The recent events in neighboring school districts have continued to encourage families, who are able, to move their kids to PV. The Davenport Community School District Board of Education passed a plan to eliminate over 75 positions. 34 staff members have accepted the early retirement package offered by the district but upwards of 40 positions remain to be cut.
“We are going to make the necessary reductions inside of our buildings,” said Davenport interim superintendent TJ Schneckloth. The reductions are a result of the two-year plan that cuts 13 million dollars from the budget. Also included is the closure of two elementary schools and converting the three major high schools to a traditional schedule instead of block scheduling. This action will save the district 1.5 million dollars.
Cutting staff positions is tied to a lower enrollment as many students transfer to other schools in the area such as Pleasant Valley. PV had 1336 students in 2016, but by the start of the 2018-2019 school year, that number was up to 1415. Currently 1423 students attend PVHS with growth expected before the start of the 2019-2020 school year.
Heightened enrollment has demanded adequate space for the influx of students. The expansion to the west of the building provided new classrooms and new athletic training space. With enrollment growth showing no signs of slowing down, other expansions and renovations are expected to begin in the next few years.
As the new students come to Pleasant Valley, so do new editions and new teachers. Plans for a new gym with twice as many courts as the current main have started along with a new auditorium. The new editions can be problematic for some students such as freshman Alyse Zuiderveen who spends nearly all of the passing period walking between two classes. “I walk from Biology to Gym which takes 4 minutes without a stop at my locker,” she said.
Students coming to Pleasant Valley will continue to have access to updated facilities and resources that provide the best education for every student.
