Superintendent Scoop

Friends of Boundary County,

Here we are in the second semester of the 2018-19 school year! My mom used to say, “Be aware, time goes faster the older you get!” I look forward to seeing her again to learn of other things I should have paid more attention to.

So, what should you expect this semester? The answer is more of the same… only better! BCSD will continue to learn. Our Board of Trustees is deeply involved in the look for a new superintendent for next year using the Idaho School Board Association and a national search process. These are exciting times for us! I will say, it has been honored to serve Boundary County for the last seven years. I believe we have made great strides at the district level through open communication, trust, cooperation and holding the right people in the right place. We are now functioning as a team with “Badger Pride” and no hidden agendas. Our Board of Trustees is very strong with a focus on community and program growth. The Board is asking for patron input in the hiring process; follow along on our website and stay involved. Our Admin Team and supervisors continue to be solid; our instructional corps is sturdy and getting stronger. The new superintendent will come into a system where everyone knows their strengths and fulfills an important role. I am deeply proud to have been involved.

THE BCSD M&O REPLACEMENT LEVY—March 12! We have again managed our financial challenges to hold the Maintenance and Operations Levy to the same amount as the last two cycles—barring any unusual circumstances, your taxes will NOT increase. Most of this money goes to pay the support staff who works directly with the students. Other funds funnel into necessary programs. If your children over 18 live out of town and are still registered to vote in Boundary County, please have them request an absentee ballot from the County Office. Encourage your friends and family to vote on March 12; your decision will have a profound effect on the students of BCSD. The levy information is available on our website.

Community members in support of the levy will hold the first organizational meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 5 p.m. in the BCMS Library. This group will organize the distribution of signs and coordinate advertisement. If you cannot attend but still want to help, a monetary donation would be appreciated at Columbia Bank under the Save Our Schools (SOS) Account.

On Jan. 18, I attended a Tabletop Exercise sponsored by the Idaho Office of School Safety and Security. This four hour session was designed to establish protocol and coordinated a response system to an active shooter scenario at BFHS (God forbid!). In attendance was our building principals, the Sheriff, Chief of Police, juvenile justice, 911 dispatch, the fire department, EMT/EMS, the Chaplin Corp, hospital, and media. We all found the process to be very valuable. But this training is primarily focused on an ‘after the fact’ responses! That brings me to you: the students, parents, and community members. We have started a “See and Say” initiative within our schools. That is, if you know of a student, classmate, friend who is suffering from a personal traumatic experience and this person is talking or texting about personal harm or harming others… WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT!!! The experts swear this system is more effective than any other method of preventing violence in our schools! Please join us in this effort and talk to your child about the use of good judgment. Contact a school official or local officer if you see, hear, or read something that is out of the ordinary. Our next step will be administrators and counselors to receive training on the new Idaho Threat Assessment Tool, designed to help us determine the level of risk an individual might extend. School safety will always remain our #1 priority!

On another note of safety and health—you have received a few messages from our schools to help us get a handle on a variety of illnesses hitting our region this year. We follow the lead of Idaho Panhandle Health and the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and ask for your continued support. Hopefully this extended cold spell will kill some of the “bugs”... speaking of, remember to keep a lookout for head lice as they never really go away!

On an academic note, please ask your child how the alternative assessments are going. All math, reading, language arts, and some science classes are required to use these practice sessions to improve instruction and prepare for the spring ISAT.

Winter sports are coming to an end. Our basketball and wrestling teams are giving everyone a go! Best of luck to these students, along with the dance and cheer squads as they compete in the postseason. Coming soon: track, softball, baseball (defending State Champs!), golf, theatre, band, and choir concerts. We have much to look forward to and enjoy! Peace to you and yours as we work together to maintain a safe, civil and productive environment!

Respectfully,

Gary Pflueger Superintendent, Boundary County School District #101