Announcements

Celebrate our talented Ankeny students who have been chosen for the 2024 K-12 Ankeny Art Center Show! Annually, Ankeny Schools hosts this exhibition at our local community Art Center. Last year, over 600 families enjoyed the month-long showcase. This year, the public is invited from March 26 to April 25. The Art Center is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm, with extended hours on Thursdays until 7 pm. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays. Let’s commend our Ankeny students for their participation in this prestigious art event!

Our district is getting ready to administer an annual school climate and culture survey called Conditions for Learning to students in grades 3-12. This survey administration is required by the state’s plan to meet a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act. Our schools will conduct the survey in April. All Iowa public school districts will use the Conditions for Learning Survey to improve safety, student engagement, and the overall learning environment so that all Iowa students have optimum conditions for learning. 

We will ask your child to simply fill out a confidential survey. The survey will focus on issues ranging from student safety to positive student relationships to school rules and how they are enforced.

Additional Information

1. An information summary of the Survey. 
2. Survey Links: Grades 3-5 Survey English |  Spanish; Grades 6-12 Survey English  | Spanish
3. A written refusal form is required if you do not want your child/children to participate in completing the survey. If you do not want them to participate in the survey, please complete the written refusal form here:

2024 Conditions of Learning Written Refusal

I have read the information Summary provided. I understand that my child/children’s participation in the Survey is voluntary. I also understand my right to review the Survey electronically or at the school office until the Survey administration date. I do not want my child/children listed below to complete the Conditions for Learning Survey. I understand that a different activity will be provided for them during the Survey time and that there is no penalty for my family members not completing the Survey. I understand that refusal of consent needs to be received by the school no later than the date that the Survey is administered. Please complete this form with your child’s name and your name below if you do not want your child to participate. Names of child/children who will not participate in completing the Conditions for Learning Survey online in April 2024:

View the Iowa Department of Management webpage on the property tax statement’s here.

For a section-by-section overview of the mailing, please access the mailing explanation document.

A tool to calculate the property tax impact for a specific property valuation can be downloaded here.

Iowa Code Chapter 24.2 requires cities, counties and school districts to provide a proposed property tax statement to the county auditor no later than March 15 each year for property taxes payable in the subsequent tax year.  Information contained on the property tax statement includes:

• The current year’s property tax dollars levied
• Next year’s effective property tax dollars after property valuation changes
• Next year’s proposed property tax levy dollars

If the proposed property tax levy dollars exceed next year’s effective property tax dollars, an explanation is required.  This explanation can be found in the bottom section of the statement.

Property tax statements also include a comparison of the current and proposed property tax amount for a $100,000 residential property and a $100,000 commercial property.  Please be reminded that there are a few factors influencing a taxpayer’s total property tax bill which include:

• Assessed valuation
• Residential or commercial rollback applied
• Tax Rate

While the residential rollback has decreased, meaning taxpayers will pay taxes on a smaller portion of their assessed valuation, many properties likely realized significant increases in their assessed valuations for tax year 2024-25.

Property tax statements will be mailed to each taxpayer on or around March 20.  A public hearing regarding the property tax statements is required to be held anytime after March 25.  The hearing date, time, and location is included on the property tax statement along with the location where the statement can be accessed on the district website.  The public hearing for Ankeny Community School District’s proposed fiscal year 2024-25  property tax statement is scheduled for Monday, April 1, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. in the boardroom of the district administrative offices located at 406 SW School Street, Ankeny, Iowa.

Ankeny Community School District Property Tax Levy Information

School district funding is student-driven and based on the State Foundation Aid formula.  Each year, the state legislature applies an adjustment to the state cost per pupil, known as State Supplemental Aid (SSA).  District enrollment times the state cost per pupil determines the level of funding schools receive through the State Foundation Aid formula.  The State Foundation Aid formula is funded through a mixture of property tax dollars and state aid.  The mixture varies for each district depending upon its taxable valuation.  As a district’s taxable valuation increases, the percentage of State Foundation Aid funded by property taxes typically increases as well.  Therefore, a district’s General Fund property tax dollars may increase due to the State Foundation Aid formula.

In addition to the General Fund, the total levy rate includes the Management Fund levy for property and casualty, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance; the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) used in purchasing equipment and repairing facilities and grounds, and the Debt Service Levy which funds the district’s general obligation principal and interest payments.

While both the PPEL and Debt Service levies are proposed to remain stable at their current rate, the increase in taxable valuation results in increased property tax dollars.  The increased PPEL dollars will be used to purchase student devices, improve the district’s athletic facilities, and make scheduled repairs across the district.  The Debt Service levy will be used to pay down principal on existing debt, resulting in significant savings of interest and earlier payoffs of existing debt.

Congratulations to students from Ankeny and Centennial High Schools for their recent participation in the Junior Achievement of Central Iowa Stock Market Challenge!

In a remarkable display of talent and expertise, the Ankeny team of Cameron Overbaugh, Nolan Gentry, Michael Kennedy, and Carter Lacina secured the coveted top spot in the challenge. Additionally, the Centennial team of Josh Kerby, Braden Syata, and Carter Gustafson demonstrated remarkable skill and determination, clinching a well-deserved third place.

Let’s applaud the participants from both schools for their remarkable achievements, showcasing their prowess in financial literacy and setting a high standard for excellence!

Students, parents, and community members are invited to participate in the nomination process for the ACSD People of the Year awards, an event that recognizes outstanding contributions to our educational community. Nomination forms are open for the following awards:

• Education Professional of the Year Nomination Form
• Support Staff Member of the Year Nomination Form
• Volunteer of the Year Nomination Form

Your nominations will help us recognize and celebrate the outstanding people that make our school district a great place to be! Please take a moment to consider individuals who have made a positive impact and submit your nominations by March 1, 2024.

During this time of year, many of our students will be preparing to take assessments. Whether you’re helping an elementary or secondary student prepare for testing, listed below are a few resources to help:

• Helping Your Child with Test-Taking
• Help Your Child Prepare for Standardized Tests

We invite you to an upcoming Parent Connection on Special Education Event on March 19 at Northview Middle School. This event aims to provide a platform for parents and caregivers to connect, share insights, and gain valuable resources to support their children’s education journey.

Date: March 19, 2024

Time: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Location: Northview Middle School cafeteria (use the main entrance)

The event will begin with a presentation on building independence within our students. Following the opening discussion, two breakout sessions will be offered. Attendees will choose from the following topics: 

• Community Partnerships
• Parental Insight and Experiences
• Future Readiness

We encourage all families with children receiving special education services to attend this event and take advantage of this valuable opportunity to learn, connect, and grow together.

Families are invited to attend this event with their students if they prefer; sensory devices will be available during this time. Interpretation services will also be provided. Please fill out this form if you would like to reserve an interpreter. 

Please RSVP below to ensure we can accommodate everyone effectively.

We look forward to seeing you on March 19!

Ankeny Community Schools is dedicated to providing a safe environment for students. Violence prevention is always the first goal of providing a safe environment, but it is also important to determine why a student (or another individual) made a threat and to address whatever conflict or problem motivated the threat. When a person (or persons) threatens to commit a violent act or engages in behavior that appears to threaten an act of violence, a threat assessment is conducted to evaluate the threat and the circumstances surrounding it. Threat assessments are a problem-solving approach to violence prevention that involves both assessment AND intervention with individuals who have threatened violence toward others.

Threat assessments are not punishment, nor are they used to determine punishment. The threat assessment and intervention process is designed to prevent violence by helping the individual to resolve the problem through a system of supports, thereby removing the impetus for violence. Safety precautions and legal actions are taken as part of the process when judged to be necessary to prevent imminent acts of violence.

Threat assessments are conducted by multi-disciplinary teams, meaning that the team may consist of school administrators, counselors, social workers, security personnel, and law enforcement.

The principles of our threat assessment process include:

1. Targeted violence is not a spontaneous, unpredictable event but is the result of a deliberate and detectable process. Prevention is possible. 
2. Threat assessments consider not only the student who makes the threat, but the total context of the threat. This includes the situation in which the threat was made and what the student intended by making the threat. Many times the statement is transient, meaning it was a joke, insult, or rhetorical remark without a substantive intent to harm anyone. 
3. The threat assessment process strives to accumulate reliable evidence from multiple sources. Information from teachers, counselors, witnesses, and parents are considered.  All claimed facts about the situation are verified. Conclusions are based on objective facts and behaviors rather than inferred traits or characteristics of the student making the threat

The ACSD maintenance team will be conducting prescribed burns periodically in Ankeny as weather conditions allow, continuing until June 1, 2024. Weather conditions and safety considerations will determine the exact date and time of the fires.

Why do we perform prescribed burns?

Central Iowa’s landscape was once dominated by tall grass prairies. These ecosystems have an abundance of plants, insects, birds, mammals, and reptiles. The native grasses and forbs (flowers) also provide seed and nectar for insects, butterflies, birds, and small mammals. In nature, fire is essential to maintain the integrity of the native prairie plant species located in our parks. Fire is a natural occurrence that helps the plant and animal communities in a park and controlled burning offers a safer way to use fire in a helpful manner. The benefits of prescribed burns include the following:

• Aid in reducing the undesirable plants from invading our native prairie areas
• Help to maintain a rich diversity of wildflowers and grasses
• Decreases the threat of wildfires by decreasing the accumulation of combustibles
• Benefits water quality by aiding in the establishment of deep-rooted natives
• Improves the natural beauty and enjoyment of our parks

Thank you for understanding.

Purple Wave Auctions is currently featuring two items available for bidding. The bidding period will remain open until March 5th. If you’re interested in acquiring either a box truck or an enclosed cargo trailer, be sure to explore the auction. View the auction here.