Don’t forget to VOTE this Tuesday, November 4th!

Good afternoon,

Thursday night, November 20th, is a night that a group of Rockford High School girls won’t soon forget.

Why? Because their hearts were broken.

Our Rockford High School girls’ volleyball team had achieved a lot this year. Ranked number one. One loss on the season. Winners in every way.

But on this particular Thursday, in the state Division One semi-final, they lost. Their second match loss of the year.

These students will never forget that game. Years from now they will look back and wonder - minds filled with "what-ifs" and "if we had just . . .”

But, from where I sit, I believe that our students will also not forget that game because they will recognize - not today, not tomorrow, maybe not for a while - that success is difficult to achieve. This game came at the end of a long season. They had worked hard. They had been at it since the middle of August. They had played through injury and exhaustion and frustration. They had found joy in being together and supporting one another. 

Now as the seasons had changed and the days had become shorter, and as the final goal was within sight, they lost. Through the season they had managed to find ways to win, reaching within one game of playing for a championship.

It’s a lesson we all learn. But it is a hard lesson.

Our boys’ water polo team, football, boys’ soccer, and our marching band all learned similar life lessons this fall.

I am proud of our girls’ volleyball team, just as I am proud of every Rockford team. We support athletics and extracurriculars and provide opportunities because it helps our students learn lessons. Lessons in teamwork and hard work and resilience and grit.

And lessons in how to move on once your heart is broken.

Sometime in the next couple of weeks you will receive a survey. It is a bond follow up survey. I would appreciate if you would complete it and give us your thoughts on how we might begin to move forward. It will ask about priorities, and it will help us identify what might be next for us.

Our winter collage concert is coming – December 10 and 11. Tickets are free, but you must have a ticket to attend. You can find tickets starting November 26 at rocktix.org.

I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving. When we return it will be December!

Steve
Dr. Steve Matthews
Superintendent
Rockford Public Schools

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

Good afternoon,

Our Rockford High School Marching Band goes to Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday to compete in the Michigan Competing Bands Association state championship. They have had a wonderful season. It has not been without its challenges, but they have risen to the occasion. We wish them well on Saturday.

Clue is the high school play this fall. It will take place on November 7, 8, and 9. It has two full casts and there will be four shows starting Friday, November 7. Tickets are available at Ludus - ROCKTIX. Be sure to come see our incredible student performers supported by the student crew and technicians.

Tuesday, November 4, is election day here in Rockford. There are two important ballot proposals.

First, there is a ballot proposal to renew our millage rate at 7 mills. If approved this would generate revenue to support a variety of projects in the district:

• Air conditioning for all remaining buildings
  • 6 of our 8 elementary buildings and the Parkside Early Childhood Center do not have air conditioning
• Install electronic door locks on all interior classroom doors
• Add a gym and/or cafeteria at the four elementary buildings that do not have separate gyms and cafeterias
• Add outdoor bathrooms, improve bleachers, and improve exit/entry space at North Rockford Middle School and East Rockford Middle School outdoor athletic complexes
• Replace playground equipment
• Replace aging buses
• Renovate the Rockford High School Performing Arts Center
• Construct the Ram Center, an indoor turf facility with new Beyond the Rock studio, graphic design classroom, retail store run by our students, and a physical therapy or certified nurse assistant space for career education
• Create additional career and technical education classrooms at Rockford High School
• Enhance student collaboration spaces throughout the district
• Renovate and improve early childhood spaces
• Update technology

The bond millage supports our facilities, technology, and buses. The funds generated from this millage cannot support teachers or salaries of any employees in the district.

More information is available on our district website: 2025 RPS Bond Proposal and Enhancement Millage Proposal - Our District - Rockford Public Schools

The second proposal is for the enhancement millage from the Kent Intermediate School District. The is also a millage renewal. This millage supports our general fund which does support our people – teachers, custodians, secretaries, administrators, and other staff.

Please be sure to vote on November 4. If you have an absentee ballot, please be sure to turn it in by Tuesday, November 4.

We have had a great start to the school year. Thank you for the support that you provide our students and staff. Together we continue to build a great district for our students and our community.

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews

Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

At the Board of Education meeting this past Monday night, the following actions and reports were on the agenda:

• Rockford Education Association (REA - teachers and certified staff) wage agreement was ratified
• Rockford Education Support Personnel Association (RESPA - paraprofessionals, administrative assistants, custodians, food service, bus drivers) wage agreement was ratified
• There was the first reading of the fall policy update
• A stage turntable purchase was approved
• Two extra classroom sets of furniture were approved for Edgerton Trails
• Bond update report
• Student achievement report

The bond update highlighted information on the upcoming bond election. A proposal is on the ballot to approve continuing our millage rate at 7 mills for capital improvement projects. This proposal is a zero mill increase and continues the millage rate at 7 mills. By approving the continuation of our current rate, we will generate revenue to support maintaining our facilities and creating new opportunities for our students and community. There are a variety of projects that would be undertaken if this proposal is approved. The full list is on the district website, but highlights include:

• Air conditioning for our elementary buildings and Parkside Early Childhood Center (6 of 8 elementary buildings do not have air conditioning)
• Gyms for the four elementary buildings that do not have a separate gym and cafeteria
• Electronic door locks for all interior classroom doors
• Outdoor bathrooms and bleacher improvements at North and East Rockford Middle Schools
• Renovations to the Rockford High School Performing Arts Center
• Construction of the RAM Center - an indoor turf facility with instructional space for a new Beyond the Rock studio, graphic design classroom, and a student-run retail store
• Career and technical education (CTE) classroom expansion at Rockford High School
• Bus purchases on a regular cycle

More information is available at our district website: 2025 RPS Bond Proposal and Enhancement Millage Proposal - Our District - Rockford Public Schools

I would encourage you to get informed and to vote. Absentee ballots are available now. Election day is November 4.

Monday night’s student achievement report highlighted the progress that has been made by our students. We have worked hard over the past several years to sharpen our focus on teaching and learning. Our teachers collaborate now more than ever. We use data to make decisions about how to help students. And the results show that we are making progress.

Are we where we need to be? No. But we are continuing to make progress. 88% of our 8^th grade students on the PSAT met or exceeded the standard in English Language Arts. Over 80% of our 11^thgraders met or exceeded the standard in reading and writing on the SAT.

The fall play “Clue” will have four shows November 7, 8, and 9. Tickets are available now. Ludus - ROCKTIX

As always if you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out or to talk with me when you see me in the community.

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews

Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

After the uncertainty of last week, I wanted to provide some clarity on our state budget and its impact here in Rockford.

School meals were included in the state budget. Free breakfast and lunch will continue through the 2025-2026 school year for all students at all schools.

Our per pupil allocation was increased to $10,050 per student. That is an increase over what we have received the last two years. Since 2023/24 we have received $9,608 per student. So, an increase was well past due.

The budget continues to provide funds to supplement our transportation budget. Our district is 100 square miles. We spend over $5.3 million dollars for transportation - drivers, mechanics, fuel, and parts. That $5 million does not include buses which we have paid for through our bonds. 

Thank you for reaching out to our state legislators and advocating for our district. It had a positive impact on this process.

The budget uncertainty was frustrating. However, it has not impacted the wonderful things that are going on in our school district this year. 

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews

Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools