Superintendent's Message for September 2024

The 2024-2025 school year is off to a great start!  We are quickly getting back in the swing of school activities and schedules. The temporary locations for Corning Elementary are working great, and staff, students, and parents have school routines running smoothly.  

Homecoming is the week of September 9th-13th, and the theme is “Bringing Home the Gold (Olympics).”  The community pep rally and coronation will be on Thursday, September 12th, at 6:00 p.m. at the football stadium, with the Activity Center as a backup for inclement weather.  The parade will occur in Corning at 2:00 p.m. on Friday and the kick-off for the game will be at 7 p.m. against Grandview Christian.  Make plans to be a part of this fall tradition at Southwest Valley Schools!

The Corning bond project is off and running and we are making progress on the base structure and the renovation of the middle section.  The project has seen the two circular pods and the breezeways removed and the central part of the building being renovated.  They have torn down out buildings and fencing at the ball fields.  During August the geothermal wells were being installed near the practice field, dirt work continued to level the ground for the new building, footings were dug out and concrete poured in the footings.  This month the public will begin to see the precast being erected onsite and the exterior part of the building will soon be taking shape!  Estes is working diligently to have the building enclosed before the first snow flies so the subcontractors can begin their inside work.  The plan for the punch list walkthrough is scheduled for June or July of 2025 and opening the building for students next fall.

Estes Construction is the project manager and will be providing updates on our school’s Facebook page including drone footage of the work being done.  We are also working on creating a link on our school website for pictures and videos of the progress on the project.  I will continue to update the progress in this column.  The public is welcome to stop by the construction site and look or watch, but for your safety, please stay out of the restricted areas.  Also, please exercise caution when driving around the Methodist church area, public library, ECEC and the high school building during school hours as we have students on the move this year. 

In Villisca, we are completing a painting project to spruce up the Wellness Center and it is looking very nice.  We also did some floor replacement in the Enarson building and other minor projects at the middle school.  I am excited about how well all of our buildings are taken care of by our great custodial staff consisting of:  Kolby Bissell (Director), Alan Butcher, Jack Romer, Tom Rhamy, Liza Beam, and Sam Norris.  These individuals go above and beyond to ensure our buildings and grounds are always looking great.

Have an enjoyable September in T-wolves Territory!