Rise up-Conclusion

This afternoon we officially concluded our school year with a delicious lunch catered by Randall's and sponsored by Lincoln Savings Bank. Our employees were also treated to some fantastic ice cream from Hansen's, so what better way to end the year! I want to extend a heartfelt thanks for those who made today's celebration possible. At the writing of this post, our hallways are now dark and our faculty and staff have checked out for the summer after completing a number of routine tasks. After Memorial Day we'll shift to our summer schedule with the main office being open during regular business hours Monday through Thursday and Friday's by appointment. For the next three months, it will be just general contractors, our maintenance staff, and those of us in the office. 

Today was a special day. Once the students had departed yesterday it provided me an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of the school year and consider the magnitude of what we were able to accomplish. I was honored to share some of those reflections with our employees at our lunch today. You see, today was the first time we had ever deliberately made an effort to gather all of our employees together for an event. It was tough, as many of our part-time coaches have other commitments during the day, but it was still important to recognize the size and complexity of our operation. Most people probably don't realize it, but our most current census includes 136 employees. This visualization, hopefully helps to illustrate the enormity of the task we faced this year, and the sheer number of people it took to get our Pirate Ship underway this past fall. 

Each one of our employees is a valued member of the team and showed tremendous commitment, dedication, courage, and 'can do' attitude over the course of the school year. Whenever a task needed to be completed they did whatever asked. Not once did I hear, ‘that’s not my job’, or ‘can you find someone else’. I asked our employees to ‘Rise Up’ this year and they did. In spite of the fact our work was done in unusual and stressful circumstances under which none of us were trained or equipped to handle. 

I think of our coaching staff. In many ways, our coaching staff was the first group to lead the way when our activity program restarted last July. They demonstrated what was possible and taught us many lessons that we applied over the course of the school year. There is no doubt they had their share of disappointments and setbacks with disruptions and suspensions of seasons.

I think about our food service department. They provided steady service now for more than a year straight without disruption throughout the course of the pandemic. Pickup, drive-through meals became a source of comfort and reliability for so many families. Their work will even continue over the course of the next month as they will provide meals during our summer school program. 

I think about our maintenance and custodial department. They too worked straight through the pandemic. They had to learn new and innovative ways to clean, disinfect, and reassure our community that our buildings were safe, clean and comfortable. 

I think about our transportation department. Much like our coaching staff, they were among the first to resume contact with our students. Theirs was a challenging work environment that came with risks that were not easily mitigated. The provided safe passage to and from school each and every day. 

I think about our office staff. They ensured all the details were attended to and that we had thought of everything. They answered questions from angry parents and kept the administrators in line and organized. There is a lot of truth to the statement that it is the office staff who really run the school district. 

I think about our school nurse, Mrs. Brandhorst, the only employee mentioned by name in this post. But under the circumstances I can think of no one more worthy. Her diligence to health and safety during this past year should not be understated. She ensured we followed the guidance, managed the data, and kept everyone safe.

I think about the administrators. Many of you may not know this, but when we originally shut down last spring, I called them, all of which were on vacation and out of town and asked them to return to the district. They did so immediately. Over the course of the next 14 months, we would meet frequently: late at night and on the weekends to work through the challenges of this school year. 

I think about our instructional staff, which includes all of those who work in our classrooms with the students each day. The challenges they faced this year were unlike anything ever experienced. We looked to them to diagnose gaps, accelerate learning, and make up lost ground. Because of their hard work, we are well on our way. 

As you can see, it took a lot of people, including the Board of Directors, to get us to this day. A day that we can celebrate! The fact we got through it with 100% in person learning every single day of the academic year is certainly a reason to celebrate! I asked our employees to Rise Up, and they did. So now, I say thank you to all of them. Our journey and our work will continue, and we are well positioned for the next chapter, set to begin anew in August. 

Have a great summer and if you happen to see one of our school district employees out and about in the community, please thank them for their service during this most unusual of school years. 

Superintendent's Message to the Class of 2021: The Places You've Been!

Good afternoon to the Hudson High School Class of 2021. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Hudson Community School District, I would like to welcome everyone who has taken time to join us today! It is fantastic to see you all in person for our Commencement ceremony. I am delighted to see, once again, the smiling faces of these students. From where I am standing, the energy of this class and the expressions on their faces are a testament of hope and great optimism! It gives me satisfaction and a sense of relief to have all of you here with us to witness this most important of milestones. This afternoon we are honored to celebrate with these soon to be alumni as they reflect on their time here with us! We all can look forward with eagerness and anticipation to the world that awaits them!

Most of the time our academic calendar follows a familiar and comfortable pattern that ebbs and flows with the changing seasons; a rigid and often times unforgiving schedule, with deadlines for projects that sometimes seem unreasonable. But, as we have all learned over the course of the last fourteen months; that predictability and comfort, that familiar pattern and rhythm of our academic calendar was seriously disrupted. That disruption forced us to do things differently. We all had to move out of our comfort zone and change the way we lived, worked, interacted with our friends, and how we ‘did’ school. 

Now in many ways you share a common bond and brotherhood with the class that went before you. Make no mistake; your two collective experiences were in fact very different. On one hand, your predecessor(s) crossed the finish line to a largely empty stadium. But you; and all of us are here in person to witness this joyful day. Yet, in both cases you were forced to endure an experience that none of us wanted or expected. Today is a milestone. But it is more than a milestone marking the end of your era as a Hudson Pirate. It is a turning point marking the beginning of a return to normal for us all. And he fact of the matter is, whether you realize it or not: you played a very big part in helping us to achieve that. 

This year was challenging! There were so many details to attend to. Contingency plans had to be made. Backups to contingencies had to be considered. Yet all along the way, it was our goal to make this year as normal as possible for each of you, knowing of course that it really wasn’t. Over the course of the year events were cancelled and seasons suspended. Concerts were held virtually and some of you even got sick. Yet we marched forward in this most unusual of school years. You all stuck to the game plan. 

This school year I have frequently used the tagline ‘Pirate Rising’ to describe the many events and achievements that we hope helped us to return to what we come to know and expect as normal. During our opening day convocation with the faculty and staff, I borrowed from the Broadway musical ‘Hamilton’ and asked everyone to ‘Rise Up’ because our ‘World Was Turned Upside Down’. I needed our employees to ‘Rise Up’ and put their best foot forward because the year we were beginning would prove, no doubt to be unusual. 

The Hudson High School Class of 2021 hearing last minute instructions from Principal Dieken
just prior to lining up for the processional.

But all of our employees, from the superintendent to the part time custodian, realized we could not do it alone. We needed help. And believe it or not, that help came from you. You see, we can set all the policies and rules we want, but you have to choose to follow them. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: on any given day, if you chose to walk out the front door there wasn’t a whole lot we would be able to do about it. I know you didn’t like some of the rules we had in place this year, masks, social distancing, etc. But you chose to follow them. Partly because you wanted to make sure you could play on Friday night. Or wanted to make certain our schools remained open. Or did so because you wanted to protect a vulnerable classmate. But, regardless of that internal reasoning, most importantly you set an example for one another and all the underclassmen. I submit to those of you gathered here today that this class has given all of us a great gift. That gift is leadership. So to the Class of 2021, I say thank you. 

At the same time though, you too have been given a gift. You have learned at a young age what it is like to experience profound disappointment. You know the joy of the mundane. Of normalcy. You have learned the value of education and how strong the bonds of family, friends, and classmates truly are. Never in my career have I experienced a class so determined to make certain they had their full school experience. 

I am certain one day you will look back with great satisfaction on what you have accomplished during this formidable school year. There is no doubt you have had a storied career here at Hudson. Yet today, our time together draws to a close. So as is customary at the end of a long journey, we reflect on all that we have experienced together, but not just these last fourteen months but our collective experience.

Each year during this, my final words of advice to the graduating class I often like to take you all back to your more formative years and reflect on some of the lessons you learned early on. This year, I want to take you back to 2nd grade, the year you celebrated the birthday of the famous author, Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss, because; well that too became a ‘thing’ this year. Seuss’s final book ‘Oh the Places You’ll Go was published in 1990, and is a graduation orators dream! Written to address the obstacles one will face in life, it also offers a great deal of encouragement. Indeed think of the places you are sure to go when you leave these hallways in mere moments from now! But what of the places you’ve already been? 

Yes. What of the places you’ve been? Now, I don’t necessarily mean an abbreviated trip to New York City during last years’ spring break or the first trip to a softball game last summer in 90 degree heat while wearing a face mask on a school bus. I mean the places you have been emotionally. Spiritually. And with this group of classmates sitting next to you right now that, in some respects are as close to you as your siblings. Those in this room that make up your family. Our school family. Yes. You have been given a great gift. Think of the journey we have been on together. The Places You’ve Been!

This class most certainly has Risen Up and been on quite a journey. We have All-State musicians and All-State speech participants who have delighted us virtually, and more recently in person. Our athletes have captured team and individual state championships in a variety of sports ranging from one bookend of the year to the other. And of our most proud accomplishments, we can boast 9 valedictorians, 2 salutatorians and 5 honor graduates. If that doesn’t impress you, how about a collective grade point average of 3.56 in this, the Class of 2021 with scholarships and awards for post-secondary education approaching $900,000!

Indeed the places you’ve been. You have certainly epitomized this idea of Pirate Rising that couldn’t have been scripted any better when our doors opened on August 24. Thank you for your contributions to our school district. Thank you for your leadership this school year. And parents, thank you for your support and the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of young people.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021.

Governance During a Pandemic

I want to take a moment and thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and support over the last [roughly] year and a half. It has been comforting, particularly as news stories lately have shown a general public that is growing weary of the restrictions and policies that have been put in place. Further exacerbating our collective weariness is conflicting guidance during the waning days of the 2020-2021 school year. But at the same time, I want to admit that some of your kindness, while very much appreciated is misplaced.

First, the best news of all is that with only a handful of days remaining in our school year, I can safely say that we are going to make it a full 180 days without needing to change our learning plan. I suppose that is why this spring, as I have been able to resume my evening walks around town and through the neighborhood, someone's mom or dad will stop me to say thanks for keeping the school open this year. They are grateful that we never had to implement our remote learning program or move to hybrid learning. Believe this: I am pretty happy about that as well! It has been a long year and it couldn't have been accomplished without the help from a great team. 

Today, though; the team I am talking about is the governance team: The Hudson Board of Directors. Here's a little secret: we were able to stay open this year in spite of me, not because of me. On two separate occasions I made recommendations to the board that we alter our learning plan. First, at the very beginning of the school year I recommended we implement what I referred to at the time as a 'soft start'. Under this plan, we would have started under our hybrid model, slowly ramping up to full in person learning after Labor Day. The Board gave my recommendation strong consideration, asking clarifying questions and really diving deep into the policy proposal and implications of this action. At the end of the debate, thankfully they rejected my recommendation and voted unanimously to fully open our schools on August 24.

The second time came in November, right around Thanksgiving. During the late fall, this was the time we were experiencing our worst outbreak of the school year. In discussions with superintendents in Black Hawk County and with the local health department, we had determined it was appropriate to take recommendations to our respective board's to implement our remote learning plans the week of Thanksgiving, while brining our K-4 students back onsite November 30 and the remainder of the student body on December 7. Once again, the board carefully considered the recommendation, asking all the right questions before ultimately determining that we would stay in session.

In both cases the board was right to reject my recommendation. Granted, no superintendent likes it when the board doesn't take their advice. Heck one of the reasons they hire us is to give them advice on issues of importance in the governance of the district. Now, the most noble thing about all of this was the genuine and sincere way they approached this debate and reassured me that my work as superintendent was valued and respected. They didn't need to do that, but in doing so not only reaffirmed my role as Chief Executive Officer, but showed tremendous honor, integrity, and character from members of the Board of Directors. They showed they were committed to doing the right thing for the right reasons: for our community, families, and most important our students.

I read a recent blog from a colleague in Illinois who captured the challenges of this school year best with this quote:

"I never fully believed in any recommendation I provided because in this situation I felt there was no certainty. No matter what I did, it felt OKAY at best" PJ Caposey

PJ is correct in this quote. Most of the time, school leaders have strong recommendations based on reams of research and data to back up their point. This year though, we have had to navigate a multitude of unknowns, sift through misinformation, consider the political angle of a position, and try to figure out what to do when those we count on for guidance are in conflict with one another. It is maddening to feel good about the decisions and recommendations we make!

The belief and reassurance comes from the dialogue and discussion at the board table. A 'hashing out' of the issue and debate on the merits of the recommendation. When done through a paradigm that is borne out of a sincere desire to make the right decision, and clearly when the entire team is driving toward the same goal: the end result is just. In those instances, we can leave the board table not feeling OKAY at best, but with comfort that we gave it our best shot and truly considered the issue from multiple angles.

This board has my trust, respect, and admiration. They are goal oriented and forward thinking, always taking the work they do with seriousness and giving issues the deliberation that they deserve. During this School Board Appreciation Month, please join me in thanking them for their service. And please, give them the credit they rightfully have earned for making the tough calls while governing during a pandemic. 

(L-R) Kala Featherstone, Brenda Klenk, Dave Ball, 
Traci Trunck, Matt Sallee

Managing Our Expenditures

It was sure great to take a few weeks off from writing this weekly column! I believe it a wise practice every once in a while to pause for a brief respite. Here's a fun fact: This post will mark the 481st article that has been written since this blog began in 2011, the first of which was posted on June 9, 2011 (it was a very lame first attempt). That comes out to over 40 posts per year. Frankly, I don't think anyone will argue with the fact this been a long year (that started in March of 2020) where a lot of my posts singularly focused on COVID. Truth be told, Ann and I decided that once we had both been vaccinated we would take a vacation. You might be surprised to know that while things are returning to normal there continues to be a great deal of caution around the country with regard to mitigation protocols that are still in place. However, I would anticipate a relaxing of much of these protocols in the coming weeks. Thankfully it appears that we are going to make it. I just realized that at the time of the publication of this article we will only have eleven days of school remaining!

In these waning days of the school year, a hefty agenda remains to be tackled. Of primary concern is to fill a number of vacancies that we have remaining in our teaching force. As a start, I have to give a ton of credit to the building administrators and their teams for the the work they have done so far during this hiring season. In most cases we have been blessed with some deep pools with rich talent. We have been able to hire some outstanding educators to join our ranks next year. Unfortunately though, with some positions, we are beginning to experience significant challenges with regard to teacher shortages in some content areas. My team continues to work the problem and in a coming post, I'll give you a peak behind the curtain and share how our hiring process works, what we value, and the road from candidate to employee. 

We are also putting the finishing touches on our plans for a comprehensive summer school. Comprehensive because of the fact we are not limiting our summer school program to students who have been identified as qualifying for services due to an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Instead, this summer school program is for students participating in the general education program who could benefit from some extended learning due to the COVID shutdown last March. So far we have had a great response from families and I believe this will be an outstanding opportunity where we will be able to close the learning gap. 

The two other big pieces remaining for the school year include requisitions and curriculum adoptions. Requisitions include rather mundane items such as pens, pencils, paper, and other material that will be used in the classroom next school year. Curriculum adoptions are exactly that: each year a content area is typically up for renewal so teachers of that content, along with the teacher leadership team and building administrator who is tasked with supervision review materials and make a recommendation for adoption. This year we are in the final stages of adoption of a 7-12 English/Language Arts curriculum. I hope to have that in front of the board yet this month, but it may need to be delayed to June. 

All of those items need to be managed within the confines of the budget that has been adopted by the board and subsequently managed through my office. This brings me, (finally) to my point for today! You may recall a conversation a few weeks back where we talked about how school revenue is generated and went into great detail about the differences in state aid, property tax collection, and the federal infusion of money. 

On the expenditure side of the ledger, it is important to understand with great clarity where the majority of the money goes. It may surprise you to hear this, but running a school is a very labor intensive process. You can see this by looking no further than where our resources are allocated. Over 80% of operating budget goes to employee costs. This is precisely the reason why, when faced with budget cuts, school districts often have little choice but to make those reductions by reducing the number of employees on staff. There is very little 'low hanging fruit' when it comes to budget reductions. Perhaps, if one is lucky they may be able to reduce energy consumption a bit, but when looking at the metrics that are outlined in the table above, it is readily apparent where the money is spent in a school budget. 

Unfortunately when it comes to the budget development cycle in public schools, most of the time we don't have answers to many of the big budget questions that need to be answered by the time our certification process is required to be completed. Variables are missing and employee costs are largely unknown. Because of this (and my past experience), I have adopted a somewhat conservative approach to budgeting. Quite simply stated this is based on the premise that we underestimate our revenue and overestimate our expenditures. What you end up seeing in the newspaper then, is an illustration of that work at the macro level. Call it a 'worst case scenario' if you will. In this case, the published budget algorithm is quite simple: I take the current 'function' category, increase it by 4% and round to the nearest $1,000. Then, over the course of the next several months as those same variables become known, a more refined budget picture begins to emerge. 

At this point in the school year, and as the variables are becoming more refined, I can now anticipate the budget for the next fiscal year to actually increase more in the neighborhood of 3.11%, while at the same time adding an additional FTE to our employee count. As those big agenda items described above become more defined and ultimately resolved, a much clearer budget picture will continue to emerge over the course of the next several months.

The final takeaway is that due to our budgeting practices and philosophy, coupled with an infusion of federal stimulus and a few lucky breaks along they way, we are poised to emerge from the pandemic on very solid financial footing.