X

The Avon School was established in 1900; the same year that the city of Avon was founded. As with many small towns, the school is the heart and soul of the community. It offers many jobs opportunities and community social events in addition to its most important job which is providing a quality educational experience for the wonderful students in the Avon community. Avon School is a public school district for grades PK-12. As with any business, the success of the school is dependent upon its directors. The governing body of school board members includes Jeff Tolsma, Joe Sees, Bridgette Muller, Craig Vanderlei and David Ratzlaff. Directors of the day-to-day operations are Brian Field, Interim Superintendent; Jordan Kortan, Business Manager; Lindsey Fathke, K-12 Principal and Julie Mudder, Administrative Assistant. They each play an important role in ensuring that the school is operating at the highest level. As the current acting superintendent, Fields, is serving the Avon community for six months with his interim ending in June. Previous to taking the acting superintendent position in Avon, Brian was the school superintendent in Beresford for 14 years. When asked what he enjoys most about being a superintendent, Fields said that he has always enjoyed the culture of small and mid-sized schools where one is able to get to know the students, staff, parents and community. His philosophy is that education is about building and sustaining positive and productive relationships with all stakeholders. In his short time in Avon, there is such a high level of pride and support from the community. He can see that being an Avon Pirate is very special, as evidenced by so many staff members who have returned to their hometown to work and raise their families. As the superintendent, Fields has many duties. He oversees the entire educational program of a district; provides leadership in the development and maintenance of the best possible education for students; and oversees the hiring of all personnel in the district which is subject to board approval. As part of Field’s position, it is part of his position to implement the vision, mission, and values of the district and to ensure that the board policies and regulations are implemented and followed throughout the school. The superintendent along with the principal both directly and indirectly supervises all employees of the district. The superintendent answers to and is held accountable by the Board of Education. Fields also attends and participates in all regular and special meetings of the Board of Education and makes recommendations to the Board on any matters that affects the school. In conjunction with the business manager, the superintendent also assumes responsibility for the overall financial planning of the district, including preparation of the annual budget that requires Board review and adoption. The Avon School District receives a tremendous amount of support from the Avon business community, the families and residents of Avon. It was a natural fit to become a member of the Avon Chamber of Commerce and is a way for the school district to show its support for the Avon business community. The Avon School has not always been in its current location. From 1900-1904 it was a rural school that was located in a small building at the edge of town on Ed Christjan’s land. In 1902, a room in the rear of Rauch’s Harness Shop was fixed up and used as a school room. Classes began in the city of Avon officially on December 4, 1902. A new building began to be built with a few rooms added each year until 1905 when the six-room building was officially completed. With more students starting to attend the Avon school, in 1914 another building was built. This building was later used as a dorm in the 1940s and later remodeled and used as the Superintendent’s house. The present brick school building on 210 Pine Street was constructed and finished in 1925. The school has had many expansions and additions since it was first built in 1925. In 1960, the gymnasium auditorium was completed. Then in 1965, the old gym in the mail building was remodeled into three large classrooms and a lower-level shop room. The old locker rooms were turned into classrooms. On the second floor, a large band room and a science room were constructed. The band room for 1965 is now used as a classroom. The top floor of the school where there had once been a stage was converted into a classroom, small study hall and library. Above-the-ground lockers were added to the school gym in 1980. Lastly in 1994, an entirely new addition was added to the school, including an auxiliary gym that also serves as a lunchroom, a new kitchen, band and vocal music room and restrooms. Classrooms have continued to be modernized as capital outlay dollars become available for such projects. This summer will also bring about some more cosmetic changes to the Avon School. Remodeling projects will occur on the first floor in rooms 10, 12, 13, 14, and 17 which will include mobile cabinetry, base cabinetry, flooring, electrical and heating updates. Also at the upcoming school board meeting, the board will review bids for a girls and boys locker room remodel project that the school hopes to have completed by the end of summer 2024. The Avon school plays a very vital role in the Avon community. The school district serves as a hub for activities in the community and as a gathering place for all community members to attend and support Avon students in the areas of fine arts, athletics and other co-curricular programs and teams. The Avon School District employs 46 full and part-time employees including three administrators, one administrative assistant, 22 teachers, one counselor, and 19 classified staff members. There are currently 210 students in grades K-12 and 19 students in preschool. The Business Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and is open for students during the school year from 8:10 a.m. until 3:29 p.m. There is a big upcoming event for the Avon School District on Tuesday, April 9 when there will be the school board election. Five school district residents have returned petitions and had their petition signatures verified to run for the two 3-year terms that will be available on the Avon School Board. Those residents include incumbents, Bridgette Muller and Craig Vanderlei, and Annie Thury, Matthew Grant and Joe Paulsen. The election will be held at the Avon Fire Hall from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thank you, Avon School District, for being this month’s featured Avon Chamber of Commerce business.