1. Elementary
   
2. Preschool Happenings
3. Special Education Update
4. Secondary News
5. Activities Celebrations

We're excited to announce the successful completion of our west gym upgrade project, which has transformed the space into a versatile meeting area with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities.

🔑Key Improvements

• New laser projector with throw lens
• Retractable screen
• Full audio system
• Apple TV for wireless connectivity

Our dedicated maintenance team, John and Scott, installed the screen and projector in early August, and the system is now fully operational.

❗ Impact on School Activities

• Successfully used during the beginning-of-year in-service for all staff
• Enhances morning routines with engaging slideshows and videos
• Supports our positive behavior initiative through student-created content

🔜 Coming Soon

Elementary student council members will be creating "Safe, Responsible & Respectful" videos to be shown in the mornings and used as anchor videos in classrooms, reinforcing our positive behavior supports program.

We're thrilled to see how this upgrade is already enhancing our school community and look forward to its continued positive impact on student engagement and learning.

We want to express our sincere gratitude for your outstanding participation in our recent PK-6 parent-teacher conferences. Your continued commitment to your child's education is truly commendable.

Your high attendance rate demonstrates the strong partnership between our school and families. These conferences are crucial for:

• Celebrating your child's progress
• Discussing areas for growth
• Strengthening the home-school connection

Your engagement plays a vital role in your child's academic success and overall development. We appreciate the time you've taken from your busy schedules to attend these important meetings.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. Together, we can ensure the best possible educational experience for your children.

We are proud to announce our September students of the month!

These students were picked by their classroom teacher for being safe, respectful, and responsible at DT!

We're pleased to share some important updates about our preschool program:

🥓 Breakfast Service

We've implemented a new procedure for breakfast:

• All 3 and 4-year-old students are now going through the service line for breakfast.
  
• This change promotes independence and familiarizes our youngest learners with school routines.

💶 Sliding Fee Program

Our sliding fee program continues to support families in need according to government guidelines for students with an individual education plan (special education) or those families that qualify for free or reduced meals.

• Currently, 12 out of 43 children are attending for free.
• Eligibility for free attendance is based on:
• Qualification for free lunch program
• Special education services

This means that approximately 28% of our preschool students are benefiting from free attendance through our sliding fee program.

We're committed to making our preschool program accessible to all families in our community. If you have any questions about the sliding fee program or eligibility, please don't hesitate to contact our office.

Thank you for your continued support of our preschool program!

The information below represents one data point on the impact that Early Childhood Education, specifically the efforts of our local Doniphan-Trumbull Preschool staff and families, have made for students. Numerous studies conclude that early childhood education impact the following:

• enhanced development of empathy, peer interactions and cooperation
  
• the impact of preschool education goes beyond the student's generation. Students in early childhood education are more likely to grow up and contribute positively to their communities and workplaces. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested into early childhood programs yields a $6.30 return on investment. Students with early childhood education experiences grow more financially independent and less likely to need government assistance.

Kindergarten:

• 1 child scored below benchmark

• 19 or 95% of the children that attended our DT preschool scored well above benchmark.

• 1st Grade:

• 2 children scored well below benchmark

• 1 child scored below benchmark

• 2 children scored at benchmark

• 22 or 82% of the children that attended our DT preschool scored well above benchmark.

Studies have concluded that children who receive early childhood education are 25% more likely to graduate high school and four times more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree.

We're excited to share updates on our student job site placement program and transition activities, which continue to provide valuable real-world experiences for our students.

Job Site Placements

Our students are gaining hands-on experience at various locations:

• Doniphan-Trumbull Public School
• Preschool - students are working as paraprofessionals supporting students.
• Cafeteria - students are working as servers, kitchen helpers, and point of sale support.
• Prairie Winds Assisted Living
• Students assisting in cafeteria and maintenance roles
• My Place Hotel
• Students gaining experience in housekeeping

• Mary Lanning Hospital

We're proud of our students' involvement in various transition activities:

• **ESU 9 Transition Day**: 4 high school students attended on September 25th
• **New Initiative**: Afternoon Cold Brew Coffee Club, running 2 days a week
• **Warehouse**: Open on Tuesdays from 2:15-5:30 PM

Employment Opportunity

We currently have an opening for a paraprofessional. Interested candidates should contact the school office for more information.

We're actively seeking additional businesses to join us. If you know of any interested parties, please contact the high school office.

The high school celebrated Constitution Day on Friday, Sept 13th. The local VFW came in and gave a presentation on the history of flags and how to fold the flag.

• Kalyi Nickerson placed 10th place at the conference meet!

• Middle school girl's basketball and boy's wrestling will begin the week of October 28th

• Winter sports can begin with practice on November 18th, with conditioning week on November 11th.

1. Community Coffee
2. Tax Request and Budget Approval
3. Surplus Equipment to Auction
4. Save the Date: D-T Education Foundation
5. Facility Planning

Community Coffee Dates:

We love connecting with our Cardinal community and families! Our first community coffee on August 9th was a great start. Come and grab a cup of coffee or a cookie from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM in the high school commons. It is an open house as well, if it has been awhile since you have been in the building, feel free to look around and take a tour. Here are the upcoming dates:

• October 25th
• November 27th
• January 3rd
• March 7th
• April 18th
• May 21st

These informal gatherings are perfect for chatting with district leaders, asking questions, and sharing your thoughts. We hope to see you there!

Your engagement helps make our district stronger. Go Cardinals!

Each August and September, the district office prepares the budget for approval, public hearings are held and the school board approves the budget. This process starts in the spring and culminates in the official adoption of the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget and approval of the final tax request for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Both of these approvals occurred after the opportunity for public input.

The final tax request is as follows, compared to the previous year. The total change in the tax rate is down 8%. Our operating budget growth is 0%, as we are increasing the overall property tax request by $181,426.23, which represents an increase of 2.67%. The operating budget is able to remain at 0% due to the decreased levy in the building fund. As the board continues to examine best options for addressing facility deficiencies, our building fund may need additional tax levy to support those in the future.

As you can see in the image above, the 12% valuation increase minus 8% change in tax rate means that D-T is utilizing only 4% of the valuation increase to support operations. As approved, our budget can be summarized as follows:

• Dropped general fund levy to provide tax relief in a measured approach (76.75¢ general fund levy = 6% drop)

• Decreased building fund to stay within legislative limit on school tax asking given the bond defeat (lowered from 7.4 ¢ to 4.96¢)

• Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund (QCPUF Bond) from early 2010s was paid off early

• Invested in people that serve students (all staff)

• Invested in our facility to maintain, protect, & improve

Final Budget by the Numbers

• $6,976423.00 - Total Property Tax Request

• $181,426.23 increase in property tax request from the previous year

• -8% total drop in the tax rate from 2023-2024 to 2024-2025 after 7% drop last year

• 78% of the budget is spent on instruction (as it should be)

• 0% increase in the overall operating budget

• 6% drop in general fund levy

• 4.96 Cents levied in the building fund

Doniphan-Trumbull Public Schools has partnered with Tri-City Auction Center to sell surplus or obsolete inventory according to D-T Board Policy 3090. Tri-City Auction Center will be putting an above ground sprinkler system and trailer up for auction on behalf of the school. The pictures below show some level of information, but interested persons could see them in person at the activities complex in the southeast corner, near the garages.

Please check the website: https://tricityauctioncenter.hibid.com/ in the coming days for this item to be placed on a larger auction.

Bidding Notice: This is an internet only auction. All bidding will take place online. Items need to be picked up during posted times on this auction. All sales are final and items sell AS IS WITH NO GUARANTEE. Please note a buyer's Premium of 15% will be added to all purchases. Shipping is available on smaller items for actual shipping costs PLUS a handling fee.

🚩Save the Date 🚩

📆 November 23, 2024

🚀 Launching Great Minds Event sponsored by the D-T Education Foundation to support student scholarships!

💰All proceeds go directly to student scholarships, please consider supporting this tremendous cause.

🎫 Tickets $30.00 or Table of 8 for $200.00

🏣 Doniphan Event Center

⏰ 5:00 PM - Happy Hour | 6:00 PM - Dinner | 7:00 PM - Trivia

Upcoming Community Meetings:

As the board of education and our administration continue to examine the school facility needs, we will be inviting the public to provide information, opinions, and concerns regarding school facilities. Please keep an eye out for these events. Virtual and in-person options will be available to support our community members.

1. Crosswalk Reminder
2. NDE School Safety YouTube Channel

Safety first! Always use the crosswalk on your way to school. It only takes a moment and could save your life. Be seen, be safe, and set a good example for others.

With all of the traffic at morning drop off and afternoon pickup, please try to utilize the crosswalks as much as possible. This helps with vehicle traffic and pedestrian safety.

Oct 16 - End of the 1st Quarter

Oct 18 - TEAM Glow Run Fundraiser

Oct 22 - NAESP Region 4 Youth Leadership Conference

Oct 24 - Kindergarten Field Trip – Pumpkin Patch

Oct 24 - No School for PK

Oct 25 - No School Fall Break

Nov 23 - D-T Ed Foundation Launching Great Minds

Nov 15 - 1:30 PM Early Dismissal - Staff Development

Nov 27 - Cardinal Community Coffee

Nov 27 - Nov 29 - Thanksgiving Break