COMMUNITY NOTES: For CCHS, where do we go from here?

By Anne Lundquist, Superintendent, Charles City Community School District

I know we are all aware that the recent school bond referendum question brought before the district’s voters fell short of being approved.

I sincerely value the privilege afforded to us as voters to have our voices heard, which is a fundamental aspect of our system of democracy.

Unfortunately, the result of the recent vote means the facility issues at our high school will remain. These include much-needed upgrades to security, safety and mechanical systems, as well as updates to student learning environments.

These issues continue to present challenges to daily operations.

In the past three weeks, two failures in the old boiler system have impacted the school’s heating system. In the first instance, the parts needed to repair the boiler system have become increasingly difficult to acquire. Waiting for parts took several days, causing a lengthy delay before we were able to get the system up and running.

Most recently, a breach in one of the lines under the boiler’s foundation caused steam to be expelled directly into classrooms.

This failure meant instruction was disrupted while operations staff completed difficult—and frankly dangerous—repairs.

While the solution presented in November was not the right fit for the community at this time, I know we share a commitment to prioritizing the best interests of our students within the constraints of our current resources.

Moving forward, I believe we can work together to find a solution to address the significant needs at our high school.

I am reaching out to you to gather your input as to what you believe to be the best approach to address these needs.

I encourage you to take some time to share your thoughts with school board members via email at school_board@charles-city.k12.ia.us.

Together, we can make a difference.