At CAM Community School District, we recognize that our school district facilities are important community assets that need to be maintained for the health and safety of our students, staff, and community members.
Understanding that a school district is a direct reflection of the community it serves, the School Board and leadership team of CAM Community School District is committed to a facility planning strategy that reflects the priorities of the taxpayers and meets the needs of our students, staff, and communities.
To ensure future facility decisions make sense for students, are fiscally responsible, and have community support, our commitment to the residents of CAM Community School District will include expanded communication that will include:
Facility Master Planning Website
Facility Task Force Meetings (see below)
Community-Wide Survey
We will continue to share this information on this website, district emails, and social media.
The commitment to our community during this process is transparency and collaboration. Visit this website often for updates and continued communication.
We have engaged SitelogIQ, a company that specializes in helping school districts complete master facility planning that involves broad community input. Community members have been meeting independently of the School Board to understand our challenges and provide the Board with input on the direction forward. This survey is an extension of that work to provide broad community input.
Ultimately, the School Board is committed to finalizing a master plan that reflects the expectations and priorities of the community while meeting the needs of our students and staff. Therefore, we need your voice in the process.
Survey ends Tuesday, June 18. Thank you for taking time to complete this survey!
The Facility Task Force is a dedicated group of community members focused on delivering their insight and input to the CAM Community School District School Board as the board plans for the future of our schools.
During these meetings, this team will cover the following:
Demographics
Assessment of facilities
Current programming and education practices
Facility tours
School finance 101
The financial health of the district
Information shared and gathered at these community meetings will assist the District in its current Facility Planning work.
We are grateful to our community members for continuing to be a part of this process and providing input for the District to consider as we explore the options for moving forward with our facility planning.
Join us at our Facility Task Force meetings to learn about critical building infrastructure needs and improvement opportunities within our school buildings.
Please Note: Each meeting builds on the next meeting, so we ask you to plan to attend all if possible.
The task force that originally recommended closing North Elementary School was invited to reconvene and share their insights on the transition to a single-school system. During the meeting, they reviewed the key findings from their past recommendation on April 10, 2023, and discussed the effectiveness of the previous task force process, considering what could be done differently and identifying essential information for a successful outcome. The group gathered feedback on the current reaction to the school's closure and sought input for the next phase, which will contribute to further recommendations to the CAM School Board.
At the first meeting of the phase II task force, the group explored the reasons for reconvening, emphasizing community involvement in funding decisions, the development of a shared vision among the School Board, district officials, and CAM communities, and the necessity of community input for the School Board's direction. The task force reaffirmed its purpose to prioritize children's education and betterment. They reviewed the district's recent history, previous task force outcomes, and recommendations. Discussions also revolved around the district's capacity to consolidate from two buildings to one campus, what steps are needed for a potential referendum, and the questions to address in future meetings. Additionally, the challenges of passing bonds and nuances of Iowa elections were examined, along with strategies to increase participation from the Massena community.
The task force explored the school tax rates of neighboring districts and conducted a tour of the Massena Building, led by CAM Administration. New members, primarily from Massena, were added to the task force, with the final task force list receiving approval from the CAM Board. Post-tour group work centered on the most surprising aspects of the tour, discussions on necessary updates to the Massena school if budget wasn't a concern for a future-ready education, and considerations for what a single building would need to offer to replace the functions of the Massena building should the district need to consolidate.
The task force met in Griswold where they toured the PK-12 building with the Superintendent and PK-5 Principal, accompanied by 30 CAM community members. The tour highlighted enrollment parallels and financial challenges common to both Griswold and CAM. A post-tour electronic survey gathered insights on lessons from Griswold that could inform CAM's approach to similar issues. The information collected will assist in formulating recommendations for the CAM Board and in identifying key questions to be addressed. Additionally, the insights will aid in crafting critical messaging for the CAM communities if a referendum campaign is pursued in the future.
The task force convened for a school finance presentation by Matt Gillaspie from Piper-Sandler, the district’s financial advisor. The purpose was to cultivate a foundational grasp of Iowa school finance and to review the history of CAM’s fiscal responsibility. The session covered funding sources, potential tax impacts, Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE), Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), and fielded questions from community members. The task force contributed questions and input during the meeting, furthering their understanding of the district's financial landscape.
After a tour of the middle and high school conducted by CAM Administration, the task force engaged in group discussions. They reflected on the tour, considering potential updates to the Anita school to offer a future-ready education if financial constraints were absent and the feasibility of maintaining two buildings. An online survey tool was used to gauge community support for the district's inclination toward consolidation. The task force weighed the pros and cons of transitioning to a single campus versus updating and maintaining both the Anita and Massena schools. Throughout, the task force provided their answers and input on these topics.