School Board gets report on RV Mustangs Foundation' first fundraiser

THREE OAKS — The River Valley Board of Education received a report on the new RV Mustangs Foundation’s successful first fund-raiser during its Oct. 24 regular meeting.

Foundation Board member Jen Rudolph said the Oct. 8 Fall Fundraiser featured live music by the Deep-Fried Pickle Project band along with live and silent auctions donated by local businesses and special items such as University of Michigan football tickets.

She said more than $9,000 was raised to support programs in the River Valley School District in the areas of academics, the arts, and extracurricular activities that engage students and staff. Also on Oct. 8, $2,270 was raised during a “Fund-A-Need” auction that will help the Music Department obtain a transport cart and an amplifier.

Rudolph said the RV Mustangs Foundation “has a mission to engage our community as public school advocates, to raise funds and resources to support, enhance and enrich the education offered at River Valley.”

A message from the RV Mustangs Foundation Board of Directors included the following:

“We would like to thank everyone who attended and helped in any way to make this a successful event. A special thank you to our sponsors, Tom Rossman – State Farm Insurance, Sawyer Home & Garden Center, Chill Hill Winery, Granor Farm, Horizon Bank, Three Oaks American Legion, Drier’s Meat Market, and Goods and Heroes.”

Thank you again for your support,

Board of Directors members are: Gail Freehling, Jen Rudolph, Dyane Thomas-Niemzyk, Jenny Alderink, Vickie Wagner, Lois Jones, Debbie Slavens, Michelle Krieger and Debbie Schutt.

Also on Oct. 24, Nate Preston of the Skillman Group provided an update on the all-classes building project, saying footings and foundations for the elementary addition taking shape in front to the existing middle/high school building were completed last Friday (Oct. 21).

“That’s a big hurdle out of the way. We’re officially kind of out of the ground,” he said.

Portions of the project planned for November and December include: completing load-bearing walls; taking delivery and install of steel for the project; working on interior masonry walls; and installing the brick veneer facade.

“We are scheduled to install the roof kind of mid-December, targeting getting the building closed right before the Christmas holiday,” Preston said.

He said concrete and masonry shortages (due in part to highway projects) have forced contractors to seek alternative sources.

In other Oct. 24 matters, the River Valley Board of Education:

• Approved seeking a Michigan Department of Education 98c Learning Loss Plan grant (of approximately $31 per student) to fund a second day of after-school support tutoring district-wide in areas such as math and English language arts.

• Agreed to apply for a competitive 50-percent grant from match the state Department of Education that would go toward a school resource officer.

• Heard Rudolph report that a recent Elementary Color Fun Run raised more than $13,000 for an upcoming fun fair.

• Were told by Student Board Representative Karen Merino that students are currently rehearsing for a first-semester musical three times a week (and also will perform a spring production). “Bring it On” is scheduled to be performed at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17, and 2 p.m. Dec. 18. She said the Marching Band was awarded five trophies in its final festival performance on Oct. 22. In sports the varsity volleyball team won the conference tournament last Saturday while the boys cross country squad finished first in a coaches association state meet that same day.

• Board member Vickie Wagner acknowledged donations from Vickers Engineering for middle school robotics and the Harbor Country Rotary Foundation for an Every Child Eats lunch program as well as robotics and elementary Science Olympiad.

• Received an update from teacher Rachel Fambro on plans for a Washington, D.C., trip in November of 2023, with planned visits to the U.S. Capitol Building, the Holocaust Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery and the Smithsonian.

• Agreed to hire Laura Broccoli as an elementary Title 1 teacher.

• Approved hiring Antonio Fowler as boys’ middle school basketball coach and Trenten Hoffman as assistant varsity wrestling coach.