Greene County Superintendent

Brett Abbotts

Dear Greene County CSD Families and Community Members,

As we approach the end of this remarkable school year, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the accomplishments and progress we have collectively achieved and the several challenges that we have faced and overcome in part to our phenomenal building leaders, our incredibly dedicated teachers, our relentless educational support personnel, and a committed and supportive school board. Our school community has faced both challenges and success with resilience, embraced opportunities with enthusiasm, and demonstrated a commitment to excellence that deserves celebration. Here’s a look back at some of our standout moments and achievements.

Greene County CSD has committed to four strategic priorities: Academic Excellence, Recruiting and Retaining Quality Staff Members, Resource Management, and Community Relations. I will focus the rest of the attention to those four areas and provide some insight as to how we worked towards that priority.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 

Our students have once again showcased their academic prowess. This year, our district saw an impressive 7% increase in overall mathematics scores, using our MAP assessments, with notable growth coming in several grade levels. This achievement reflects the dedication of our educators, the hard work of our students, and the support of our parents and guardians. We have identified the need for continued work with literacy and our professional development plans will continue to target that area moving forward.

We continued the success and increased levels of enrollment of our Career Academy, with 55 students enrolled in classes, and we have several students who will be graduating with their high school diploma and a second credential through Iowa Central, a strong vision for Greene County schools.

RECRUITING AND RETAINING QUALITY STAFF MEMBERS

With the unprecedented legislative session that we encountered, our teachers will see increased minimum salaries of $47,500 and for those with 12 years of experience, or more, will earn a minimum of $60,000. This marks the first time in over 10 years where the state of Iowa has committed to increasing the funding that schools receive for the purposes of raising the salaries of our teachers. They absolutely deserve it.

Next school year, we will have 9 new teachers joining the Greene County staff in different positions across the district. They are ranging from first year teachers to experienced veterans who wanted to make the move to Jefferson and our schools. We have partnered together with Buena Vista to ensure that our teachers have the opportunity to earn additional credits or even a Masters degree at a reduced rate and we continue to partner within the Cherokee Consortium for our paraeducators who wish to earn their Bachelor’s degree through the Teacher/Para Registered Apprenticeship program. We currently have 5 staff members who are working through this program with the desire to become a teacher right here in Greene County.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

A major project that has been in the works for nearly a year is the Renewable Energy project that Greene County CSD will embark on in the months to come. This project was the result of research into the electrical and utility bills that were totaling nearly $500,000 a year for the school district. In the months to come, the district will be approving a construction manager, a concept and design for solar arrays at all three schools that will have a great impact on the dollars that are being spent on energy, when they should be spent on our classrooms and teachers. The school district also partnered with the Local Government Risk Pool to shift the costs of our natural gas to the Management fund, which will save the district’s General Fund over $110,000 per school year.

The district continues to make facility improvements, with the addition of new lights coming to Linduska Field this summer, and the development of a 5-year Facilities Improvement Plan. The school district will partner together with staff, students, and community members to identify desires, wishes, and needs for the school district and then communicate a 5-year plan to work towards meeting the needs of our students, schools, and staff members.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Our schools continue to take the next steps in the assurance that we are doing the right things for our students in our schools through more frequent and effective communication from each of our schools through parent newsletters and information from the principals, parent/teacher conferences at all three schools, and the host of family and community events that are held in each of our schools. Our schools want to partner together with our parents, community members, and local organizations to ensure that we are providing the best experiences for our kids and we have made some great strides in this work already.

LOOKING AHEAD

As we look forward to the next school year, we are excited to build on these successes. Plans are already underway for expanding programs in all levels of our school district, increasing our financial sustainability efforts, and continuing to enhance our curriculum with innovative educational practices and ensuring that we have created a system of highly reliable schools.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our teachers, staff, students, parents, and community members for their unwavering support and dedication. Together, we have created an environment where every student can thrive and reach their fullest potential. Here’s to a summer filled with rest, rejuvenation, and anticipation for another incredible year ahead.

Warm regards,

Brett Abbotts, Superintendent Greene County CSD #RollRams

Contact Us

Jefferson Bee & Herald
Address: 200 N. Wilson St.
Jefferson, IA 50129

Phone:(515) 386-4161