State law prohibits a school start date prior to August 23. With that date falling on a Saturday, the first day of school is scheduled for Monday, August 25. We are still considering potential dates for parent/teacher conferences in the fall. Winter Break for students is Monday, December 22 to Friday, January 2. Spring Break will be Friday, March 13 through Friday, March 20, and the last day of school for students is scheduled for Friday, May 22.

Again, this is a draft of the 25-26 calendar. We don't anticipate too many changes, but if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at deron.durflinger@vmbulldogs.com

Regular attendance is a cornerstone of your child’s success in school and beyond. Each day of learning is critical, and even a few missed days can add up, affecting academic progress and social development. In Iowa, when a student’s absences—whether excused or unexcused—reach 10% of the school year, we are required to send a formal letter to families and notify the county attorney. This new measure ensures that every child receives the necessary support to stay on track.

If absences continue and reach 15% of the grading period, we will initiate an engagement meeting involving the student, their family, and school officials. This meeting is designed to identify any barriers to attendance and develop an absenteeism prevention plan tailored to your child’s needs. We’re committed to working together to remove obstacles and help every student thrive.

However, if a student’s absences escalate to 20% of the grading period, the situation becomes more serious. At this point, the child is considered truant, and legal action may be taken by the county attorney. We want to avoid this outcome at all costs, which is why early intervention is so important. Our goal is to support students and families before absences reach this critical level.

We recognize that these procedures may be new and may feel challenging, but they are in place to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed. Thank you for your continued partnership in making regular attendance a priority.

More information about SF2435 can be found at www.educate.iowa.gov and on the graphic below.

Families that meet federal guidelines can qualify for free or reduced lunches. Forms to make applications for free or reduced lunches may be picked up at the Business Office after August 1st or downloaded below.

We have four organizations that do a great job of supporting Van Meter Schools. They are always looking for members. Be sure to reach out to them if you are interested in helping out.

Van Meter Education Foundation- Contact Luke Haverstick at lhaverstick@hotmail.com

Van Meter Elementary Parent Committee Contact Amanda Dougherty at mnddougherty@gmail.com

Van Meter Performing Arts Boosters Contact Scott Prickett at prickettsd@gmail.com

Van Meter Athletic Boosters Contact Amy Giesking at - amy.giesking@gmail.com

Email: firstname.lastname@vmbulldogs.com
Website: www.vmbulldogs.com
Location: 520 1st Avenue, Van Meter, IA, USA
Phone: (515) 996-2221
Facebook: https://facebook.com/VanMeterSchools/
Twitter: @vanmeterschools