Less than 10 days remain until IKM-Manning Community School District students head back to class, and Superintendent Trevor Miller says the staff is more than ready to welcome them. According to Miller, buildings and grounds work around the district has been limited to routine maintenance projects as IKM-Manning gears up for the start of a larger project near the end of the 2023-2024 school year.
Following the approval of that $7.9 million revenue bond, district voters will likely have another referendum on the ballot come November as school officials look to continue the momentum of modernizing the district’s facilities. Miller says the school board meets tonight (Monday) to finalize the details for the proposed work’s scale.
Regardless of the dollar amount attached to the referendum, Miller says the board plans to utilize a general obligation (GO) bond to finance the project, which would require a 60-percent-plus-one vote to pass. IKM-Manning is welcoming two new teachers to the elementary building in Irwin and one new teacher at the 4-12 facility in Manning this year, plus around a half-dozen or so new classroom support staff. Like most school districts in Iowa, Miller says hiring remains challenging in the ongoing teacher shortage.
New staff reports for training on Tuesday, Aug. 15, and returning teachers are back for the new school year on Thursday, Aug. 17. Open houses are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 22, with classes beginning the following day on Wednesday, Aug. 23. With just over a week left in the summer break, Miller says it is time for students to get back into the school routine.
Miller adds there is always lots going on the first few weeks of school, and he encourages parents, families, and stakeholders to regularly check the IKM-Manning website at www.ikm-manning.k12.ia.us to stay in touch with district announcements.
