In a special announcement made on August 18th, 2023, Clarke Community Schools‘ Superintendent, Kurt DeVore, announced that the 2023-2024 school-year start date for the district will be delayed to Monday August 28th for students in K-12 and Tuesday, September 5th for preschool-age students.
PDFs OF THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT (eng & esp):
By clicking the images above, you can open / download / read / print a copy of the official release from Mr. DeVore in both English and Spanish. The link will open in a new tab/window.
Below is the letter posted to the District Web site:
August 18th, 2023
Dear Clarke Community School District Families:
As we return to school for the 2023-2024 school year, we have some important news about the first day of school. Over the Spring and Summer, Clarke Community School District has been busy with fire and safety updates at CCHS and CMS and renovating 15 classrooms at Clarke Elementary School.
With the renovation of the 15 rooms at Clarke Elementary School, we have abated asbestos, added new Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, ceilings, and replaced cabinetry. Clarke Middle School and High School have received a new fire suppression (sprinkler) system.
The renovation at Clarke Elementary has experienced a contractor shortage with one of the subcontractors during this final week before school. This shortage has forced us to delay the start of school for Kindergarten through 12th-grade students to Monday, August 28th, and for preschool students until Tuesday, September 5th.
These three days will not need to be made up or added at the end of the school year, as the Clarke Community School District calendar has an appropriate amount of hours to cover these days. Additionally, we will still be waiting on our new cabinetry for our renovated elementary school rooms, which will be installed once we arrive. This work will take place in the evenings and over weekends.
Below is the list of upcoming events through Tuesday, September 5th. Changes from the original school start schedule have been noted with an asterisk (*).
Kindergarten through 12th Grade
Monday, August 21st from 5:00-5:30 pm: 6th Grade Orientation
Monday, August 21st from 5:30-7:00 pm: Middle School Open House
Monday, August 21st from 5:30-7:00 pm: High School Open House
Tuesday, August 22nd from 5:30-8:00 pm: Clarke (Tuesday) in the Park on the Clarke County Courthouse Square
*Monday, August 28th at 8:00 am: First Day of School (K-12)Kindergarten through 5th Grade
*Thursday, August 24th from 4:00-6:00 pm: Elementary Open House
Thursday, August 24th at 7:00 pm: 5th Grade Band Display NightPreschool
*Thursday, August 31st from 4:00-6:00: Preschool Open House
*Tuesday, September 5th at 8:00 am or 12:00 pm: First Day of PreschoolActivities – NO CHANGES! Just a list of upcoming events through August 23rd, 2023
Monday, August 21st at 4:45 pm: XC Boys/Girls at Woodward-Granger
Friday, August 25th at 4:45 (JV) & 7:30 (Varsity) pm: JV/Varsity Football at Clarke
Saturday, August 26th at 8:30 am: Clarke Volleyball Varsity InvitationalWe are looking forward to an incredible school year with the updated spaces in our schools. Thank you for supporting Clarke Community School District and our students and staff.
Sincerely,
Kurt MJ DeVore, Superintendent
If you have questions or need additional information about the delay, please reach out to the Clarke Community Schools Central Administration Office at 802 N Jackson, Osceola, IA 50213 or (641) 342-4969.