ADM Parents –
I hope you are all doing well today on this beautiful morning! Just a few updates today prior to the long and warm weekend.
First Annual “Experiencing Success Today Conference” Tomorrow!
We are excited that our students will have such great weather on Friday on their day off, and we are super excited about the professional development planned for our teachers and administrators. The first annual “Experiencing Success Today” Conference is all set and will be just like a professional education conference we might attend off-site. Dr. Todd Whitaker, a nationally-renowned leader on teacher and principal effectiveness, is our guest and will provide two keynote addresses and two breakout sessions. All the other breakout sessions will be presented by our own ADM teachers. If you are interested in joining in on the conversation over twitter, follow the day at #weareadm
District Enrollment Projections
We recently received our updated enrollment projections from RSP and Associates. The School Board approved this new enrollment study as the result of the continuing pace of residential development spurred by the Adel tax abatement.
This report contains a five and ten-year projection for our district.
The full (lengthy) report is attached. Just a note, the projection charts are on page 35 and 36.
The five-year projection is for 2,385 students by the 2021-22 school year. This is well beyond the enrollment projections done four years ago as residential construction continues at a pace that exceeds previous expectations generated by the tax abatement program in Adel.
The School Board is set to have a full review with the demographer at a special board meeting next Monday, February 20 at 7:00 pm.
ADM_BOEDiscussion_1617_021517_
web.pdf Teacher Contract Settlement
On Monday night, the ADM School Board and the ADM Education Association agreed to a two-year contract. The settlement calls for a 2.75% increase for 2017-18 and a 2.5% increase for 2018-19.
This settlement is lower than the last few years due largely to the very low 1.1% supplemental state aid increase for Iowa schools that has been approved by the Iowa legislature.
This contract settlement also allows the district to adequately plan for the anticipated changes to the collective bargaining law commonly referred to as “Chapter 20”. I am sure most of you are aware of the contentious debate playing out on this issue in Des Moines this week. Our ability to settle early demonstrates a commitment to foster and maintain effective relationships between the board/administration and our teachers, our most valuable resource serving students. While we are able to operate under the approved contract through 2018-19, we know that significant changes are expected to the new collective bargaining law.
2017-18 School Calendar
We anticipate having the 2017-18 school calendar ready for board consideration at our March 20 board meeting. The key components of the calendar for next year still look very solid, including:
First Day of School – Wednesday, August 23
Christmas Break – December 23–January 2
Spring Break – March 12-16
Commencement – May 20
Last Day of School – May 25
Iowa School Readiness Report
Be sure to check out ADM’s data on the new Iowa Readiness Report, jointly released by the Iowa Board of Regents, Iowa Department of Education, and the Iowa Workforce Development Council at http://reports.educateiowa.gov
/postsecondaryreadiness. ADM’s percentage of graduates needing remedial English and/or Math in their first two years of college is 11.3%, well below the state average of over 22%. This is another important measure of our student’s readiness for college and https://asp.schoolmessenger.co
m/admk12/emailattachment.php?i d=577&caid=844&name=ADM_BOEDis cussion_1617_021517_web.pdfwil l be a data source we will continue to utilize in the coming years. Stadium Building
The bid documents for the stadium building and related site improvements for ADA accessibility will hit the streets on Friday. The building will be around 2,600 square feet and include concessions area and related storage, male and female restrooms, a family toilet (required by code), a ticket-taking room, and officials changing area. The plans also include creating ADA accessible access to the stadium through a paved drive access and handicapped parking at the parking lot area.
The plans also include a secured gate entrance for community use of the track during designated times. A key fob will be available for all patrons wanting access to the track for just the cost of the fob. This will allow community members access to the track to run/walk during the designated times and months and still allow the facility to be secured. Norwalk has had great success with this kind of arrangement at their stadium complex, and this provides a thoughtful balance for community use and protecting the facility.
If a bid is approved, the work should be completed sometime before the start of school in the fall ahead of the first football game.
Have a great weekend and enjoy your children!Sincerely,
Greg