IOWA-GRANT'S PANTHER PRESS

Referendum Update - Board Acts to Lessen Tax Impact

The Iowa-Grant School District Board of Education took action at its regular meeting on August 12, 2024, to levy no more than $400,000 in the first year of any new revenue authority gained through a successful November referendum. The referendum is for operations on a recurring basis and not for facilities. By phasing in the $1,200,000 ballot question over three or more years, the estimated tax impact is expected to be an increase of $266 on a $200,000 property. The estimate is based on the change in mil rate and is not a hard number because there are variables that the school district does not control, for example, if one’s property was recently reassessed, property evaluations were increased/decreased, or if a solar installation came online in one's taxing district, removing property tax base from the district.

Our Schools - The Heart of Our Community

Iowa-Grant School District - Where together we make a difference.

In partnership with the community, the Iowa-Grant School District will empower all students to reach their full potential as responsible individuals who strive for life-long learning to successfully compete in an ever-changing global society.

Strong communities support high-quality schools where students are supported in discovering their potential and reaching their highest aspirations. When schools are supported, students thrive.

Considering the continual academic and co-curricular successes of Iowa-Grant students, it is clear that our students have been the beneficiaries of a strong community partnership. Wisconsin ranks our district as exceeding expectations and IGEMs has repeatedly earned “5 Star” status. Our musical and theater productions are a point of pride for parents and grandparents. Twenty-five of our high school forensics participants went on to state last year. Our cross-country team regularly earns a berth at the state level and many of our wrestlers advance to state competition. Four of our high school seniors recently earned their American FFA degrees, and in continuance of excellence, every one of our 2023 and 2024 high school graduates had post-secondary plans. Almost all of these students are starting this journey with generous scholarships from our supportive community. Thank you, Iowa-Grant community.

Still, we are facing a major challenge. The fact that for six out of the past 10 years, the State of Wisconsin has allowed no per pupil expenditure increase (unless these expenditures were from money districts held in fund balance) is the reason so many school districts across the state (more than 100 in last spring’s primary) are scheduling referenda just to keep the doors open. Fund balances bottom out and districts must ask voters for taxing authority to make up the difference.

Here at Iowa-Grant, we want to ensure that all voters have the information they need to decide how to vote on the November operations referendum question. More detailed information is available on our district website: https://www.igs.k12.wi.us/o/igs/page/iowa-grant-2024-referendum Additionally, board members and I will be presenting at upcoming village meetings and hosting an informational Family and Community Town Supper (FACTS) on October 22nd. Absentee voting begins mid-September with more information available at: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/

Our schools are the heart of our community. Be an informed voter and then please vote with your heart on November 5, 2024. And remember, “Once a Panther, always a Panther!”

Michael Shimshak

Superintendent

Back Row Left to right: Reagan Crist, Jacob Amenda, Larisa Crow, Dustin Johnson, Jacob Reuter

Front Row: Lisa Bomkamp, Kendall Drake, Jena Crapp, Eileen Gorsline

Not pictured: Jessica Schultz, Meg Reuter

9/03 FIrst Day of School

9/03 IGHS Pictures

9/03 5:00 PM Football: JV vs Dodgeville (Home)

9/06 7:00 PM Football: Varsity vs Wauzeka-Steuben (Away)

09/07 8:45 AM Cross Country: Girls Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ Darlington

09/07 9:20 AM Cross Country: Girls JV Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ Darlington

09/07 10:00 AM Cross Country: Boys Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ Darlington

09/09 6:30 PM Board Meeting

09/10 4:30 PM Cross Country: Varsity Meet vs Multiple Schools @ Boscobel

09/12 4:15 PM Volleyball: Freshman Match vs Cuba City (Away)

09/13 6:15 PM Football Pep Band

09/13 7:00 PM Football: Varsity vs Pecatonica/Argyle (Home)

09/14 8:30 AM Cross Country: Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ River Valley

09/16 5:30 PM Football: JV vs Pecatonica (Away)

09/16 6:00 PM Music Parents Meeting

09/17 5:30 PM Volleyball: Freshmen Match vs Southwestern (Away)

09/17 5:30 PM Volleyball: JV vs Southwestern (Away)

09/17 7:00 PM Volleyball: Varsity vs Southwestern (Away)

09/19 5:45 PM Volleyball: Freshmen vs Barneveld (Home)

9/19 5:45 PM Volleyball: JV vs Boscobel (Home)

09/19 6:30 PM Volleyball Pep Band

09/19 7:15 PM Volleyball: Varsity vs Boscobel (Home)

9/19 7:15 PM Cross Country: Varsity vs Multiple Schools @ Boscobel

9/20 6:15 PM Football Pep Band

9/20 7:00PM Football: Varsity vs Black Hawk (Home) (Seniors Night)

9/21 9:00 AM Volleyball: Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools (Home)

9/23 4:45 PM Volleyball: JV Invitational vs Multiple Schools (Home)

9/23 5:30 PM Football: JV vs Black Hawk (Home)

9/24 4:00 PM Cross Country: Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ Westby Area HS

9/24 5:45 PM Volleyball: Freshmen/JV vs Fennimore (Away)

9/24 7:15 PM Volleyball: Varsity vs Fennimore (Away)

9/26 4:45 PM Volleyball: Freshmen/JV vs Riverdale (Away)

9/26 6:15 PM Volleyball: Varsity vs Riverdale (Away)

9/27 Great Steak Night

9/27 6:15 PM Football Pep Band

9/27 7:00 PM Football: Varsity vs Potosi/Cassville

9/28 8:00 AM Volleyball: Varsity Invitational vs Multiple Schools @ Belmont HS

9/28 9:30 AM Cross Country: Varsity Invitation vs Multiple Schools @ Reedsburg Hartje Center

9/30 5:00 PM Volleyball: Freshmen Tournament vs Multiple Schools @ Riverdale

9/30 5:30 PM Football: JV vs Potosi (Away)

The Iowa-Grant Student Council and LEO Club will be collecting old pairs of eyeglasses and old cell phones throughout the school year again. Please send them to Mr. Boland. Thank you for supporting the IGHS Student Council and LEO Club!

Welcome Back! It will be great to see the students back in the building. This fall we will welcome new teachers into our IGEMS family. Jake Reuter will be teaching physical education, Reagan Crist will be teaching 7th grade English and language arts, and Eileen Gorsline will be teaching 7th and 8th grade science. Jena Crapp and Larisa Crow will be adding to our lineup as special education assistants. We also have a fantastic addition in our kitchen to our great kitchen staff with Lisa Bomkamp. We are lucky to have such great people We have had a few other changes with teaching staff and we appreciate their talents and flexibility!

Ms. Hasburgh and Ms. Kennicker have worked very hard to help get things ready for the start of the year in the main office and I appreciate all that they have done this summer from and summer school for fall preparation for our students.

We have had many wonderful donations of backpacks and supplies to the office. I do not want to miss anyone, so if you were someone who passed along this generosity, we appreciate you and your support of our students.

This is such a special place with small communities that come together to accomplish great things for students. If you need anything, please reach out to me. I will try my best to understand the need and help. Have a great start to your school year I - GEMS! You are all truly gems!

Having easy to follow evening and morning routines is one of my top tips for parents with young school-aged children. Routines help kids feel more secure and confident. They also build independence and responsibility. Below, you will find some routines for you to consider for your own family this school year.

Evening Routines:

• Pack backpacks and bags with everything needed for the next day. Double check that papers are signed and homework is finished.

• Pick out clothing items and set them out (check the weather forecast first!).

• Bath, book, bed! Following bathtime with reading a story is a favorite routine for many families.

• Turn off the television and put away other distractions (phones and tablets).

• Routines should allow for children between the ages of 3 and 5 to get 10-13 hours of sleep per night. Children ages 6-13 need 9-12 hours of sleep (Healthychildren.org). When kids are well-rested, they have an easier time getting up in the morning and handling the demands of a school day.

Morning Routines:

• For young children, try making a list of things to do each morning with pictures. Post it in a place where it can be seen by your child. Example: use the bathroom, make the bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, put on shoes, grab a coat and backpack.

• Create a good-bye ritual between you and your child to help make the transition from home to school less challenging. A special good-bye saying, silly handshake, or a hug and “I love you,” provides your child with comfort and reassurance.

Children work hard during the school day; listening and physical activity require energy and focus. Having an evening routine, a restful night of sleep, and a morning routine can help your child both at school and at home. Take time to think about the right routines for your family, so your child is ready to start strong this school year!

Our IGEMS Panther Packs program has been helping to ensure that our student have proper nutrition at home on the weekends and to help our families that may be experiencing food shortages in today's economy. The success of our program depends on the generous donations of our community. If you are interested in donating to the Panther Packs program please drop off donations of money or food in the IGEMS office. Useful items include snacks such as granola bars, fruit snacks, or crackers, breakfast items such as cereal or oatmeal (preferably individually packaged), lunch items such as mac and cheese cups, chef boyardee cups, or cups of noodles, and fruit cups. Thank you for continuing to support the Panther Packs program!

In Science for Kids during summer school, we did so many experiments to learn more about science topics like temperature, solubility, and chemical reactions! Pictured are Skittle rainbows, a traveling rainbow, fireworks in a jar, and citrus candles.