1/5/26

Good afternoon,

The Rockford Public Schools’ Board of Education met on Monday. Three important points from that meeting:

1. The meeting was the organizational meeting for 2026. Officers for this calendar year are:
   1. President – Jarrod Folsom
   2. Vice-president – Christie Ramsey
   3. Secretary – Andrea Jacobson
   4. Treasurer – Jake Himmelspach
2. Board meeting dates and times were established.
   1. Dates for board meetings can be found here: Board of Education - Our District - Rockford Public Schools. They are the second Monday of the month except for April which is the third Monday.
   2. Board meetings will start at 6:00 PM.
3. A revised public comment policy was introduced. It will be discussed and voted on in February.
   1. The current public comment policy will be in effect in February.

Edgerton Trails will host a Luminary Hike through our outdoor education space on Tuesday, January 27th, starting at 6:00 PM. Look for the luminaries as you arrive!

Remember Monday, January 19^th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – is a non-school day. I would encourage you to talk with your children about the impact of Dr. King’s message regarding the importance of education and character. Our teachers will have a day of professional development that day.

It has been a wild weather winter. I have really appreciated the snow coming on the weekends!

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

Good afternoon,

The Rockford Public Schools’ Board of Education met on Monday. Three important points from that meeting:

1. The meeting was the organizational meeting for 2026. Officers for this calendar year are:
   1. President – Jarrod Folsom
   2. Vice-president – Christie Ramsey
   3. Secretary – Andrea Jacobson
   4. Treasurer – Jake Himmelspach
2. Board meeting dates and times were established.
   1. Dates for board meetings can be found here: Board of Education - Our District - Rockford Public Schools. They are the second Monday of the month except for April which is the third Monday.
   2. Board meetings will start at 6:00 PM.
3. A revised public comment policy was introduced. It will be discussed and voted on in February.
   1. The current public comment policy will be in effect in February.

A community survey is still active. It asks questions related to how you receive information from the district and priorities for our facilities. The survey is open through January 18th and can be found on our district website front page under our Stay Connected tab or here: Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

Our district outdoor education students at Edgerton Trails will host a Luminary Hike through our outdoor education space on Tuesday, January 27th, starting at 6:00 PM. Look for the luminaries as you arrive!

Remember Monday, January 19^th – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – is a non-school day. I would encourage you to talk with your children about the impact of Dr. King’s message regarding the importance of education and character. Our teachers will have a day of professional development that day.

It has been a wild weather winter. I have really appreciated the snow coming on the weekends!

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

Good evening, 

We have developed a survey that asks you to provide us with some feedback on how we continue to move the district forward. The survey is administered by the Kent Intermediate School District. I would appreciate it if you would take the time to provide us with some feedback. You can access the survey by clicking this link:

Rockford Community Bond Perception and Engagement Survey

As we prepare for our winter break, I hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy time together. Read some good books. And get ready to start school again on January 5. 

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

Hello Rockford, 

Highlights from the December 8^th Board of Education meeting:

• Approved a video monitoring system for buses purchased recently.
  • Each of our buses has a video monitoring system
• Approved replacement of the Rockford High School bleachers.
  • Bleachers were original to the high school
• Approved replacing the Rockford High School athletic wing elevator.
  • Elevator was original to the building
• Approved replacing the Rockford High School boiler.
  • Boiler was original to the building

All of these improvements were with funds from the 2019 bond.

The board also had a literacy presentation that highlighted our performance on both the M-STEP and the NWEA. Our NWEA fall performance shows that every grade level from 1^st through 8^th is close to or above the 90^th percentile in reading. This is a nationwide test, so the results show that our students perform at or above 90% of the students who take the assessment throughout the nation.

The performance of our students is a credit to our staff and to our families. Together we are providing a supportive and challenging learning environment that helps them learn the skills that helps our students learn the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

We also have a robust plan in place to help all students. Our tiered system of support provides classroom, small group, and individual support for students so that all can be successful.

This time of year makes me think through and think about the many blessings that I have. One of the blessings is to be in a community like Rockford and to be part of a dynamic and supportive school district. Thank you for all that you do to help create and sustain our district.

My wish for you is that you have a wonderful Holiday season!

Steve

Dr. Steve Matthews, Superintendent

Rockford Public Schools

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