Dear Families,
We have a lot to be proud of in the Rugby Public Schools. Our motto—every student, every day—is really paying off. Rugby students score above state averages in reading, math, ACT, and graduation rates. We accomplish this while spending less per student than the average district in the state. We are extremely pleased with this rare combination of top performance coupled with responsible spending. We hope you enjoyed your summer break! The school year will begin soon, and we are looking forward to welcoming back our learners and educators for the 2021-2022 school year. I have some important highlights to share with you.
Ely Elementary Addition
The school board is planning on moving forward with a referendum vote on adding an addition to Ely Elementary that will help with existing needs. The school board has been developing a solution since 2018 and hired a firm to develop a capital maintenance plan for the elementary school. A Citizens Committee was created and the following areas of need have been identified: create a safer solution for busing and car traffic, add specially designed spaces for students with special needs, redesign classroom spaces for flexible learning to meet the changes to teaching and learning, increase the size of the cafeteria, improve the playground space and increase the size of the gym.
The School Board and district administration believe now is a good time to consider a bond referendum for the following reasons.
- The proposed Ely projects can be completed with no increase to the current tax level.
- Interest rates remain near historic lows.
- Federal COVID-19 relief funds can be used to offset costs for local taxpayers.
- The District will soon be debt-free.
The School Board will be gathering feedback from the community through a survey that will hit your mailboxes soon. These results will help inform the Citizens Committee and School Board to make the best decision to meet our needs at Ely Elementary.
Health and Safety Plan
We are required to update our Health and Safety Plan in response to COVID-19. The school board approved the plan recommended by our Health and Safety Committee on August 10th. The full plan can be found on our website or you can access it here: https://www.rugby.k12.nd.us/domain/2149
The following topics are frequently asked questions related to COVID-19:
Are masks required? No, masks are recommended for students and staff.
Will the district require students and staff to quarantine? Yes, the district will require a quarantine for only those that test positive and those who are identified as household contacts. Close contacts identified at school will not be required to quarantine. Parents should continue to monitor their children and keep them home if they are sick.
Online Grading Portal Change
The school district will be transitioning away from Powerschool and into a new grading system called Empower. This change will provide more access for parents and students and aligns better with our standards-referenced initiatives. This transition will occur over the first month of school. Parents and students will be given access within the first few weeks of school. We appreciate your patience as we implement this new system.
Mental Health Counseling / School Nurse
We know the COVID-19 Pandemic has likely increased rates of anxiety and depression. We will continue to provide a trained expert on mental health for our students. Our school district will provide individual and group therapy for students at the Rugby Early Learning Center, Ely Elementary, and Rugby High School. If you are concerned about your child’s behavior(s) please contact your respective school to get more information on this program. A school nurse will be contracted for the 2021-2022 school year, you can contact Sam Wentz at 701-776-6783.
Contact info
You can follow me on Twitter at @mdmcneff and visit my blog at http://mikemcneff.blogspot.com for current school-related articles or news. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we head into the 2021-2022 school year. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions at (701)776-5201 or send me an email at mike.mcneff@k12.nd.us
