Why does Galesburg-Augusta need additional classroom space?
Additional classroom space at the Primary School means returning 4th grades to the PS and 8th grades to the MS. It will open space back up at the High School for needed programs!
https://youtu.be/nLdbAfdhpfI
WHY NOW?
The district needs additional space at the Primary School and High School. To reduce class sizes, add programs and reduce overcrowding at the Primary School, the district temporarily moved fourth-grade classrooms into the Middle School and eighth-grade classrooms to the High School. Consequently, these grade shifts created a strain on classroom space at the High School.
By creating increased student opportunities, such as our STEAM joint venture with Eaton-Cummins, coding and robotics programs, G-A students will graduate with the skills needed to be successful adults in their careers and communities.
The current low-interest rates allow the district to reduce borrowing costs, reducing the millage rate for taxpayers.
Visit www.ga-bond.com for details!
Do you have questions about our current athletic facilities and why our students deserve a new multi-purpose athletic field?
Learn more here:
https://youtu.be/8cUZ88WK2fQ
Q: Are there still buses in the bond project?
A: Yes. Our bus fleet is an aging fleet that requires
increasing and costly repairs to keep them safely on
the road.
● School buses are expensive, approximately $100,000 per bus. The district has purchased one new bus annually for the past few years. However, the fleet still has an average age over 11 years with high
mileage rates--an average of over 121,000 miles. From an operations standpoint, it costs significantly more to maintain older, high-mileage vehicles. Utilizing bond funds to purchase three buses eliminates a significant impact (approximately $300,000), thereby leaving those funds for instruction and the operations of the district. It is important to point out that state statute requires us to pay back enough principal on the bonds to more than cover the cost of buses within a standard useful-life period.
On Nov. 2, 2021, Galesburg-Augusta residents will be asked to consider a bond proposal to support Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools.
The district held stakeholder meetings and conducted surveys to establish a three- to five-year facilities improvement plan focused on supporting student education programing.
Please watch the video below for more details.
https://youtu.be/gSwsUe5xrtE
DELAYED START TODAY 10/13!
Just a friendly reminder that TODAY, 10/13 is a delayed start day. Delayed starts are scheduled every Wednesday, except for the 1st Wednesday of each month. School will start 90 minutes later on delayed start days. School will dismiss at the normal time.
Delayed Start Times:
Primary School 9:20 AM
Middle School 9:44 AM
High School 9:00 AM
* Bus riders will be picked up 90 minutes later than their scheduled pick up time.
Visit www.ga-bond.com for more information.
Our softball teams pay to to use an off-site academy for spring training. A multi-purpose instructional facility would reduce travel and cost for our district.
REMINDER: DELAYED START 10/13!
Just a friendly reminder that THIS Wednesday, 10/13 is a delayed start day. Delayed starts are scheduled every Wednesday, except for the 1st Wednesday of each month. School will start 90 minutes later on delayed start days. School will dismiss at the normal time.
Delayed Start Times:
Primary School 9:20 AM
Middle School 9:44 AM
High School 9:00 AM
* Bus riders will be picked up 90 minutes later than their scheduled pick up time.
Q: How will this bond help academic achievement at G-A?
A: Expanding and repurposing facilities, increasing the number of academic/athletic opportunities, offering increasing STEM/STEAM curriculum, flexible spacing for after-school student groups, has been shown to positively impact students' interest in learning, encouraging them to stay in school and graduate!
● By upgrading and improving the learning environment, our students will be better able to learn the skills needed to be successful adults in our communities. Researchers have followed adults who participated in high school after-school programming such as athletics. They found that those adults exhibit goal setting, perseverance, communication skills and far greater confidence in themselves and their futures.
All G-A students deserve the opportunities to learn and master these life skills for their future success as community members and contributors to the world around them.
2021 Bond Proposal - Security Vestibule at the Primary School
This security vestibule would be for Preschool and the Daycare center.
https://youtu.be/Spq3NFUC978
Q: What is included in the bond proposal and how much will it cost?
A: The project remains exactly the same as the needs are exactly the same.
● Additional classroom space at the Primary School means returning 4th grades to the PS and 8th grades to the MS. It will open space back up at the High School for needed programs:
Space is maxed out at our Primary School due to necessary and additional programs being added over the past several years. By adding an additional wing on to the Primary which will house four 4th grade classrooms and a STEAM education classroom, we once again will be able to house our 8th graders back at the Middle School and our Primary will return to a PreK-4 building.
Currently the High School space is also maxed out keeping us from adding teachers and courses. Our
very successful Robotics program is housed in a maintenance building.
TODAY IS HOMECOMING!!!
4:30- Homecoming Parade
7:00- Game Vs. Lawton
ALL G-A STUDENTS will get FREE admission to the HOMECOMING football game TONIGHT FRIDAY, October 8th!!!
Go Rams!!!
NOTICE OF SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
School Board Candidate Interviews
The Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Board of Education will be conducting a Special School Board Meeting via video conferencing.
DATE OF MEETING: October 11, 2021
HOUR OF MEETING: 6:30 p.m.
To join Zoom Meeting by computer
o Enter: https://zoom.us/j/85273553521
o Then Click Open Zoom Meeting
o Enter Password: Fb11tD
Meeting ID: 852 7355 3521
Agenda: https://5il.co/108by
2021 Bond Proposal - Athletic Facility
Currently our track and field middle school and high school students must travel to and use other school districts’ tracks for both practice and for all meets. Without a new track facility, our students will not get the chance to practice their skills on a daily basis, reach their performance goals nor perform in front of their own community. Additionally, we do not get to take advantage of the income earnings potential from hosting home events--funds that could be used in our athletic and after-school programs for such things as school events and trips, uniforms, equipment, two-way bussing and participation fee relief.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBcyurSEwK8
*** 2021 Bond Proposal ***
Our Kids
Our Community
Our Responsibility
https://youtu.be/XscrCXlNwk0
*** Homecoming 2021 ***
ALL G-A STUDENTS will get FREE admission to the HOMECOMING football game this FRIDAY, October 8th!!!
Go Rams!!!
Count Day is TOMORROW October 6th!
STUDENT COUNT DAY AND SCHOOL FUNDING
• The count days and school funding are mandated through the State School Aid Act.
• Count Day is when all public schools in Michigan tally the number of students attending their schools.
• Count information is critical to districts because each student translates into state funding.
• State aid is based on the number of students legally enrolled on or before count day.
Pupils must be in attendance and receive instruction in all classes on the count day. Please make sure that your student(s) arrive at school on time & attend all day, if possible.
Thank you!!!
2021 Bond Proposal - STEAM and STEM
The growth in the number of STEM related jobs are projected to outpace all other occupations in the next decade. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that overall employment in the economy will grow about 7.4%, while STEM related fields will grow by 10.8%. STEM/STEAM college job holders earn between 20% and 30% more per hour than non-STEM employees. Unfortunately, in 2018, 2.4 million STEM jobs were projected to go unfilled across the U.S.! Kalamazoo County sees the same gap in graduates’ training and open positions.
Having the right facilities to grow more STEM/STEAM programming will help us ensure all students receive this education before graduation, keeping the world of possibilities open for each of them.
https://youtu.be/ae3FaDPV644
Just a reminder there is NO DELAYED START this Wednesday 10/6.
Please save this handy picture to help you keep track of the dates.
