Superintendent's Message for October 2022

Greetings Charger Nation!

October is here and fall is in full swing.   Our fall activities are off to a great year and I have enjoyed watching them. Please try to get out and support our youth as they participate in things they enjoy while representing our school.  They will notice and appreciate your presence.  

Homecoming 2022 is in the books and did not disappoint.  When I came to Chariton people said we have a wonderful Homecoming tradition.  Boy, they were not kidding.  What a wonderful event for our school and community. The pride exhibited around this event is second to none and was very impressive to experience.  

I want to highlight and communicate a couple things going in our district:

1. October 3rd is the official State count day for our district.  Certified Enrollment is an annual report of enrolled resident students used for the Iowa School Finance Formula calculation.  All schools are allotted a certain amount of funding per student.  This money helps drive our budget along with local tax payers money.  At this time, it is hard to determine what our actual numbers will be.  Once those numbers are finalized, we will share that information with the staff and community. 
2. Hard to believe but Parent/Teacher conferences are already here and are scheduled for October 26th and 27th. We will dismiss school 90 minutes early both days. The conferences allow time for parents and teachers to come together for the common good of our students.  Conducting them early in the school year helps ensure student’s needs are being met.  Due to our staff working evening hours there will be no school on Friday, Oct. 28th.
3. Construction planning is taking place between the School Board, district personnel, and 10 Fold.  10 Fold is an architectural and engineering firm that has been hired by the School Board to compile a long range facility plan for our district.  We are also in the early stage of planning for a few projects scheduled to start this summer.  1. We will upgrade the HVAC system in Columbus and Van Allen Elementaries, specifically the gymnasiums and kitchen areas.  2. We will be replacing the Van Allen playground with a new modern structure which will also be ADA approved to ensure all students have equal access for our enjoyment. 
4. We have also requested soil samples to be taken at and around Reynolds Field to investigate and explore issues with erosion and water damage due to the field’s elevation being lower than the track surface.  After receiving the results of the soil samples a decision will be made using 10 Fold’s cost comparisons to repair the existing surface or replace it with a new synthetic one. In conjunction with the soil samples we have requested preliminary designs to be drawn up for a synthetic all purpose surface.  This will allow the Board to compare the two options without holding up the decisions to move forward on repairing or upgrading the field’s surface.
5. I’m excited to announce that we have started a District Leadership Team (DLT).  The team membership consists of administrator and district instructional coaches from each school.  We will meet twice a month to discuss and make decisions focused around curriculum, instruction, and assessments.  The goal of this is to lead the district to improve the educational experiences of our students while assisting and supporting our staff.

Thanks for all the support you have shown for our school and students.  It is very much appreciated.  Be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.  Going straight to the source is always the best practice. I’m happy to hear from you!  Below are several ways you can do that if you would rather not meet face to face.  

GO CHARGERS and THINK BIG !!!

Mr. Baker

Office phone - 641-774-5967

Cell phone - 641-202-1316

Email- brad.baker@chariton.k12.ia.us

Follow me on Twitter @Super_Charger