Registration
As we begin to prepare for the start of school on August 23rd, I wanted to make you aware of the following dates for the upcoming school year. Building principals will provide specific information on orientations, open houses, and starting the school year. Registration can be accessed through our District website. Please contact your building secretary if you have any registration questions. Thank you!
August 23rd- First Day of School!
August 30th- No School, Guthrie County Fair
September 2nd- No School, Labor Day
School Day
Looking at the upcoming school year, we made a slight adjustment with class times at the beginning and end of the day. These changes will not impact morning bus times, but afternoon dismissal will occur a few minutes earlier for each building. Each building will communicate changes and our transportation department will let you know pickup and drop off times. Thank you for your patience as we install pickup and dismissal routines at the beginning of our school year.
GC Elem | AC Elem | AC/GC JH | AC/GC HS |
Start- 8:05 AM | Start- 8:05 AM | Start- 8:20 AM | Start- 8:20 AM |
End- 3:15 PM | End- 3:15 PM | End- 3:15 PM | End- 3:30 PM |
Lunch Fees
This year we will see an increase in lunch fees as we adjust for increases in salary, benefits, and food cost. I've attached the 2024-25 fee sheet, free and reduced lunch form, and income eligibility guidelines for you to view. If you qualify for free or reduced fees and lunches, fill out the form and turn it into your student's school building office. Please contact your building secretary if you have any questions about filling out the forms.
County Fair
Good luck to all of those participating in our area county fairs! With many of our area fairs concluding and Guthrie County planning their fair over Labor Day weekend, some of our families have been busy working and preparing their fair projects this summer. As a former member of the Northeast Sodbusters 4-H club in Shelby county, I spent many of my summers working and showing hogs at the county fair. 4-H was a great opportunity to learn about leadership, responsibility, the business side of agriculture, and the life lessons of raising livestock. Participating in the county fair is a great opportunity for many of our area youth to learn and gain leadership skills which will prepare them for their future. Good luck to all those participating!
Attendance Changes
Iowa Senate File 2435 created some changes in attendance law for Iowa schools. Below is the policy our school boards will adopt at the August school board meeting. All of these changes were signed into law this past legislative session and each of our schools will adopt these changes into their student handbooks. The information below is to inform our school community of the changes in school attendance laws for students.
First of all, the district believes that traditional, in-person school attendance leads to the greatest learning opportunities for students. Students who are present in school and engaged active learners take greater ownership over their educational outcomes. For this reason, it is the priority of the district to foster regular student attendance throughout the school year and reduce barriers to regular attendance for students in the district.
Chronic absenteeism/absences means any absence from school for more than ten percent of the days in the grading period established by the district.
Truant/truancy means a child of compulsory attendance age who is absent from school for any reason for at least twenty percent of the days in the grading period. Truancy does not apply to the following students who:
have completed the requirements for graduation in an accredited school or has obtained a high school equivalency diploma;
are excused for sufficient reason by any court of record or judge;
are attending religious services or receiving religious instruction;
are attending a private college preparatory school accredited or probationally accredited;
are excused under Iowa Code §299.22; and
are exempt under Iowa Code §299.24.
School Engagement Meeting
If a student is absent from school for at least fifteen percent of the days in the grading period, the school official will attempt to find the cause of the absences and start and participate in a school engagement meeting. All of the following individuals must participate in the school engagement meeting:
The student;
The student's parent, guardian or legal or actual custodian if the student is an unemancipated minor; and
A school official.
The purpose of the meeting is to understand the reasons for the student's absences and attempt to remove barriers to the student's ongoing absences; and to create and sign an absenteeism prevention plan.
Absenteeism Prevention Plan
The absenteeism prevention plan will identify the causes of the student's absences and the future responsibilities of each participant. The school official will contact the student and student's parent/guardian at least once per week for the remainder of the school year to monitor the performance of the student and the student's parent/guardian under the plan. If the student and student's parent/guardian do not attend the meeting, do not enter into a plan or violate the terms of the plan, the school official will notify the county attorney.
AC/GC Career Opportunities-
Please contact Mrs. Lindsay Jahde, Human Resources, if you have any interest or questions about the open positions below:
AC Food Service Worker/Head Cook
AC Night Custodian
Bus Drivers
HS Family and Consumer Science Teacher
GC Food Service Worker
HS Paraprofessional
SPED Teacher- Strat II- GC Elementary
Coaching Positions Available
Mrs. Lindsay Jahde, Tel: (641) 746-2241, ljahde@acgcschools.org
Please visit the Iowa Works website for more information- https://tinyurl.com/yhscq4bq
Go Chargers!
Mr. Josh Rasmussen, Superintendent