Hello United South Central Families,
It has been a great fall and start to the school year at United South Central. As we step into second quarter, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are just ahead. We’re excited about all the activities and events that November and December will bring to USC.
Community Meeting Appreciation – I would like to extend a sincere thank-you to everyone who attended our first community meeting in October. We had exactly 100 attendees join us for this initial facilities discussion. The goal of the meeting was to gather feedback from our community and identify the important questions district residents have as we explore the possibility of a facilities referendum in the future. In the world of school scheduling, there’s never a perfect date for an event like this, and we recognize that our first meeting fell during a very busy time of year for many. We plan to hold at least two additional community meetings, with the next tentatively scheduled for January or early February.
At this time, there is no official plan or project being proposed. We are conducting an in-depth analysis of our building needs, enrollment trends, and community input to ensure that any plan we move forward with is the right fit for United South Central, aligned with both the needs and aspirations of our district. A school district truly is a community enterprise, and we want to ensure we’re gathering as many questions, thoughts, and perspectives as possible as we move through this process. If you have any questions along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out and I would be happy to visit.
Transportation Garage Project – Last spring, our school board made the decision to reinvest some of our transportation-specific funds into a new on-campus garage facility to replace our aging (and outgrown) van garage on the north side of Wells. We had hoped to begin construction over the summer; however, we have been waiting for the State to review and finalize the construction permit, a process that has taken much longer than anticipated. Because it’s significantly more expensive to begin construction this late in the fall, we have decided to wait until spring to move forward in order to keep costs as manageable as possible.
On a related note, a common question worth speaking to is: “If the school can finance a new garage, why can’t it finance a building addition?” The answer lies in how school transportation funding works. As a district, we have a separate transportation fund, which is used to manage and reinvest the savings we generate by operating our own buses and vans instead of contracting out transportation services. By keeping transportation in-house, we maintain a healthy fund balance and can proactively reinvest in our facilities, vehicles, and equipment which helps ensure long-term sustainability for our transportation department. If we contracted our transportation and the provider needed a new facility, they would build it and then raise rates to the district to cover the cost. Managing transportation ourselves allows us to be responsible stewards of these funds, save money over time, and reinvest directly into maintaining and improving our own operations.
Substitute Appreciation – Substitute Appreciation Day is Friday, November 21st! Let’s take a moment to celebrate and thank our incredible substitutes at USC. Please encourage students to share their appreciation over the next few weeks. We are also looking to expand our substitute lists for both teachers and paraprofessionals. In Minnesota, anyone with a four-year degree is eligible to apply for a substitute teaching license. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about subbing or licensure, please reach out!
Upcoming Events and Activities
November 4, End of First Quarter
November 5, Start of Second Quarter
November 7, 8, & 9, Shrek Drama Performance
November 11, Veterans Day Ceremony - 9:00 AM
November 20 & 25, Elementary Evening Conferences
November 26, No School Grades K-6 (Elem. Conferences)
November 27 & 28, Thanksgiving Break
Go Rebels!
Taylor Topinka
USC Superintendent