Superintendent's Message for November 2025

Hello, Chargers!!

Congratulations to Coach Horton and the Boys State Champion Cross Country Team.  It was an exciting day in Fort Dodge as they captured the State Championship in front of over 100 Charger fans. What a great way to start off this month.

School Delays, Early Dismissals, and Cancellations

It is that time of year when I would like to share my philosophy and protocol for determining school delays, early dismissals, and cancellations due to inclement weather conditions. The common practice we use to determine if school should be canceled or delayed is waiting until the morning to make the call. If the decision can be made earlier due to the conditions and forecast, I will do so, allowing families to make plans in advance. I communicate with area superintendents and my transportation staff and use weather radar and forecast information to make the best possible decision for the safety of our staff and students. As you know, Iowa weather patterns change quickly, so plan accordingly. My philosophy is that parents ultimately have the final decision regarding whether to send their children to school.  As a parent of a driving-age student, you know your child’s driving ability and the roads they travel regularly.  Nobody is better suited to make this decision than you regarding your child's safety. 

Community Center Agreement Update

As requested by the school board in the October school board meeting, I prepared an update for the November board meeting concerning the long-standing 28E Agreement between the Chariton Community School District, the City of Chariton, and the Chariton Community Foundation. 

It is essential for everyone to understand why this topic has been discussed lately.  During my first year as Chartion's superintendent, the former city manager and I discovered that a 28E agreement existed among the three entities for the Community Center.  Upon further review, we discovered that the joint board referred to in the agreement was no longer active and the membership had faded away. We met with Shawn Garton to learn the history of this agreement and to reestablish an active joint board per the agreement. During this process, the City of Chariton’s manager took another job, and we decided to pause the discussion until a new person was hired.

We also learned that the agreement had not been consistently followed in accordance with its terms and language. We believe it was no fault of any one party, but it was a by-product of the change in leadership within the governing bodies involved. Regardless of the reason, the school district believes that moving forward in accordance with the agreement is the best practice to prevent confusion and misinformation. This agreement also reflects the shared commitment of all entities to provide and maintain a valuable community resource. The following link contains the Community Center 28E Agreement established in December 1984 by the Chariton Community School, the City of Chariton, and the Chariton Community Foundation, Inc. 

During the review of the agreement, I found that the school district was inconsistent in submitting three bills for reimbursement to the City of Chariton, as outlined in the agreement.  These included an annual rental fee of $10, the cost of utilities (water and electricity), and hazard and liability insurance attributable to the Civic Center portion of the building.

Next Steps

• Follow the 28E agreements as written and agreed upon.
• Submit timely and consistent expenses for the Civic Center to the City of Chariton for reimbursement in the following categories as stated in the agreement:
  • Rental fee
  • Utilities (water and electricity)
  • Hazard and liability insurance for the Civic Center portion of the building
• Request that our insurance company annually calculate the amount the City of Chariton is to reimburse the school district for their portion of insurance, and communicate this to the city manager accordingly. The 2025-26 policy totals $8,852.09. 
• Currently, the City of Chariton reimburses the school district $1,500 per quarter for utilities (water and electricity). We are unclear how this figure was determined, but we are exploring options to accurately bill the city in accordance with the agreement's language.  Until this can be done, we will continue the past practice of collecting $1,500 quarterly.
• Yearly, invoice the City of Chariton the $10 rental fee per the agreement - this has been done.
• Maintain open communication with the City of Chariton and Chariton Community Foundation to ensure transparency and continued cooperation.
• Continue requesting meetings with the City of Chariton and the Chariton Community Foundation to build a collective understanding moving forward.

In closing, I emphasize the importance of honoring the intent and terms of the 28E Agreement established by the founding members. The collaboration between the School District, the City of Chariton, and the Chariton Community Foundation has been instrumental in ensuring the Civic Center remains a vital resource for our community. The School District remains fully committed to maintaining this partnership and ensuring that the Community Center continues to serve as a space for community programs, events, and gatherings in accordance with the terms of the agreement. 

The school board agreed wholeheartedly during our meeting on Monday night. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at 641-202-1316.

High School Science Rooms Project

We are scheduled to have a substantial completion walk-through on November 14th.  If everything falls in place this week, we should be able to start moving back into the rooms shortly after that.  We have had several delays in this project, but the final project is something we will be very proud of for years to come.  Here are a few pictures of the progress.  

Virtual Learning Days 

The State of Iowa allows districts to use up to five virtual learning days per year, provided they are approved by the district’s school board.  On Monday night, our board approved the use of these virtual days if deemed necessary.  We will only use these as a last resort due to inclement weather.  We have built in days to prevent this and will only do so if it would prevent us from going to school after Memorial Day.  Parents will be well aware in advance if a discussion arises about needing to use them.  

Capturing Kids' Heart Consultant Visit

Sean, our Capturing Kids’ Hearts consultant, spent a day in our district visiting classrooms to observe teachers effectively implementing the Capturing Kids’ Hearts initiative. He also met with the administrative team to review and refine our traction plans, which we developed to move this intuitive forward. The visit provided valuable feedback, highlighted strong implementation practices, and reinforced our commitment to fostering a positive culture and relationships across the district. Moving forward, the consultant will continue to guide and support our teams and staff throughout the implementation process, ensuring sustained growth and success.

Iowa School Performance Profiles (ISPP)

The following are reports found at the website below.  You can access detailed information about the schools within our district by visiting the following website. https://www.iaschoolperformance.gov/ECP/Home/Index

Great things happening in our School District

Our students from Van Allen went to Red Haw State Park. They had a wonderful time. Special thanks to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Red Haw State Park staff, and Lucas County Conservation. 

Congratulations to Delaney Fogle for being selected to the All-Iowa Dance Team and the following members of the Charger Dance Team for qualifying to perform at the soloists state competition in Des Moines.  They are Morgan Peters, Delaney Fogle, Maddie Poling, and Breckyn McGee.  So proud of them and the entire Charger Dance team.

Ms. Braida attended the National Distinguished Principal event in Washington, DC.  This event is an incredible experience that brought together outstanding school leaders from across the country.  The Chariton School District is so proud of Ms. Braida’s accomplishments and for receiving this national award.  Here are a few pictures of her trip.

The Chariton Vocal Department performed Willy Wonka this year as their musical. It was not only great to see our high school students perform, but also the incorporation of our elementary students.  They had three wonderful performances for the community this past week.  Congratulations to Mr. Urich and all the students involved.

Please visit our website at https://www.charitonschools.org/ for additional information about our school district. 

GO CHARGERS and THINK BIG !!!!  

Mr. Baker, #LBE

Phone - 641-774-5967

Email- brad.baker@chariton.k12.ia.us

Twitter -  @Super_Charger