Superintendent provides grade alike update

MT. PLEASANT — Following the Mt. Pleasant Community School District’s vote in favor of transition to grade alike schools in March, various committees, work sessions, meetings with staff, and communication with the board have resulted in steady progress toward the transition planned for the 2024-25 school year.

In his most recent superintendent report to the MPCSD board, John Henriksen shared the most recent progress made. Many questions about moving logistics, personnel assignments, and transportation began to receive answers over the last month.

According to Henriksen, Director of Instruction Angela Butler and building principals finalized paraeducator assignments at the end of February, and shared the assignments with staff the following month.

Still to come, building principals and building leaders will plan times to meet with new building staff to get on the same page and build relationships ahead of the new school year.

Additionally, the scheduled shared by Henriksen anticipates teachers will begin to use early outs on Fridays and teacher work days to begin packing their classrooms.

In consideration of moving, many teachers asked questions about what technology goes with the teacher and what technology stays with the classrooms. According to Henriksen, as a general answer most technology will stay with the classroom. Henriksen also stated many questions about how things will get moved and what exactly will move were also answered over the last month.

Questions outside of the classrooms and building also began to see answers, according to Henriksen’s report. One of the large question marks around transportation specifically received additional information.

“We will have shuttles that run in the mornings and afternoons between every building,” Henriksen confirmed. “Those will get students to any of the other elementary buildings, but the students will need to be routed.”

According to Henriksen, the district will release information to parents in the near future so they can arrange those routes for their children.

“You'll need to be routed so that given bus drivers know who's getting on at Lincoln and traveling to Van Allen so that those will all be routes in the system so we can keep track of where kids are getting on,” Henriksen explained.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com