SPS Winter Newsletter
December 1, 2023
From the Superintendent
December is here, and we once again wonder where the time has gone as we get ready to finish the first semester of the 2023-2024 school year on Friday, December 22, with a two-hour early dismissal. There is a lot to celebrate in the first semester of the school year. We have experienced these celebrations in the classroom, fields, stages, and courts. Seward Public Schools just received an excellent rating from the Nebraska Department of Education for the sixth straight year, which is the highest ranking given by the state for the 2022-2023 district performance!
In the classroom, we have implemented a new language arts curriculum district-wide, which has been rewarding but also a lot of new learning for students and teachers. Our sports and activities also experienced many celebrations with successful fall seasons. Seward Public Schools implemented Unified Bowling this school year, which has been a rewarding experience for our students, and as of this writing, the team just won districts and is headed to state!
These celebrations are a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our students, staff, and parents. As we celebrate these accomplishments, we also look toward the future of SPS through our creation of a new district strategic plan that has involved students, staff, parents, board members, and community leaders. This important work will help us move forward over the next five years and has helped us look in the mirror to see what we do well as a district and what areas we can improve upon. We will roll out a rough draft of the strategic plan over the next few months with board approval sometime this spring.
Our board of education also worked hard during the budget process to meet the needs of our district while also being fiscally responsible by dropping our overall tax request by $1.5 million from last year with the new state dollars from foundation aid given to all school districts from the state. Seward Public Schools was able to drop the overall levy by $0.15.
As we enter the holiday season, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. Winter Break will go from December 23 to January 3, with students getting out on Friday, December 22, at 1:30 pm. Thank you for all of your continued support of Seward Public Schools!
Join the SPS TEAM –
Please consider joining the Seward Public Schools Team! We have openings for bus drivers, para professionals and substitute teachers. Applications may be picked up at the district office at 410 South Street, Seward NE.
WEATHER RELATED SCHOOL CLOSINGS
Winter is here and dealing with something as unpredictable as the weather makes school closing decision-making one of the most challenging responsibilities for school superintendents. Whenever dealing with something as unpredictable as weather, mistakes will be made. The bottom line is that forecasts are not always correct, but ignoring them is not advised. If there are errors, I always hope to error on the side of caution.
I am eager to hear from the public on most school related issues. Weather related school closings are the one exception. As a superintendent I have to make the call and live with the decision to have school or not. There are going to be many opinions, but I have to make the call on the information I have available at the time, and sometimes that information is not accurate. I apologize in advance because I know I will not always make the right call, but I guarantee the decisions I make will be based on the best information I have at the time. If a decision has been made to have school, PARENTS/GUARDIANS ultimately have the right to make a decision whether or not they want to send their children to school. If you think the roads are not safe for travel, then please keep your children home. Please call the school and let them know your plans so we don’t wonder where your child is.
If a decision is made to start late, school will begin two hours late with buses running accordingly. There will be no morning pre-school if there is a late start, but the afternoon pre-school will be in session. School will be held when main roads are drivable. Buses will not travel untended or ungraded roads in bad weather even if school is in session. If it becomes necessary, you will be informed about pick up points that could be used when some roads are not passable for our buses. If we are having school and your road is not passable, please call the bus garage at 402-643-6069 and let them know if you have not already heard from your bus driver.
Once in a while a late start might be scheduled to give us more time to make a decision. Continue to listen to school closing information as a late start could be changed to a cancellation. Please be prepared.
Unless some unforeseen event happens, a decision will be made by 6:30 a.m. and the decision will be communicated via our alert system and posted to TV Stations (Channels 8 and 10/11). Weather-related school announcements will also be made using our social media Twitter, and Facebook. The alert system provides immediate messages/communications, so you do not have to listen to the TV or radio to find out what is happening. We gather parent/guardian contact information from PowerSchool, which is the student management software we utilize. If your contact information is accurate, parents/guardians should receive notifications. If you are not receiving alerts, you may contact Craig Williams at ticket@sewardschools.org.
In the event school is canceled or dismissed early, typically all activity and athletic practices will be canceled on those days and the school buildings will be closed. If we decide not to cancel school and parents want their children to come home immediately after school, parents have the right to excuse their children from practice due to weather.
Annual Report
Every year our school district produces an annual report for our stakeholders. The annual report has information about our district including our progress on the strategic plan, demographic data, and student achievement data. Please be sure to click on the following link to learn more about our district:https://sites.google.com/sewardschools.org/annual-report-22-23?usp=sharing
Curriculum Update- English Language Arts
Implementation of the new English Language Arts programs are well underway. An informal conversation with students was had to get their perspectives regarding the materials.
At the elementary school and 5th grade we are using Wonders 2023 materials, students note that they "like how each day starts with a scale regarding how much they already know about the topic, it helps me to make a connection to the story." Students also share that "the stories are funny and many of the stories are about real events, we even read plays."
At the Middle school, students are using instructional materials from Into Literature. Students noted that they "like the materials way better than last year, this book has charts and graphs that help us learn about the story and the skills that go with the story." In addition, students said they "like how there is more non-fiction where they can learn about different things."
At the High School, we are implementing new novels in addition to our traditional novels. Students also are having experiences with a new vocabulary program as well as Study Sync materials which provide additional non-fiction, poetry, and short reads. Students note that "the vocabulary practices really helped me to understand the words and be able to use them in other situations." Students also added that when they use the study sync program for assignments or assessments "it is easy to understand and track if you completed the assignment."
Strategic Planning
A group of 45 staff, students, parents, board members, and community members have been engaged in strategic planning during the month of November. Below you will find information about what the team has identified for our school district. If you have any feedback after looking at the information, please fill out this form.
Beliefs
We believe in providing a physically safe and secure environment.
We believe that a partnership of families, schools, and community can prepare all students to achieve success academically and beyond.
We believe in supporting and continually expanding the knowledge and skills of our staff.
We believe in the value and impact educators have on student achievement
We believe intentionally preparing students to be problem solvers and critical thinkers will meet the demands of an ever changing global society.
We believe a positive culture is strengthened by relationships and prioritizing the mental health of staff and students.
We believe in the value of inclusion, equity, and diversity.
Parameters
We will make decisions in the best interests of the whole student by providing the support needed to thrive academically, mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially.
We will provide a safe, healthy, and secure learning environment.
We will recruit, hire, support, develop, and retain quality staff.
We will employ research-based instructional methodology.
We will responsibly manage our resources.
We will have consistent processes and systems in place to guide data-informed decisions.
We will have high expectations for each student and staff member.
We will promote inclusion, equity, and diversity.
Mission
Seward Public Schools - a district rooted in excellence - in cooperation with family and community members is committed to the development of the whole student and affirms that all students will have the skills to become productive, resilient, and contributing members of their community.
Objectives
Academics/Instruction
Each student has the opportunity to excel academically through a systematic approach that meets their personal needs.
Recruit, Hire, Retain
All students will have access to high quality staff who foster relationships,
are highly trained in their area, and will continue advancing their knowledge and skills.
Facilities
Each student will have access to facilities to ensure excellence in academics and extracurricular activities.
Communication/Culture
Each student will be supported by productive communication and a welcoming and accepting culture.
Mental Health
All Students and staff will recognize the importance of mental health.
Strategies
We will create and implement a multi-tiered system of support that empowers educators to use a data-driven approach to support all students academically.
We will attract new staff and retain high quality staff with competitive compensation, the opportunity for collaborative professional development, and a culture of excellence.
We will research, develop and implement plans to ensure facilities meet the needs of students and staff.
We will develop plans for Pre-K- 12 systematic communication in the areas of student achievement, family partnerships, and school culture.
All students and staff will have access to mental health supports to develop safe and appropriate coping strategies.
STATE PATROL, Sex Offender Registry
Are you aware that we have a number of sex offenders living in our school district in Butler and Seward Counties? Individuals convicted of sex offenses are required to register their place of residence and employment with the Nebraska State Patrol. Parents may access this listing on the State Patrol Website by going to https://sor.nebraska.gov/Registry. You can search by location and find registered sex offenders living near your home or our schools.
I encourage parents to check this website on a regular basis in an effort to stay informed. I will also tell you that according to school policy, a sex offender who is the parent or guardian of a student may participate in education conferences unless prohibited by court order, but shall not otherwise enter school grounds or attend school events without prior, express permission of the building principal.
2023-204 School District of Seward – BUDGET
The following information provides an overview of the budget that was approved by the Board of Education on September 11 for the 2023-2024 school year. We feel fortunate to have strong public support for our schools, but also understand the responsibility we have to our tax payers to be fiscally responsible. The first chart shows the Seward Public School’s Valuation History:
State Aid Formula History
Below shows a history for the last seven years of what we have received in state aid. When looking at the total budget of Seward Public Schools, you can see this year with foundation aid we saw a huge increase.
General Fund
The general fund expenditure budget increase is projected to be at or a slightly above 4.5%.
Like all school districts, the largest percentage of our budget goes to staffing. Transportation, maintenance, and curriculum materials account for a large portion of the rest of our budget.
In the bond fund we are levying to pay off the new middle school. The bond fund for 2023-24 was just over 8 cents for the middle school bond fund. The last payment for the middle school bond is in 2027.
In the Special Building Fund, we levied almost .01 cents in 2023-24. These funds are used to pay for facility updates and maintenance projects, as needed. The board goes through a process to determine maintenance and building project needs, we then use this list to determine how many projects we can accomplish.
When looking at “all funds,” the tax asking went down by $1.5 million and the total tax levy dropped to $0.80 cents per $100,000 of valuation. Every penny on the levy generates $189,687 which is then multiplied by our levy rate of almost $0.80 to get our total tax asking of $15,138,384 for the 2023-2024 budget. The chart below shows a history of our tax asking over the last ten years.
If you have specific questions about the budget, feel free to call the District Office at (402) 643-2941.
K-12 ENROLLMENT SUMMARY
Seward Public Schools had experienced a one percent growth for a lot of years. This year we had a decrease of enrollment of 31 students. Since the enrollment report was presented to the board in September, we continue to see new students enroll.