On behalf of the Murray County Central School District Board of Education, administrators and staff, we are excited to welcome our new and returning students and families to the start of the 2023-24 school year. We have been working diligently throughout the summer in preparation for students returning to school and look forward to making this a wonderful year!
We are committed first and foremost to the success of our students and to doing what’s best for them. Throughout our district, you’ll find passionate educators working each day to help ensure excellent outcomes for all of our students. We want to welcome and introduce our new staff members that have joined the MCC team. Stacey Baedke (HS Counselor), Mersadies Buderus (Paraprofessional), Kari Carlson (5th Grade), Rebekah DeWeerd (2nd Grade), Mary Hieb (Paraprofessional), Edgar Ibarra (Paraprofessional), Zack Jaenisch (Tech Support), Heidi Mathiason (1st Grade), Autumn Mogler (1st Grade), Erin Scandrett (3rd Party Billing), Rachel Sheldahl (K-1/HS Choir), and Kelsey Sturges (Paraprofessional). We also have Bridget Kluis (5th Grade) returning after a 1-year leave of absence and Desiree Haupert taking over as the District Health Services Coordinator. These new staff members join an already dedicated staff here to carry out the district’s mission of providing educational excellence through diverse learning experiences to develop respectful, responsible, and productive citizens with high values and integrity. We have a vision of working together with our parents and the communities that we serve to develop successful learners. Education is a team effort and we don’t do our best work in isolation and we rely on our colleagues, our parents, and our communities to support us and in turn to support our students.
During the 2023 legislative session, there were many education bills and mandates passed that will affect our day to day operations. One of these passed laws mandates all schools to provide universal free meals for all students. Even though all students will receive free meals, it is still very important that parents complete the educational benefits form (free/reduced) in order for our district to receive funding for other educational programs, technology, summer enrichment, summer food, and P-EBT benefits. Please help us provide all that we can for our students and our community by completing the application in your JMC Parent Portal or contact the school for a paper copy today, if you have not already filled out the application.
The safety of our students, staff, and all who enter our buildings continues to be our highest priority. Instances of violence in schools serve as reminders about how important our safety protocols and procedures are in our schools. Our staff receives training on safety procedures and response expectations for a variety of emergencies and the district works closely with local law enforcement on each of these protocols and procedures. Each school conducts regular emergency drills throughout the school year.
We want you to stay informed on District information as well as from each school site. School and District messaging via email, text, and phone calls will be sent using the contact information in the Parent Portal JMC account. Information can also be found on the district’s website at www.mcc.mntm.org or you can download the free school app by searching ISD 2169 in your app store. We also use our social media sites to provide information and updates to the community.
Each year offers new possibilities, opportunities, and challenges for every student. Not everything will be easy, and there are sure to be bumps along the way this year. However, I encourage our families to keep open, positive lines of communication with the teachers and administration. An optimal educational experience for your child is rooted in strong school/family connections and positive relationships. It is very evident that when we face challenges, so long as we face them together, and work together, as a team, we can accomplish great things. The team includes our students, staff, parents/guardians, and communities.
We encourage you to be an advocate for your child, and we ask that you do this through partnering with our outstanding staff.
Let’s make it a great year and we are excited for the students on September 5th (7-12) and September 7th (K-6).
Joe Meyer
Superintendent of Schools