessments This Week
Students in grades K-8 will be taking the Iowa Assessments this week. Plenty of sleep and a good breakfast as always in order. Ask students what the best part of Iowa Assessment week is, and they’ll probably tell you it’s the snacks that teachers at many grade levels allow the students to have in between tests!
Time to Buy Gala Tickets — Still Time to Volunteer
It’s time to buy Gala tickets. The Gala is the largest fundraiser of OLV and JFK and supports all of our educational needs. This year we’re trying to do a “super Gala” with funds raised above our normal net of $25,000 – $30,000 to go toward establishing the seed money for an air conditioning project. The Gala is May 5th beginning at 5 p.m. at the Elks’ Lodge on Central Park Avenue near Emeis Golf Course. The Gala includes amazing food, fun and fellowship with live and silent auctions. The Funktastic 5 will also be performing at this year’s Gala. Tickets are $40.
The Gala still needs people who can help with many different activities — everything from making phone calls, setting up a stage for the band, decorating, and cleaning up, Please contact Angie Hillebrand at the school office.
Donations are also being accepted. Just mark them OLV/JFK Gala.
Survey from the Iowa Department of Education: Response Rates Monitored
The Iowa Department of Education is conducting a survey of parents of all students in public and non-public schools. While the survey is intended to fulfill reporting requirements under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which require that states report the percent of parents with a child receiving special education services who report that schools facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for children with IEPs, the data is being gathered as a census for both students with and without an IEP using a brief (four question) survey. Below are the survey questions:
- How old was your child on January 1, 2018? (choose 3-21)
- What is your child’s race or ethnicity? (choose American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Two or More Races, White)
- Does your child have an Individualized Education Program – IEP? (y/n)
- Did the school your child is currently attending facilitate (request, encourage or initiate) your involvement as a means of improving services and results for your child? (y/n)
The survey should be completed once for each child in the family. Attached electronically is the letter from the Department of Education or you can click here for the survey itself: IDEA Parent Survey – Letter to Parents. You can also use the following link/url to reach the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018AEA9.
The survey is open through June 30th, and the DE has indicated that it will be monitoring response rates throughout the survey window.
Tuition Contracts for 2018-19 and Kindergartners Still Being Accepted
Take advantage of an early bird registration discount by returning your family’s tuition contract ASAP. Kindergarten spots are also still available. Please contact the school office, to reserve your spot for next year.
Preschool and Childcare Registration for 2018-19
3, 4, and 5 year old preschool and/or childcare registration has begun. Please contact the school office before the spots you want are no longer available.
Civic Oration Winners
Congratulations to the following students:
5th/6th Grade Division: Macie R. 1st place, Cole M. 2nd place, and Elexa A. 3rd place
7th/8th Grade Division: Sophia M. 1st place, Allie A. 2nd place, and Anastasha M. 3rd place
We would also like to thank our panel of judges: Andy Burman, Lynn Day-Steimle, Andy Craig, Connie Creen, Denny Prior, and Tracy VerMulm
2018-19 School Calendar
The DCSD has posted its calendar for next school year. Click HERE or use the following link/url: http://www.davenportschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/2018-19-FINAL-ACADEMIC-CALENDAR-2.pdf. We’re in the process of entering all of our activities onto the olvjfk.com website calendar.
National Speaker: Silent Strength
National speaker Doug Reavis will share his Silent Strength presentation with middle school students in the Catholic schools of Scott County on April 27th. A high school presentation will be held on the 26th, and a parent presentation is in the evening on the 26th (6:30-8 in the AHS auditorium). Silent Strength centers on kindness and, in faith-based settings, seeing God in every other person. It has been said that he gives the best anti-bullying message out there without ever using the word “bullying.” Many thanks to AHS for sponsoring Doug Reavis and providing transportation to the Catholic elementary schools.
Policy Committee Members Sought for Spring 2018
Each year we examine about 1/3 of the policies contained in the Parent & Student Handbook. We have also been looking at the four policies relating to dress code on an annual basis, and our policies regarding cell phones and Internet usage also seem to need yearly review. We can usually accomplish our work for the year in 2-3 spring meetings. If interested in serving on the policy committee this spring, please contact me via email.
