Superintendent's Message for May 2021

May has arrived and we are in the final month of our 2020-2021 school year.  This month I am going to pay tribute to the school board members from both Corning and Villisca.  May has always been School Board Recognition Month in the state of Iowa.  We present our members with certificates and I like to provide them a meal on the night of our regularly scheduled meeting. 

Board members are locally elected, non-salaried public officials entrusted with the task of providing the direction for the education of students across Iowa.  The board of education can trace its roots back to the earliest days of our country.  It has made public schools flexible and responsive to local community needs.  Today, public schools are being asked to raise the bar of academic achievement, while remaining good stewards of the public’s investment in education.  The board has several key areas that demand sound knowledge in such as leadership, school improvement, school finance, and advocacy.  Each month, they donate their personal time in service to Iowa students.

Iowa has 327 school districts with five or seven-member school boards.  School board members are elected by their local communities in elections held the first Tuesday of November in odd number years.  They may be elected at large or from director districts and serve four-year terms.  There are 1,859 school board members statewide, 57% are male, and 43% are female.  Iowa school board members represent a continuing commitment to local citizen decision-making in public education. 

The school board at Corning consists of five members: Gwen Larsen (President), Amy Grau (Vice President), Howard Andersen, James Houck, and Dr. Scott Shuey.  This board meets on the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the boardroom.  They have accomplished many things in my short tenure including, tearing down the middle school, constructing a new greenhouse, hiring two new administrators, acquired the early childhood learning center, lowering taxes, and improving school facilities.  Their long-term focus is improving the curriculum, delivery of instruction, and fiscal responsibility.  

The school board at Villisca consists of five members:  Tom Williams (President), Leland Shipley (Vice President). Richard Mullen, Terry Dalton, and Jason Poston.  This board meets on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the conference room at Enarson Elementary.  They have accomplished many things as well, such as, helped pass a six million dollar renovation for both school buildings, hired two new administrators, lowering taxes, and opened an early childhood center at Enarson Elementary. Their long-term focus is also improving the curriculum, delivery of instruction, and fiscal responsibility.

It is a pleasure to work for all ten of these individuals daily and learn from them as I move forward in my career.  They have been exceptional during the Covid-19 crisis and have been supportive of decisions we have made at the school level.  This month, please take a moment to thank these individuals for their work as your local representatives on the school board.  Have a great May!