Superintendent's Welcome
Welcome to the Keokuk Community School District website. Whether you are a first-time visitor to our site or a returning one, we hope that you find valuable information. As the district's superintendent, I encourage you to visit our schools via our website and to learn more about the wide range of educational and administrative support services we provide for our students. I also invite you to visit our schools in person. It is in our schools that you will get a sense of the caring and compassionate team of professionals that serve the district.
This fall I begin my 26 th year in the district--first as an English, speech, and journalism teacher. Then as Director of Technology. Then as assistant superintendent. Now as superintendent. Because of my tenure in Keokuk, I share your pride in our schools, our students, and our community.
We value your support and we never forget that our community and parents trust us with their most valued assets...their children. This is a tremendous responsibility. A responsibility that we take very seriously.
The last two years the district experienced very challenging economic times. Economic difficulties that extended beyond the district to Keokuk to the state and to the nation. Another factor adds to the economic challenges the district faces--declining enrollment. Since our budget is based on enrollment, our budget continues to dwindle. However, through the hard work of the administrative team and Board of Education and with the input from district staff, we cut $1.2 million from our budget. We were fortunate that through retirements and resignations we were able to reduce positions without pink slipping staff. We will again be working to reduce the budget for the 2011-2012 school year by approximately an additional $1 million. This will again be extremely challenging.
Even so we look to the future...a future that we see as full of potential. The district is involved with long-range facilities planning. We are trying to determine the current state of our facilities and plan for future needs. One might ask How is this possible during tough budgetary times? Because of the statewide penny sales tax. Funds that can only be used for infrastructure.
We are also focusing our professional development with the goal of improving student achievement in all content areas. The primary topics will be instructional strategies including using technology and improving writing instruction. We are also using the Microsoft settlement money to provide software, hardware and professional development in math.
As we plan for the future we have set district-wide goals:
Goal 1: Improve district-wide student achievement.
Goal 2: Promote the success of all students by providing professional development for district staff to ensure that student achievement is at the highest levels possible.
Goal 3: Continue to promote excellence by developing long-range and short-range plans including a strategic plan, comprehensive school improvement plans, a technology plan, and professional development plans (that address district PD needs, administrator PD needs, teacher PD needs, and support staff PD needs).
Goal 4: Improve district-wide communication by developing the use of print and electronic information, increased community presentations and involvement, and opportunities for community input.
Goal 5: Review personnel practices (recruitment, hiring, evaluation, retention) and develop processes to ensure consistency in personnel practices.
If you would like to assist in working to accomplish the district's goals, please feel free to contact me ( lwolff@keokuk.k12.ia.us ; 319-524-1402 x1616; 727 Washington Street). In addition, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have concerns or questions. As our teachers often remind our students, "You can't learn from your mistakes, if you don't know what they are."
With warm regards,
Lora Wolff
Superintendent