Ankeny Schools Snapshot
A monthly district newsletter
January 2021
Advancing the Vision
I want to take this opportunity to provide some clarification and rationale about decision-making factors that contribute to recommending learning models. Throughout the pandemic, it has been difficult and taxing to find consistency in the process because the protocols and guidance from many entities seem to evolve continually. In some ways, our school district is subject to these changes, and in other, we have been forced to consider new information and guidelines as we make local decisions. In an effort to help understand considerations that guide recommendations, I share the following rationale.
- Decision-Making Matrix: The matrix was developed in the summer of 2020 before there was much concrete knowledge about how the virus would affect schools. Since that time, much has changed including the way the state requires student absences to be counted, medical research, and quarantine guidelines that bring into question some of the data points included in the original matrix. With each decision, the matrix has been consulted as a guideline for our decision-making but it has never been used as a decision table. When the Ankeny Board of Education originally approved the matrix, it followed a lengthy discussion resulting in a commitment to use it as a guide rather than a prescription. This decision has served our district well in providing the guidance and flexibility required to maintain some semblance of stability. It has helped diminish the yo-yo effect of switching models even more frequently than we had to first semester.
- Absentee Rates: Student and staff absentee rates have remained relatively stable regardless of learning model. The sole exception was the week prior to Thanksgiving when staff absences were unusually high.
- Academic Progress: We continue to be concerned about the impact on elementary students when they are learning in any model except a traditional on-site model. This coupled with continued research pointing to elementary-aged children having less severe symptoms of COVID and new evidence they do not spread the virus at a rate that was once feared, suggests it may be a relatedly low risk to transition elementary students back to a traditional on-site model.
- Parents/Guardians: We have also expressed concern for those parents trying to make ends meet even with both working full-time. They planned to have the school serve as childcare for them. Whether the schools should have ever taken on that responsibility is open for debate, but we did and placing additional hardships on those families is a very real result of not having kids in school full-time.
- Socio-economic Impacts: In a similar fashion, having kids out of school impacts lower socio-economic students more severely than it does students that are more affluent. These same kids often struggle with school under normal conditions.
- Metro Colleagues: We have watched the metro school districts and, regardless of various learning models employed, attendance and positive cases have been similar among all schools. Additionally, our metro colleagues are transitioning students back to on-site models. While this is not a reason to determine our decision, it would make our district an outlier if we did not go back.
- Community Spread: We also realize that schools are not going to shift the infection rates as long as the entire community doesn’t address mitigation efforts seriously.
- Common Areas: Lunch and activities are both problem areas for our mitigation efforts. While activities are not required, lunch will continue to prove a challenge. However, if we wait until current mitigation recommendations are no longer required, we would likely not be able to transition to a traditional on-site model anytime this year.
- State Legislature and Governor: The Governor has openly stated that she has the votes in the legislature to “get kids back in school.” In her State of the State message Tuesday evening, she once again said that she was going to make sure that parents could have their students in school full-time if they so desired. There seems to be consensus this is likely to happen. The semester is a much better time to make a change than a week or two into the term when state mandates would force a change.
- Social-Emotional Health: Student emotional health and well-being is also a factor. The national educational journals warn against increased emotional health issues among students and rising suicide rates. I do not think Ankeny is immune from this problem.
Taking all this into consideration, we are still left with the fact that there is no perfect solution and risks exist with whatever decisions are made. We continue to learn about the virus and its transmission. I continue to worry about the crowded conditions particularly in our high schools and teacher safety. I also continue to worry about the impact of not having students in school. I recently listened to a news broadcast about the New York City Schools returning to traditional on-site learning because of the belief that schools proved to be the safest place for kids.
Rapidly rising COVID cases could cause us to revisit our current plans of transitioning to a traditional on-site model; however, considering the information from various experts as well as the above considerations, we plan to continue with the recommendation to return to traditional school next Tuesday at the start of second semester. Hopefully, we will be able to remain in that model for the foreseeable future. To do so, we continue to plead with the community to follow mitigations efforts in your daily life to increase the likelihood of keeping students in the traditional on-site model.
Superintendent Leadership Profile Development
A key step in this process is to identify the characteristics we will be seeking in our new Superintendent. We would greatly appreciate your input and assistance with this important task. You are invited to participate in this process by:
- Attending an Open Forum on January 27 or 28, OR
- Completing an online survey located here https://survey2.ecragroup.com/index.php/624912?lang=en
The online survey will be open through January 19, 2021. The Open Forums, which will be facilitated by a member of our consultant firm, will be held virtually on January 27 and 28. Details for these forums will be released later this week.
Revenue Purpose Statement Election on March 2, 2021
At their January 4 meeting, the Ankeny Board of Education approved revenue purpose statement language calling for an election to authorize expenditures from revenue received from the State’s Secure and Advanced Vision for Education Fund (SAVE). The election is scheduled for March 2, 2021. The district’s past revenue purpose statement has been in place since 2008.
In 1999, Polk County voters approved a one-cent local option sales tax for school improvements. In April 2008, the Governor signed into law a new statewide version of the one-cent sales tax, called S.A.V.E., repealing the existing local version to “sunset” or end in 2029. In 2019, the Iowa Legislature voted to institute a new “sunset” of January 1, 2051.
Because of this change, school districts must re-state how they intend to use S.A.V.E. funds and the community must vote on that revenue purpose statement in order to borrow against future revenue.
This vote does not determine whether the tax will go into effect. The Governor already signed S.A.V.E. into law. The sales tax will be charged statewide regardless of its use or the outcome of this vote.
“The one-cent sales tax has been integral to Ankeny’s ability to build, renovate, and improve schools through our exponential growth,” said Ankeny Board of Education President Aaron Johnson. “The school board believes it is in the best interest of the community and its students to continue to use the sales tax in this manner. Our goal is to prepare the way now for Ankeny’s next-generation through sound fiscal planning.”
The proposed Revenue Purpose Statement states the district may use these funds in the following ways:
- Property tax relief
- Information technology infrastructure, school safety, and security infrastructure
- To purchase land, build, and furnish new school buildings
- To remodel, reconstruct, repair, expand, and improve the school buildings in the district
- Natural disaster relief
- Maintaining public recreation places and playgrounds
Some of the past projects funded or partially funded through the S.A.V.E. fund include:
Land for Prairie Trail Elementary School
East Elementary School Renovations
Land for Ankeny Centennial High School
Northview Middle School Renovations
Prairie Trail Elementary School Addition
Ankeny High School and Ankeny Centennial High School Additions
Northeast Elementary School, Westwood Elementary School, Northwest Elementary School, Southeast Elementary School Additions
Prairie Trail Elementary School
Rock Creek Elementary School Addition
Land for Future Elementary School
Terrace Elementary School Gymnasium and Multi-Purpose Room
Heritage Elementary School (Partial)
Neveln Center/District Office Renovations
Parkview Middle School Renovations
Southview Middle School Phase II Construction
Ankeny Centennial High School Construction
Crocker Elementary School (Partial)
New Law Update: Senate File 2360
On June 29, 2020, Governor Reynolds signed Senate File 2360, which provides a comprehensive approach to create a safe learning space for students and teachers. This law applies to local school districts, AEAs, and accredited nonpublic schools, and the children these employees serve.
There are several parts to SF 2360 including:
developing and distributing evidence-based standards for the response to behavior that presents an imminent threat of bodily injury,
incentives for school districts to create therapeutic classrooms for students with social-emotional- behavioral health needs,
requirements for teacher preparation programs that contribute to the education of students with disabilities and students who are gifted and talented,
school reporting requirements for incidents of violence, assault, and referral to a therapeutic classroom, and
restrictions and parent notification requirements in the event of a classroom clear.
So what exactly is a classroom clear? A classroom clear is simply clearing all other students out of the classroom in order to calm a child.
Four Important Points about SF 2360
It restricts the use of classroom clears. A classroom clear may only be used to prevent or terminate an imminent threat of bodily injury. Behaviors such as the following do not rise to the level of an imminent threat of bodily injury: serious damage to property, noncompliance, arguing, yelling, refusal, annoying others, blaming, lying, stealing, substance use, transient and unlikely threats.
It bans classroom clears in Individual Education Plans/Behavior Intervention Plans. A classroom clear cannot be included in a child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) and/or behavior intervention plan (BIP). In the event that an IEP/BIP contains a classroom clear, the IEP team must hold an annual review or amendment to remove the classroom clear and consider other more appropriate responses to the behaviors of concern.
It requires notification of parents when there’s a classroom clear. In the event of a classroom clear, the principal must contact all parents of the children in the class that was cleared. The notification must be within 24 hours of the incident, but preferably by the end of the day. When this happens, you will receive a communication similar to this draft email.
It requires schools to request to meet with parents when their child was involved in an incident giving rise to a classroom clear. In the event that your child was involved in the incident giving rise to the classroom clear, the principal must request that you meet with the school. In the event that your child has an IEP, the school must call an IEP meeting to consider revisions of the IEP and/or BIP.
Equity Committee Membership: Apply Today
Any member of the Ankeny Community School District community of at least 16 years of age who is willing to learn, grow, and dedicate time to these conversations is eligible to apply to serve on the Equity Committee.
To allow for depth of relationship building and conversation, a core group of 10-20 individuals will be selected from those who apply to serve on the Equity Committee. An objective, inclusive process will be used to identify those who will be invited to join the Equity Committee; all efforts will be made to ensure the group reflects diversity of voice and perspective.
Staff may apply, parental permission will be required if under 18.
Visit our website to complete an application here: https://www.ankenyschools.org/departments/human-resources/equity/equity-committee-form/?fbclid=IwAR0yXwxk_R8Ol6-YuFjaF83hiPZ1MSFzp6b-V-RxjnnWU9jAEkQsqC84fxU
Martin Luther King Jr. Candle Light Vigil
Please join Ankeny Community Network as we honor MLK Day, and hear some of our Ankeny youth share how they Have A Dream.
Monday, January 18, 2021 at 5 PM – 6 PM
Price: Free · Duration: 1 hr
Town Square, 1500 SW Main Street Ankeny, IA
January vBackpack
- Arts and Entertainment: Winter Online Youth Enrichment Classes
- Educational Opportunities: Optimist International Oratorical Contest, 48-Hour Flash Writing Contest
- Sports and Activities: Ankeny Little League Baseball 2020 Season, Ankeny Pre-Little League Baseball 2020 season, Skate with US (Learn to Skate)
- Volunteering, Drives, and Giveaways: 2020 Desk Giveaway
Ankeny Community School District
It is the policy of the Ankeny Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy please contact Ken Morris, Jr., Equity Director at 306 SW School Street, Ankeny, IA 50023, 515/965-9600 or kenneth.morris@ankenyschools.org. The grievance will then be directed to the appropriate administrator charged with managing the program or department specified in the grievance.
Website: www.ankenyschools.org
Location: 306 SW School St, Ankeny, IA, USA
Phone: 515-965-9600
Facebook: Facebook.com/AnkenySchools
Twitter: @AnkenySchools