Superintendent of Schools PCSD#1

Many times, we wander through life with our own ideas, thoughts, and visions and we are able to focus on what directly impacts our lives. The concept of rallying around a hashtag is something that is trendy and a quick way to focus our visions. The idea of #onePlatte1 came from a longtime, iconic educator in Platte County School District #1. Mrs. de Ryk has spent her education career through our district and she has ‘been there, done that.’ Her ability to see that we needed to shift and rebalance our vision back to a single, unified district is something that I have rallied behind. I have latched on to the hashtag and #onePlatte1 battle cry and use it daily in my interactions. But what does #onePlatte1 mean? Platte County School District #1 consists of seven schools, three ZIP codes, 922 students and over 245 staff members. All of these components are vital to the operation of our district and the support of our clients, the students. Aesop (Greek storyteller) stated that in union there is strength. The #onePlatte1 mentality has allowed for all schools and staff to focus their attention on Platte #1 while serving the unique needs of our students. It does not mean that everyone gets the same things, rather it solidifies that everyone gets what they need to provide for our students. Unfortunately, we have limitations on what resources we can provide throughout the district and that requires a delicate balance between all entities. All of the parts of the district represent the whole of the district. Our transportation department is as important as our food service department and this concept trickles through all portions of our system. By rallying around the #onePlatte1 vision, we are all able to focus on the goals and vision for the district. How can all of the spokes support the wheel? We can all be proud of our school district as you can witness the many great things that are happening throughout the district. Our students showcase their abilities and accomplishments they have achieved from their respective schools, clubs and activities. The work that our teachers put into their students is second to none and these successes are in direct proportion to their efforts. It doesn’t matter if you are a Dragon, Eagle, Bulldog or Buffalo…we are all successful in our own individual manner. We are not bashful with our recognition of classmates from another grade level or students and staff from other schools as we are all under the umbrella of #onePlatte1. In the recent staffing meeting, a stakeholder made the suggestion of making sure that the district office shares the individual school’s successes through the district’s social media campaign. Their reasoning was that if someone is tuned in to the district level, but not the school level, they would miss witnessing others accomplishments. What a simple and effective suggestion to ensure that we are showcasing their talents! This simple task is also a way to support and promote each other. Overall, #onePlatte1 is utilized to help us realize that we may be separated by miles, but we all share the same values, vision, goals, resources and successes. As always, if you have any questions, comments, thoughts or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out and remember…we are #onePlatte1.

Community School Meetings:

This past week the School Board of Platte County School District #1 directed Superintendent Dziowgo to host three meetings in each of the school communities to collect input on the upcoming school year and the staffing decisions. This is the information was passed on from Superintendent Dziowgo to staff members.

These meetings were scheduled as follows: 5/2/22 at Chugwater Schools, 5/3/22 at Glendo Schools, 5/4/22 at Wheatland Middle School All meetings were held around the sixty minute window and input was collected from stakeholders.

The following information is a summary of the information that was provided to Superintendent Dziowgo and business manager Mrs. Wilson at these meetings. This information is meant to be as accurate as possible.

If we have missed any information that was presented, please do not hesitate to contact the district office and we will update this document accordingly, as it is a living document. Items that were brought forward at the meetings: ● Reduce duplicated programs and resources ○ Computer programs, data warehouses programs, instructional support programs ● Busing of students to other schools and providing that transportation ● Media and Marketing of Schools to increase enrollment ● Employee contributions to health insurance ● Reduction of building square footage throughout district ● Reduction of administration throughout the district ○ Sharing administrators, reconfiguring administrative coverage, administrators teaching courses ● Hiring of a Grant Manager ○ Position to apply for additional funding for the district ● Transition the District to a four-day Week ○ Could be the whole district or a portion of schools ● Charging of student athletes to play sports ● Charging admission fees to all events ● Closing school(s) ○ Peak High School, Chugwater & Glendo Secondary ● Separate utilities for BOCES building ● Building housing in rural communities ● Explore ARP restrictions to hire positions Next Steps: The items that seem possible will be vetted through the Administrative Cabinet to review the student and building impact of the items.

Mrs. Wilson and Mr. Dziowgo will work through the provided information to find the financial impact of the suggestions. The budget process will be ongoing and a continuous improvement process. Thank you all for your contributions to the process. If you have any further ideas or suggestions, please submit them through this Google Form. If you have any questions, comments, thoughts or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out and remember, we are #onePlatte1