Academic & Athletic Excellence

This blog post was submitted for publication in the Friday, September 4 edition of the Traer Star Clipper.

North Tama’s student-athletes are continuing to achieve excellence, on the playing field/court well as in the classroom. The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) has a recognition program for academic achievement by athletic teams and cheerleading squads. IHSAA recognizes those teams that collectively excel in the classroom.

North Tama recently received some great news from the IHSAA regarding the academic excellence of our student athletes. I am proud to announce that based on grade point averages from the recently completed school year, a total of NINE athletic teams from North Tama High School have achieved one of the two academic distinctions recognized by IHSAA. The recognized teams are as follows (in no particular order):

Girls Cross Country (Excellence)

Volleyball (Distinguished Achievement)

Football Cheerleaders (Excellence)

Boys Basketball (Excellence)     

Girls Basketball (Distinguished Achievement)

Basketball Cheerleaders (Excellence)

Girls Track (Distinguished Achievement)

Girls Golf (Distinguished Achievement)

Softball (Distinguished Achievement)

The two academic awards are defined as follows: (1) Excellence in Academic Achievement is presented to teams that achieve a combined grade point average of 3.00-3.24. (2) The Distinguished Academic Achievement award is given to the teams that achieve a combined grade point average of 3.25-4.00. The team average is calculated by taking a mathematical average of all high school team members in grades 9-12, regardless of whether they play on a freshman, sophomore, junior varsity, or varsity team.  Managers are included as team members.  Grade grade point averages for this award are figured on a standard 4.00 system: A = 4.00; B = 3.00; C = 2.00; D = 1.00.

These students and their dedicated coaches deserve to be commended for their hard work and achievement. The ability to maintain a solid grade point average while also being busy with practices, workouts, and a busy schedule of games is a real accomplishment! These students are learning valuable lessons in self-discipline and time management that will serve them well regardless of their post-high school plans. If you see members of these teams or their coaches, be sure to give them a pat on the back and let them know that you are proud of them. They represent our school well and set a great example for our younger students. Great work, Redhawks!

A Work in Progress

This blog post was submitted for publication in the Friday, August 21 edition of the Traer Star Clipper.

When school begins on August 26, our North Tama secondary students and staff will be dealing with a bit of a mess....or as I like to call it, a “work in progress.”  During the first few weeks of school, we will be temporarily inconvenienced by an incomplete remodeling and expansion project at the secondary office.  Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the second week of September.  In the meantime, our principal and secondary secretaries will be working out of temporary locations.  

The office remodeling project was much needed. The previous secondary office was quite small, and lacked a conference room space for teacher collaboration, committee meetings, and individual parent conferences.  Lack of visibility in the previous office was a concern. The paneled walls of the old office left much to be desired, both in terms of aesthetics as well as lack of soundproofing for privacy.  

The main reception area of the office in the early stages of the project.

The new secondary office will be located in the same space as the previous office, but will also expand into the adjacent science room that had been used in recent years as a study hall. This study hall room will still be a usable classroom space for us in the fall but will be about half the previous size. The classroom will have a new floor, ceiling, fresh paint, and energy-efficient lights. The office will include an expanded work space for our high school secretary and activities secretary, along with a conference room for meetings, a student room, and a larger principal’s office with additional space for meetings. It will feature soundproof walls, a window between the office and the hallway for improved visibility, new cabinets and countertops, along with new floors, ceilings, and energy-efficient lights.

The main reception area after drywall, texturing, and painting.

The project was designed by StruXture architects, with Failor-Hurley Construction of Hudson submitting the low bid for general contractor services. Due to long lead times on many of the materials that needed to be ordered for the project, the remodeling won’t be finished in time for the start of school so we will all have a period of inconvenience. I have been involved with several major facility projects during my years in school administration, and I don’t think a single one of them has been done by the projected completion date. While this can be frustrating, in retrospect we’ve been very pleased with the results of these projects and in the end, we are happy to have what we have...looking back, we barely remember that the projects took longer than expected.  While we will all be inconvenienced for a while, the end result will be a much more functional office setting for our secondary staff.

Some may wonder how the school can afford a project like this during a period of declining enrollment and reduced revenues. You may be aware that the school has reduced several positions, including the superintendency...so how can North Tama afford this? Facilities projects like this are generally paid for with funds that can’t legally be spent on teacher salaries, books, or other operating expenses. At North Tama, we are using combination of dollars from the Physical Plant & Equipment Levy (PPEL) and the Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) funds. PPEL funds come from a 33-cent property tax levy, and SAVE funds come from the extra penny of sales tax that Iowans pay when making purchases. No money is being borrowed and tax rates will not be affected. Projects like this are one of the few limited ways that schools can legally use these funds. In a future column, I will share more information on categorical funding and all of the restrictions related to school funding.

The diagram above shows the basic plan for the office remodeling project.  The office is in the same location, but has expanded into the study hall room next door.  PPEL & SAVE funds are being used to make this much-needed project a reality.  

I hope you have enjoyed the columns that I have submitted to the Star Clipper during my first two months as your superintendent. I believe that open and clear communication is more important than ever before, especially since I am part-time in this position and have duties in another district. I plan to continue these columns once or twice each month as part of my plan for open communication. I invite your thoughts and your feedback. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read all of my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish. I also occasionally post pictures and other content that is not submitted to the paper or additional information that expands upon what was submitted to the paper. You are also welcome to follow me on Twitter (@DavidRobertHill) where I will occasionally post photos of the remodeling project or other activities taking place at school. We’re looking forward to a great school year at North Tama!

More photos will be posted as the work continues!

House Salvage Auction this Thursday

North Tama District Patrons: The school district recently purchased the house at 503 7th Street in Traer - adjacent to the bus garage - with the intent of demolishing the house to allow additional spaces for parking. This Thursday from 3-7 p.m. during back-to-school registration, sealed bids will be taken for any items that can be removed from the house prior to demolition.  The advertisement below provides all of the details:

Additional Auction Information:

1. Sealed bids will only be accepted on Thursday, August 6 between the hours of 3 and 7 p.m.
2. The district will review bids and contact successful bidders on Friday, August 7.
3. Successful bidders must submit payment within one week of notification. If payment is not received by Friday, August 14 the second highest bidder will be contacted.
4. Items must be removed from the house no later than 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. No refund will be given on items not retrieved by the buyer by this deadline.     
5. The North Tama County Community School District reserves the right to accept or reject any bids.

What if we treated teachers like professional athletes?

Teachers do some of the most critical work in the world. The decisions teachers make each day have the potential to shape our future and change our world! What if teachers received the same level of respect, compensation, and public accolades as professional athletes?  In this video clip from Comedy Central, Key & Peele perform a spoof of ESPN's SportsCenter called TeachingCenter that gives us a glimpse of how the world might be different.  Be sure to watch the commercial at the end...it's part of the spoof.

Proud to Be Your New Superintendent

This blog post was submitted for publication in the Friday, July 31 edition of the Traer Star Clipper.

While most of my blog posts and Star Clipper columns will focus on educational topics and school issues, this week I want to use this space to give you a little background on your new part-time superintendent and the path that has led me to North Tama. Writing about myself isn’t my favorite thing to do, but I thought the patrons of the North Tama school district might appreciate the background information.  

Your new superintendent is no stranger to Tama County. I was born and raised on a family farm in Northern Tama County, and have lived in this area my entire life with the exception of my college years. My great-great-great grandparents settled in Geneseo Township in 1853. Generations later, we are raising our sons on the same farm, in a house built by my great-grandparents not far from the location of the first Hill family log cabin. In 2003, the Hill farm received the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Heritage Farm designation for 150 years in the same family.  

Education runs in my bloodlines. My great-grandfather, Charles Hill, was one of the founding board members of the Geneseo Consolidated school district. He served on the Geneseo school board for many years until his son, my grandpa Forrest Hill, succeeded him. My grandmother, Edythe Hill, was a long-time elementary teacher at Geneseo. She was also active in conservation education and helped to establish the 5th Grade Outdoor Classroom which is still held annually at Otter Creek. Because of the my grandparents’ influence, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher.

While I was a student at Iowa State University, I met my wife Tanya. We married shortly after I graduated from ISU. We have three sons ages 18, 16 and 12. Our oldest son is following in his parents’ footsteps and heading to Iowa State as a freshman this fall. Tanya was an at-home mom during our kids’ younger years, and she began her teaching career in 2010. She teaches Career Technology Exploratory STEM-based classes at Waterloo’s Hoover Middle School. As a family, we enjoy activities such as kayaking on Wolf Creek, bicycling, visiting museums and science centers, and supporting the ISU Cyclones.

For nine years, I was the FFA Advisor and 7th-12th grade Agricultural Education teacher at Benton Community Schools in Van Horne. Even though it has been 10 years since I left the classroom, I think that I will always be an ag teacher at heart. I still enjoy volunteering and serving as a judge for FFA activities whenever possible. Ten years ago, I became the principal at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School, returning “home” to the school that I attended as a child. I truly love my work as a principal, and the amazing staff and students at D-G. Like most schools in Iowa, D-G’s enrollment is declining. We expect to have about 145 K-5 students at Dysart this coming fall.

North Tama’s enrollment has also declined significantly in the past several years. We’re projecting 459 students on the first day of school in August, down from 475 students on the last day of school in May, and down about 100 students from 10 years ago. Since funding comes on a per-pupil basis, this means there is less money to work with each year. Declining enrollment coupled with inadequate increases in state aid for several consecutive years has presented challenges for North Tama and many Iowa schools. In response, North Tama has reduced teaching and support staff positions and taken other cost-saving measures. Your school board felt that it was also time to consider investigating the possibility of a part-time or shared superintendent. At their regular board meeting in March, the North Tama school board voted to enter into an agreement to share my services with the Union district. While serving as North Tama’s part-time superintendent, I will continue to serve as the principal at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary.

Approximately nine miles separates the building where I am principal in Dysart and the superintendent’s office in Traer. The students, staff, and parents at BOTH North Tama and Dysart-Geneseo are very important to me, and I will work diligently to meet the needs of both schools. Other individuals in both districts will be taking on some additional responsibilities to make things manageable. While this is a change from the way things have been done in previous years, I truly believe that we can make this work! The result will be a long-term financial benefit which will enable both schools to continue to meet the needs of their students and communities in the most efficient way possible.

While having a part-time superintendent will be a change, it is one of the ways the North Tama school board will be able to accomplish their goal of maintaining the district’s financial stability and retaining existing programs so that North Tama will remain a viable K-12 school. I’m happy to be part of the solution that will help keep our schools strong for years to come. North Tama schools have so much to be proud of...and I’m so proud to be part of North Tama!  I invite your thoughts and your feedback. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish.

The Governor’s Veto & North Tama’s Financial Stability

This blog post was submitted for publication in the Friday, July 10 edition of the Traer Star Clipper.

I am pleased to introduce myself as the new superintendent of the North Tama County Community School District. I want to thank the school board for their confidence in me, and the staff and community for their warm welcome.  I also want to thank Mr. Bob Cue for his leadership as superintendent over the past four years as well as his ongoing support of the school and of me personally during the transition.  I know you will join me in wishing Mr. Cue all the best in his retirement!  

I’ve been brainstorming for several weeks about the topic of my first Star Clipper column. I had hoped to give you some background on myself and the path that has led toward my becoming the new part-time superintendent at North Tama while continuing as the part-time principal at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary. I intended to discuss the unique administrative sharing agreement between North Tama and Union and to reassure you that the sharing of administration is not a step towards a merger between the two districts. I wanted to share my first impressions of North Tama, and I also hoped to share my vision for education and the future of our schools. However, I soon realized that I would have so much to say on these topics that this would fill the entire paper, and that a better approach would be to divide my thoughts into smaller portions over a series of columns. I plan to share my thoughts with you in this column once or twice per month over the coming months and years.

Then, just as I was sitting down to write my first column, we received word that the Governor had used his line-item veto power to eliminate $56 million in funding for Iowa schools. I realized that I needed to scrap the original plans and prioritize my first Star Clipper column to focus on the long-term financial health of the North Tama district.  The other topics are important, but we must put first things first.  

In April, the North Tama board approved a budget for the coming school year without knowing how much money would be appropriated for their operations. The board had no other choice, as they were required by law to approve a budget by April 15. I began as the new superintendent on July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year -- still unsure about funding for the coming year. Now that the Governor has made his decision, we know that North Tama’s per pupil supplemental state aid will increase by 1.25%, which means a significant loss of total funding compared to last year due to declining enrollment.  We also know that North Tama will lose $53,931 in one-time funding due to the veto.  

Because your school board and Mr. Cue anticipated declining enrollment and predicted inadequate funding, several cost-saving measures were taken for this year’s budget. These cost savings included the elimination of a number of positions, reducing the hours of some positions, the sharing of a superintendent, and several other incidental savings measures. Because of your board’s foresight, North Tama should maintain a relatively stable financial position for the coming year while not eliminating opportunities for students. I applaud Mr. Cue and the board for their foresight. In the coming years, we will need to continue to seek additional cost saving measures while advocating for appropriate funding for our schools.  

Your school board’s number one goal is to maintain the financial stability of the district and retain existing programs so that North Tama will remain a viable K-12 school.  I strongly support this goal. While this most recent loss of funding and the district’s declining student numbers will present challenges, I believe they are challenges that we can overcome -- in both the short term as well as the long-term -- if we are intelligent and intentional with our allocation of resources and if we take the necessary steps for continued cost savings during the coming months and years.

Thanks again for your warm welcome.  I’m so excited about working with the North Tama board, staff, students, parents, and the entire school community as your superintendent.  I look forward to meeting many of you in the coming weeks as we prepare for a great 2015-2016 school year.