Montevideo Public Schools

Question of the week! Q: If both referendum questions pass, how much of the total amount will be paid for by the State of Minnesota and not local levy? A: The State of Minnesota will pay 41% of the total $61,310,000 referendum amount. #MontevideoForward

Early voting begins today for the special election! Cast your vote at the District Office. To learn more about the referendum questions on the ballot, visit our website: www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

Join us tonight to learn more about the upcoming Montevideo referendum. Visit our website for details on the upcoming community info. sessions and to learn about the facilities referendum questions.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Today’s weekly staff spotlight shines on Lauren Blenker! This is Lauren's first year as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Ramsey Elementary School. Lauren is from Cold Spring, Minnesota. She enjoys reading, painting/drawing, and spending time with her friends, family and her cats. A fun fact about Lauren is that she likes to hike, and she has hiked the highest point in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Welcome, Lauren! We are happy to have you on our team! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Did you know if you are 65 years or older and have a household income of $96,000 or less, you may be eligible to defer a portion of the property taxes on your home through the Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral Program? The program limits the maximum amount of property tax you pay to 3 percent of your total household income and provides predictability; the amount of tax you pay will not change for as long as you participate in this program. The 2023 Legislature modified the requirements of this program by increasing the household income limit to $96,000. This new income limit is in effect for taxes payable in 2024 and later years. For more information, visit our website, https://www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum, or the MN Dept. of Revenue website, https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/property-tax-deferral-senior-citizens.

Happy National IT Professionals Day! Today we celebrate our Tech Team who keep our systems running smoothly, protect our data, and enable us to thrive in the world of technology. Their dedication and expertise ensure that our schools run efficiently and individuals stay connected. We appreciate our Chief Technology Officer Scott and our Building Techs: Serena, Jordan, Wendy, Mary, Dan, Monica and Grace for all they do. Thank you! #ITProfessionalsDay

Attend our Homecoming Week Sporting Events at NO CHARGE!

Question of the week! Q: How do I learn more about how this referendum will affect my tax amount? A: Visit the property tax information page on our website and use the calculator feature to determine your tax impact https://www.ehlers-inc.com/microsite/montevideo2023nov/. #MontevideoForward

Stay informed on the district's facilities referendum by attending a Community Info Session: September 21 at 5:30 p.m. @ the High School October 16 at 6:00 p.m. @ Talking Waters October 17 at 12:00 p.m. Noon @ the Montevideo Community Center October 26 at 6:00 p.m. @ the High School Mark your calendar. We hope to see you there! #MontevideoForward"

SCHOOL CALENDAR REMINDER Friday, September 15th is an Early Dismissal - Staff Development Day for the Thunder Hawks. Early dismissal times are: Ramsey 1:15 pm Sanford 1:20 pm MHS 1:25 pm MMS 1:30 pm

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Let’s get to know our Thunder Hawk staff! Today’s spotlight shines on Kathy Jessen! This is Kathy’s second year in the district and her first year at a new position as an ELL teacher at Ramsey Elementary School. Kathy grew up on a farm west of Clarkfield and currently lives on a hobby farm between Montevideo and Clarkfield with Rick and their two dogs. Kathy loves spending time outdoors, where she enjoys her garden and dogs. She also enjoys fishing and upland hunting. Kathy says being a part of the Thunder Hawk community has been a great experience for her this past year, and she has truly enjoyed meeting so many wonderful staff and students. Thank you, Kathy, for your hard work and dedication to Montevideo Public Schools! #StaffSpotlight #greatemployees #staffappreciation

Want to lead the 2023 MONTEVIDEO HOMECOMING PARADE? The Homecoming Parade will be @ 5pm on Friday, 9/29

Stay tuned on our social channels as we answer a frequently asked question about the district's facilities referendum every week until Nov 7. We want to make sure your questions are being heard and answered. This week's question is: Q: How is this facilities referendum different from the last one? A: - Cost Reduction: We've put in the effort to lower the project's total cost by carefully resizing sections of the building while preserving essential improvements. - Career and Technical Education (CTE) is essential to the Montevideo area. Therefore, this referendum proposal revised the new high school to include new woods and manufacturing shops, Ag labs, and classrooms to support the new CTE space and provide our students with the skills and knowledge required for these careers. - Same Vital Improvements: Despite cost-saving adjustments, we're committed to delivering the same essential improvements our schools urgently need. - Community Feedback: We've actively incorporated the valuable input from our community, with a strong focus on addressing concerns related to the overall project cost. This has guided us in creating a more balanced and fiscally sustainable proposal that respects the financial considerations of our residents. #MontevideoForward

Did you know public school funding in Minnesota creates a unique opportunity for the Montevideo Public Schools and our local taxpayers to make extensive improvements to our facilities by capitalizing on significant state equalization funding provided for bond referenda? Learn more on our website: https://www.ehlers-inc.com/microsite/montevideo2023nov/ #MontevideoForward *Chart shows estimated sources of payments for debt service on the proposed bonds over the life of the bonds. Estimates assume no changes in property values, state equalizing factors, or in-state law. “Agriculture Land & Buildings” excludes taxes on the house, garage and one acre of land, which are included with “Residental / Other.”

We will have two questions on the November 7 Special Election Ballot. The change made to Question 1 on the ballot from the last referendum includes reducing the tax impact on taxpayers. Question 2 remains the same as the previous referendum and will only pass if question one is approved. More information on the referendum can be found on our website: www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

A special election is being held on November 7, and Montevideo Public Schools will have two school facilities referendum questions on the ballot to address district-wide needs. Since the previously failed referendum in the Spring, we've been listening to the community feedback and looking into other options for our schools' facilities planning. With much of the feedback received revolving around the cost of the referendum, we've found an option to reduce the tax impact and scale back spaces while keeping the important learning areas intact. Visit our website for more information on the referendum: www.montevideoschools.org/page/referendum #MontevideoForward

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Jenna Vick to the Thunder Hawk family! Jenna is our new Elementary Music Teacher. Jenna is from Redwood Falls, Minnesota. She attended elementary school in Redwood Falls and middle school and high school at Wabasso Public Schools. Jenna graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University in May with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. Jenna enjoys spending time with her family, especially her niece and two nephews! Also, in her free time, she enjoys going to the lake, hanging out with friends, reading, and playing with her dog, River. This is Jenna's first year as a teacher, and she is excited to begin this journey at Montevideo Public Schools! Welcome, Jenna! We wish you a wonderful first year of teaching as a Thunder Hawk! #HawkPride

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Matthew Runck to the Thunder Hawk family! Matthew is the new ESL teacher at Montevideo Middle School. Matthew is from Lamberton, Minnesota, so he grew up knowing about Montevideo as a community. He attended the University of Northwestern - St. Paul for his undergraduate in ESL Education, and he received a Master of Education and Educational Technology certification from the College of St. Scholastica, also earning a 5-12 Social Studies license from CSS. This will be Matthew's tenth year as a teacher. Matthew has two wonderful daughters that he is very proud of, and they love to do all kinds of activities together, such as playing games, camping/hiking, reading and cooking/baking. Their favorite haunts are parks, zoos, and children's museums. Welcome to Montevideo, Matthew! We're so happy to have you here! #HawkPride

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Hunter Hamby to the Thunder Hawk family! Hunter is joining us as the Montevideo High School Band Director. Hunter grew up and graduated from Waconia High School in Waconia, Minnesota. He participated in Pep Band, Show Choir Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band and the Wind Ensemble. From there, Hunter pursued a degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota - Duluth. He student taught at Cloquet and Duluth East High and fell in love with teaching. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Hunter sought to further his education and accepted a Graduate Teaching Assistantship position at the University of Missouri Columbia and received his Masters of Trombone Performance degree. Coming back to Minnesota was always his goal, and he is excited to be back! Some of Hunter's favorite hobbies include kayaking, pickup hockey games, and camping in the great Minnesota parks. Go, Thunder Hawks! Welcome to Montevideo, Hunter! We're so happy to have you on our team! #HawkPride

NEW TEACHER SPOTLIGHT We are excited to welcome Kayla Harwick to the Thunder Hawk family! Kayla will be teaching first grade at Ramsey Elementary School. Kayla grew up in Montevideo with her mom, stepdad, brother, Gavin, and sister, Aubree, and she is a Montevideo graduate. Kayla graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She has the best English Springer Spaniel named Marley, who loves to run around the farm with Kayla's boyfriend, Josh. In her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, running, golfing, and spending time with friends. Kayla is excited to have the opportunity to teach in the wonderful community that she grew up in, and we are so happy to have her here! We wish you the best school year, Kayla! #HawkPride