Welcome

Good afternoon,

Tuesday, November 11th is STEAM Night for students and their families in grades DK – 5^th. The event is being held at East Rockford Middle School from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. There will be lots of fun activities that will highlight how we are working with our students to develop problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

As you are aware, the bond proposal did not pass. The proposal that was placed on the ballot was the result of over two years of work. It started with our strategic plan – RAMS XII. A facilities audit was completed. Then a community committee reviewed options, and a plan was presented to the Board of Education. The Board approved the ballot measure, and the proposal was put on the ballot.

The election result was not what I had hoped.

What it showed was that I need to connect with our community, listen, and identify options for moving forward. We will take time to do that. There will be no bond proposal on the ballot in 2026. It will take time to identify a new plan.  

The Board of Education agenda and information for the meeting on November 10^th is available on our district website. Highlights include:

• Approving PowerSchool for our new student information system
• Approving policy changes
• Recognizing the retirement of our counseling dog, Chillie, from North Rockford Middle School

This week marks the end of the first trimester of our school year. It has been a wonderful school year so far. Thank you for all that you have done to help your children this year. Working together we have continued to create positive and effective learning environments and create good places for students to learn and grow.

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews

Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools