Ar-We-Va students are counting down the days until the 2023-2024 school year begins in less than a week, and teachers, administrators, and staff are more than ready to welcome them back. Ar-We-Va welcomes a new superintendent this year, Nate Hemiller, from the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn School District. Hemiller says the break is typically when schools take care of maintenance projects that are too challenging to complete when classes are in session, and Ar-We-Va was no exception this summer.
Regarding total enrollment, Ar-We-Va ranks 30th of Iowa’s 328 public school districts according to the Iowa Department of Education’s 2022-2023 certified enrollment numbers. Hiring teachers has been difficult for communities of all sizes, even more so for rural districts. However, Hemiller says that is not the case for Ar-We-Va heading into the new year.
New teachers reported for initial training today (Thursday), and all staff are back at school tomorrow (Friday) for professional development. Their open house is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 22, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first day of classes for students is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 23. Hemiller has only been with the district for a few months, but he says it was immediately clear how much support their stakeholders have for Ar-We-Va.
Hemiller encourages the community to regularly check the district’s website at www.ar-we-va.k12.ia.us to stay in touch with Rocket activities and events.
