Thursday, February 2, 2023
Dear NCSD Families,
Thank you for overwhelmingly making the schools in the Norwalk Community School District the schools of choice for students who reside within our district boundaries! 505 dedicated NCSD full-time and part-time staff members are here to serve and support the 3,509 preschool through twelfth grade students enrolled in our district. We are growing learners and leaders every single day!
Governor Reynolds signed HF68 into law last week. This bill creates “Educational Savings Accounts” or ESAs in Iowa for the 2023-2024 school year. The Norwalk CSD is currently moving through our annual budgeting process and asks for your help. How can you help? Parents and families can help by providing the NCSD with information about whether your family will choose to pursue an ESA for one or more of your students currently attending the NCSD. We hope the number is zero, but understand that some families may choose to pursue an ESA during the 2023-2024 school year. Please know that your students are welcome back if the ESA route does not work.
Please complete the Google Form (see link below) for each student you plan to transfer to an ESA for the 2023-2024 school year. We are requesting the student name, current grade level, and anticipated ESA location for each ESA student. Please do not complete this form if your student(s) will attend the NCSD next year.
ESA Google Form Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHQHARSkSscNaiojBSM6cF6EX1VbroEEqahoe1xVaZGrMH3Q/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
The financial impact ESAs will have on our district remains unclear as the implementation process for these bills is just starting. Below is a breakdown of the anticipated minimum impact on the NCSD budget for each % of students who may choose to transfer out of the NCSD and use an ESA. All percentages are based on the number of K-12 students enrolled in the NCSD as of today, which is 3,427 total K-12 students (ESAs do not apply to preschool students).
Thank you for your assistance as NCSD leaders navigate through the potential impact this new law will have on the NCSD budget and the students and families we serve. Please keep an eye out for more information about the upcoming registration process for the 2023-2024 school year.
Yours in service,
D.T. Magee, Superintendent
