Olin Elementary Parent Newsletter

January 19th, 2015

Mike Marsden, P.E./At-Risk Coordinator
484-2170 (mmarsden@olin.k12.ia.us)
Dear Parent,
In November, the Department of Education performed a routine site visit of Olin Consolidated
School District. The results were overwhelmingly positive! Our students are demonstrating
improved proficiency in academics, the learning environment is all-around positive, and our
PBIS program has resulted in big gains. It is clear that our school district has taken some
big strides in the past few years and is headed in the right direction. However, a problem
still exists. Even with the improvements in our building, some families are still opting to open
enroll their students elsewhere.
The Department of Education site visit team recommended that Olin Consolidated School
District take a deeper look at the reasons behind the open enrollment out of our district. So,
we are looking to our open-enrolled families for some input. We truly want to improve so we
can provide the best educational experience for students. Our goal is to identify the issues
impacting open enrollment so we can take action to improve them.
Why are families leaving Olin Consolidated School District? On the following page, there is a
list of issues that have been mentioned by members of our community and are presumed to be
possible reasons why some families have chosen to leave. We ask that you check any of the
following that apply to your specific family situation and what reasons led to your decision to
open enroll your student(s).
We look forward to hearing from you. Your input will have a positive impact on the future of
Olin Consolidated School District and our community. Please remove the second page and
return your response to Olin Consolidated School District using the envelope provided.
Thank you,
Olin Consolidated School District

It is the policy of the Olin Consolidated School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (Employment only) marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identify, and socioeconomic status (students/programs only) in its educational programs and its employment
practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a
grievance related to this policy please contact the districts Equity Coordinator, Michael Marsden, (Employment and
Education Programs Coordinator), PO Box 320, Olin, IA 52320, 319-484-2170, mmarsden@olin.k12.ia.us.

OLIN CSD OPEN ENROLLMENT SURVEY

Name:___________________________
Please check all that apply:
We heard bad things about Olin CSD.
We have a high-achieving student and felt there was a lack of support
for them.
We feared the elementary school would close like the middle and high
school.
We have students in middle/high school and it is inconvenient to have
students in two different districts.
Our student(s) has interest in extracurricular activities (clubs, sports
teams, etc.), but there are none available in Olin CSD.
We preferred to keep our student(s) in the same school district rather
than transition them to another district after 6th grade.
We bring our student(s) to school districts closer to work.
We felt our family did not blend well into Olin CSD community.
We had a bad experience with an administrator and/or teacher.
Other:____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Thank you for your time,
Olin Consolidated School District
It is the policy of the Olin Consolidated School District not to illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, gender, disability, religion, creed, age (Employment only) marital status, sexual orientation, gender
identify, and socioeconomic status (students/programs only) in its educational programs and its employment
practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a

grievance related to this policy please contact the districts Equity Coordinator, Michael Marsden, (Employment and
Education Programs Coordinator), PO Box 320, Olin, IA 52320, 319-484-2170, mmarsden@olin.k12.ia.us.