Happy summer! I hope you are finding ways to enjoy the goodness this season brings. There is simple joy in weeding the garden, a summertime adventure, a splash in cool water, a drive-in movie or just taking time to smell the rain.

I am excited to share some big updates this month that will benefit all USD 327 families and lay the path for a bright future for generations to come.

First, we are excited to be rolling out a new communication tool, ParentSquare, that we think families will love. There’s always an adjustment phase with something new, but ParentSquare is designed to make it easy for families to find all school updates and information in one place. No more checking multiple apps and websites for the updates and information your family depends on.

Our students’ parents and caregivers received an invitation by email in late May. If you can’t find your invitation or need help signing up, please contact Kim Whetzel at (785) 472-5561 or kwhetzel@usd327.org. All teachers and staff (including coaches) will begin learning and using it this August as we prepare for the first day of school.

I am also exceedingly proud to share more details about the USD 327 Legacy and Future Fund endowment that is now set up for USD 327 through the Smoky Hills Community Foundation. This effort began in response to ideas we heard during our listening session last fall that reviewed our strategic plan’s six focus areas:

• Educate for Excellence

• Support Student Exploration & Opportunities

• Communicate to Build Trust

• Connect with Family and Community

• Invest in Faculty and Staff

• Align Resources with Facilities and Infrastructure It became clear in those discussions that our school district is full of passionate, generous supporters who care deeply about the future of our students, our schools and our district’s communities. They also caused me to reflect on the tremendous generosity that has been part of USD 327 for decades. Over the last three years alone, I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve received a financial gift — small or large — with the simple request that the money is used to help students in need.

With this in mind, I explored the best ways we can use these gifts as the donors intend, and be purposeful in the way our students benefit. Today, I’m thrilled to announce we have a fully-endowed fund, thanks to the generosity of local donors, as well as matching gifts from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and Smoky Hills Community Foundation. The USD 327 Legacy and Future Fund endowment is structured so we are only spending the interest on the account each year. This makes certain we can provide a steady stream of funds to help our students reach their goals, both now and in the future.

Contributions of any size made to the USD 327 Legacy and Future Fund endowment will grow the amount of interest we can spend each year to support our students and our schoolsnd the six focus areas of our strategic plan will guide these decisions, providing clear direction and assuring that every dollar makes the biggest difference possible.

I’d love your help spreading the word about the USD 327 Legacy and Future Fund endowment. I also welcome a conversation if you are curious about how you can be part of this effort.

In closing, I can’t help but consider the words in our strategic plan: Better Together, Striving for Excellence. I’m sure we all can think of examples of mission statements that are more words than action, but right now in USD 327, it often seems words fail to fully describe the commitment, care and collaboration around us. Thank you for making this such a special place, where it seems the future grows brighter with each passing day.

Deena Hilbig is the superintendent of USD 327. She can be reached at (785) 4725561.