Why do we issue debt in order to maintain district building and property?

As the 2025–2026 school year begins, our schools are once again filled with the energy and excitement of students and staff returning to learning. Hallways are buzzing, classrooms are full, and thanks to strong community support, we’re welcoming everyone into buildings that are safer and more secure than ever before.

Behind the scenes, our district’s security team has been working hard to ensure every building and event is both welcoming and protected. Their efforts are supported by a multi-layered approach to school safety — one that includes updated protocols, relationship building, and continued investment in technology and infrastructure. Much of this has been made possible through taxpayer support, and we want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the community for making these improvements possible.

Over the past several years, the district has added key safety features to our schools, including:

• Protective window film to delay unauthorized entry
• Advanced security camera systems across campuses
• Access control technology on building exteriors — and now, expanded to interior doors — allowing us to secure multiple entry points instantly from a central system

These upgrades are not just about responding to incidents but about creating a secure environment that prevents issues before they arise.

The district also continues to utilize the OK2Say anonymous reporting platform, encouraging students and families to report concerns such as threats, troubling behavior, or a student in crisis. This service is monitored 24/7 and connects directly with our security personnel and school resource officers, enabling swift and appropriate responses.

But safety is not just about hardware and systems. It’s about people. Our staff are building strong relationships with students and families every day, creating a culture where students feel connected, supported, and safe.

Your continued support for our schools directly contributes to the well-being of every student and staff member who walks through our doors. We remain committed to being responsible stewards of that investment.

Here’s to a safe, secure, and successful 2025–2026 school year.

Scott Beckman

Executive Director of Safety and Security

1. Opportunities for improvement:

• Elementary improvements
• Enhance learning and student spaces to align with curriculum advancements 
• Enhance performance spaces for fine arts and athletics
• Continual safety and security enhancements 
• Career and technical opportunities 
• Upgrades to outdoor spaces 
• Early childhood education program expansion to meet the needs of the community
• Replacement of existing building systems, ensuring aging infrastructure continues to be addressed

2. Maintain the 7.0 mills overall debt millage rate - community members felt it would not be responsible to borrow an amount that would require an increase in the overall debt millage rate. 

3. Prioritization of potential projects. 

By using the RAMS XII Strategic Plan as a guide:

• Our Strategic Plan was rooted in community conversations involving hundreds of stakeholders, including students. 
• Bond projects prioritize student readiness, and this bond proposal would further our strategic pillars and priorities of: Academic Excellence, Wellness and Preparedness, Social Responsibility and Community Engagement, Collaborative Culture, and Organizational Effectiveness. 
• You can learn more about Strategic Plan - RAMS XII Here

By forming a community committee:

• We gathered community input- a wide cross-section of community members forms a Community Input Committee with district staff. The Committee met five times to evaluate opportunities across the district, provide feedback, and make a recommendation to the Board of Education regarding potential facility improvements. 
• The recommendation of the Committee and District Administration was presented to the Board of Education for consideration at the July 14, 2025 Board meeting. The scope of the potential bond projects was approved at the August 12, 2025 Board meeting. The Board of Education also formally called for a bond election at the August 12, 2025 Board meeting. 

By having ongoing stakeholder conversations:

• We focused on validating input and alignment- we are having continual conversations to ensure a variety of ideas and voices are included. 
• The final proposal details were the responsibility of the District Administration and the Board of Education. 

Our community will consider a bond proposal on the November 4, 2025 election ballot. This proposal would authorize the district to borrow $230 million for district-wide improvements, that would require an estimated zero mill net increase over the 2025 debit mileage. The bond proposal furthers RAMS XII, our strategic plan, with pillars focused on: Building for the Future and Advancing Excellence.

What is a bond proposal and how can funds from a bond be spent?

• A bond proposal is how a public school district asks its voters to consider authorizing the district to borrow money to pay for capital expenditures. 
• Voter-approved bond funds can be spent on projects that are generally described in the Proposal, such as new construction, additions, remodeling, site improvements, athletic facilities, playgrounds, buses, instructional technology, furnishings, equipment, and other capital needs. 
• Funds raised through the sale of bonds cannot be used on operational expenses such as employee salaries and benefits, school supplies, and textbooks.
• Bond funds must be kept separate from operating funds, and expenditures must be audited by an independent auditing firm. 

Good afternoon,

As this school year ends our thoughts turn toward summer. We think of all the wonderful things that we will do this summer.

One of the most important things you can do this summer is read.  

And the best way to ensure that we read is to make a plan.

Why is reading so important? Reading has positive, meaningful impacts on our ability to learn, our ability to interact with the world, our ability to make sense of ideas and events, and our ability to see and sense the feelings of others.

Adam Grant, a psychologist, has said:

Reading fiction isn’t just for fun. It has small but meaningful benefits for empathy. In 70 experiments on the impact of reading: concerns for and understanding of others grow more through reading than watching shows and movies. Immersion in words about imaginary worlds can help us see realities beyond our own.

In addition to the benefits of reading on developing empathy, research suggests that students who do not read return to school having experienced a summer slump in learning. Activities like family reading time, read-alouds (parents reading to children), and trips to our Krause Memorial Library - part of the Kent District Library, or to Epilogue Books, one of my favorite stores in Rockford, can ensure that our students reading and language skills continue to develop over the summer.

Our media specialists have created a summer reading guide to help: Summer Reading RPS 2025

I also have some recommendations for summer reading:

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and illustrated by Dan Santat

• Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
• This is a fun picture book about a devious and suspicious fish.

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon

• Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
• This is a clever picture book that details the struggles of a little girl who has lost her best friend – a dinosaur.

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

• Picture book: 3- 7 years old (but adults will enjoy reading it)
• A fun story about a young owl who wants to be a knight but he is so small. There are now two Knight Owl books. Both are great.

Mouse and His Dog by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko

• Reading age: 7-12 years
• Last year I recommended Dogtown. This is a sequel that follows the adventures of a mouse who lives in the shelter that has real dogs and robot dogs. It is a story that focuses on friendship and caring for others.

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

• Reading age: 9-11 years old
• A story that deals with finding your place, finding friends, and being brave. The cast of four main characters children will relate to and care about.

Carter Avery’s Tricky Fourth-Grade Year by Rob Buyea

• Reading age: 8-12 years
• For Carter learning is a challenge. He is worried about his new 4^th grade teacher, but things start to go remarkably well. Then she leaves to have a baby, and Carter has to adapt to a new teacher. It is a story of resilience and friendship and finding one’s way.

A Rover’s Story by Jasmine Warga

• Reading age: Late elementary to middle school
• A very innovative story told from the perspective of a Mars rover. The story sees the world through the eyes of the rover as it is built, flown to Mars, and the experiences that it has on Mars.

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

• Reading age: Late elementary to middle school
• A story about living in Germany on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Greta, her mother, and her brother live on the East German side of the Berlin Wall while her father and middle brother are on the West German side. It is a tale of intrigue and suspense.

The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman by Gennifer Choldenko

• Reading age: Middle grades and up
• A story that focuses on 11-year-old Hank as he tries to navigate caring for his toddler sister when his mother doesn’t come home. It is a story about finding family and navigating adult challenges while still 11-years-old. It is a story of resilience and courage.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

• Reading age: High school and up
• A deadly virus is spreading but those who survive discover utter contentment – or do they? It is a story of intrigue and politics and discovering how to navigate challenging and competing interests.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

• Reading age: High school and up
• Why would a billionaire give a complete unknown their fortune? It is a question Avery Grambs has to figure out while trying to survive the anger and suspicion of the billionaire’s family.

Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John Barry

• Reading age: High school and up
• The fascinating true story of American history. It deals with science, politics, race, society all along the Mississippi River. It is a book that makes you think about our shared history in America.

I hope this summer you make great memories and that you find time to read.

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools