Superintendent's Message for January 2023

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023! It is always nice to tap on the brakes a little over the
holidays and recharge the batteries for the second half of the school year. We are excited to
continue strengthening and building all of our programs at Southwest Valley. We have several
building projects on both campuses. All of these projects are being paid for by federal funds we
received from the Covid-19 pandemic (American Rescue Plan Act) and the one-cent sales tax
(SAVE-Secure an Advanced Vision for Education) we use to improve our building sites.

The Enarson Elementary building will install new blinds by the end of the month. The Southwest
Valley Middle School added additional cameras to provide security for our students. The high
school auditorium has undergone a significant renovation with new curtains, sound boards,
carpet, sound system, and lights. The project is nearing completion and will be a great place for
events for many years. Bids will be received on January 12 for the activity center HVAC project
to replace a 30-year-old boiler and add air conditioning to the gym area. Earlier this year we
added air conditioning to the lobby and classroom areas. Last year the gym was painted, a new
American flag was installed, and the restrooms were renovated.

Our most significant undertaking is the proposed bond referendum to upgrade our Corning
elementary building and improvements to the softball and baseball fields. This bond
referendum will cost approximately 19.2 million dollars. The renovation will include meeting
ADA compliance standards. The district plans to hold two informational meetings on January
11th and February 28th to allow the public to tour the facilities and ask questions. Tours of the
elementary building will be from 5:00-6:10 p.m. prior to the meetings or you can request a tour
another time by calling the elementary office. This project is essential to the district and will
provide the best opportunities for students, staff, and the community as we move forward. I do
not want to tell you how to vote or spend your money, but please ask your questions and be an
informed voter.

The district has made significant progress in our academics as well. All four of our buildings
received acceptable or commendable ratings on the last Iowa Performance Profile released by
the Iowa Department of Education. Also, Enarson Elementary will be featured in an article on
the Iowa Department of Education website recognizing the huge turnaround in academics and
culture in the past four years! Enarson Elementary was a school in need of assistance in the
2018-2019 school year. Under the new leadership and alignment of positions, they have moved
off that list and are a commendable building. The culture and climate are very different. In all
the facilities, we have great staff trying to provide the best education for our students. The
district continues to work toward being a Destination District and with community support, we
will continue to provide the best education to our students! It is a great day to be a T-wolf.