Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! It is a hot one as we get started. While we are in the process of bidding the next phase of our air conditioning project later this month, we need to take immediate steps to maintain a safe and effective learning environment given the expected excessive heat conditions this week. Updates to our calendar are as follows:
Wednesday, August 23. 12:00 (noon) dismissal time
Thursday, August 24. 12:00 (noon) dismissal time
Friday, August 25. 12:00 (noon) dismissal time
All middle school practices are canceled.
Volleyball for Thursday will be at Pleasantville. JV starting at 5:00 and Varsity starting at 5:30.
Football will be played as scheduled at home o n Friday night. Freshman at 4:30 and Varsity at 7:00.
You may be wondering why athletics is still playing while school is out early due to the weather conditions. There are few reasons why this is the case:
Space of play and learning - Currently our high school gym is not air conditioned, so classes and events in that space are not recommended with a high heat index. (Thursday's projected temperature is 99° with a heat index of approximately 105°). We were able to move volleyball's site to an air-conditioned gym in Pleasantville, but don't have that option for classes. Meanwhile for football - the temperature is expected to be lower (around 90°) and it is played outside with partly cloudy skies and a little bit of wind. These conditions mean we can move forward with home football.
We also base our decision on guidance from the athletic associations.
Finally, conversations with the other districts contribute to our decisions. We work together to provide continuity to the students throughout our general area as we balance giving our kids the opportunity to compete and learn, while remaining as safe as possible.
Look for us on KCCI tonight as we hosted them today to discuss all the factors that go into a decision about changing the schedule due to heat. None of these are ever easy decisions. But given the intensity of the heat index, we felt it was best to make the decision today and get communications out to our families so everyone could plan in advance.
If you have any questions, please contact the district office at 641-765-4291. Thank you for your continued support. We are excited to get the year started and look forward to seeing all your students on Wednesday!
Sharon Dentlinger
Superintendent