Superintendent's Message for February 2025

Hello, Chargers!!

I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible efforts of Doug Hobbs and Melissa Caudill.  These two staff members organized and created our district’s Special Olympics Program.  This initiative can change our students' lives by promoting personal growth, confidence, and a sense of community. The opportunity it provides for individuals of all abilities to come together, showcase their talents, and celebrate their achievements is invaluable. Thank you for your dedication and vision in making this program a reality. Your hard work is already making a meaningful impact, and it will continue for years to come.

Needs Assessment Survey

Our school district has requested a Needs Assessment Survey conducted by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB).  The survey is designed to help us assess our strengths and areas of improvement, focusing on improved student achievement.  We would like your opinions and judgments in response to the brief survey conducted at the end of the month and during conference week - March 3rd - 6th.  The survey takes an average of 9 minutes to complete.  This is typically done every three to five years. This crucial process allows us to gain valuable insights from all stakeholders - students, families, teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators in our district. The results of this survey help us understand the current state of our educational environment and identify areas for improvement. By gathering input from all members of our school community, we can:

• Address Diverse needs of our students
• Inform Decision-Making
• Drive Continuous Improvement
• Promote Transparency and Accountability

Your participation in this survey is invaluable in shaping the future of our school district. Together, we can ensure that every student receives the support and opportunities they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) 

** Please note this is a change from the information contained in the my board report on February 10th due to the March 1st application deadline from the State of Iowa.

The Chariton CSD is considering offering a Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) during the 2025-2026 school year.  Over the past year, we have been investigating and planning how this service will be provided to interested families.  Mr. Schwarte will be the administrator assigned to create and oversee the program with assistance from the school district’s Superintendent.  

We have created the following timeline:

• February 11th -14th - Communicate to the community and our families the intent to start a Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) if interest and participation warrants.
• February 10th - 19th - Meet with a focus group of CCSD families to gain additional information.
• February 21st - 26th - Informational meeting for all prospective families 
• Before the March 1st State application deadline - Continue to identify, meet, communicate, and recruit families interested in this program offering. 
• March 2025 - until filled - Hire appropriate staff to support the Home School Assistance Program (HSAP) and its students and families who participate.   

With any new program being considered, the interest of parents and families will guide the final decision of the school board to approve this new program.  

Day on the Hill

Board members Mr. Dachenbach and Mr. Howell attended the Iowa Legislative “Day on the Hill” with me, sponsored by the Iowa School Board Association, School Administrators of Iowa, and the Area Education Agency.  We spent the morning with lobbyists from each group explaining what is taking place in this year's session and proper etiquette at the State Capital.  We got to speak with Senator Amy Sinclair to discuss educational topics with a few other superintendents.  Attached is information that was given to us when we arrived.  Day on the Hill -2025 

School Calendar Development

We are in the early stages of developing the school calendar for the 2025-2026 school year.  Many things go into planning a school calendar, such as the state’s mandated start date, professional development for our staff, holiday breaks, whether to utilize virtual learning days, the traditional spring break, the student’s last day before Memorial Day weekend, and ensuring the student’s instructional day/week/year is effective.  It is impossible to achieve everything and please everyone, but this essential work must be completed. I invite you to reach out to me to express your opinions and thoughts on the school calendar, students' required hours, and other topics that are important to you.  We may not be able to honor everyone's request, but your voice will be heard and considered.  

Student Instructions Hours Explained

Related to the calendar development is how much time our students’ instructional year is compared to the State’s minimum hours of 1,080 hours.  Our official instructional day has increased from previous years from 6.5 hours to 6.6 hours per day, but only at the elementary level.  The MS and HS instructional day has been 6.6 hours per day.  The state’s law indicates that schools must use the school building in the district with the lowest instructional day to calculate their official instructional hours to meet the state’s minimum.  Although there is only a .1 difference over the 180 days our students attend school, it adds up to 18 hours or 2.73 days. When developing the calendar last year, we wanted to ensure that our secondary students' instructional time did not decrease.  We also built in five inclement weather days to prevent us from utilizing virtual learning days, which our staff and parents voiced was not ideal. We plan to inform all stakeholders of whether or not we will waive any school days (hours) over the state’s minimum in April.  Until then we evaluate the impact of that as well as monitor how more days will be used for inclement weather cancellations or delays in our school year. 

Upcoming Board Meetings

• Special Board Meeting - February 25th, at 12:00 PM - Approve MS drawings and specifications of project
• March Board meeting will be on the 17th, which is changed from the 2nd Monday of the month.
• Proposed taxpayer notice public hearing- March 24th, 5:30 PM

Please visit our website at https://www.charitonschools.org/ for additional information about our school district.

GO CHARGERS and THINK BIG !!!!  

Mr. Baker, #LBE

Phone - 641-774-5967

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

Twitter -  @Super_Charger