Highland Community School District

💳🐾 Support Highland Schools Just by Swiping Your Card!

Did you know you can help raise money for Highland Community School District every time you use your debit card?

With Classroom Cash from Hills Bank, it’s simple:
👉 Use your debit card for everyday purchases
👉 Hills Bank donates to our schools
👉 It costs you NOTHING!

It’s an easy way to give back and make a real difference for our students and teachers!

📲 Sign up today and start supporting Highland with every swipe!

🎉 Introducing the Highland Hype Crew! 🎉

We’re excited to launch a new initiative at our elementary school—starting April 24th (our snow make-up day)!

We’re inviting local businesses and community members to be part of our Highland Hype Crew—helping us welcome students with smiles, music, positivity, and fist bumps 👊 as they enter our building.

This is a great way to start our students’ last school day of the week on a positive and energizing note!

After our kickoff, the Highland Hype Crew will continue Thursday mornings, and we would LOVE to partner with members of our community to be part of it.

Why this matters:
A simple greeting can make a big difference. When students start their day feeling seen, valued, and connected, it boosts confidence, improves behavior, and helps create a positive school environment. It also shows our kids that their community is behind them and invested in their success.

For local businesses, this is a great opportunity to:
• Give back in a meaningful way
• Build connections with students and families
• Show your support for education and our community

It’s a small time commitment with a BIG impact.

If you or your business would like to participate, please reach out to Superintendent Spencer Lueders at slueders@highlandhuskies.org — we’d love to have you join!

It's Paraprofessioinal Appreciation Day!

Thank you to all of our paraprofessionals for the care and support you bring to our students. You make a difference in our classrooms and help every learner succeed. We appreciate all you do!

What a statement performance to open the season! ⛳🏆

The Highland Girls Golf team captured the team title at the Nikes Invitational at Flint Hills Golf Course!

Leading the charge, Emersyn Schultz delivered an outstanding round to earn a 2nd place individual finish, while Adisyn Prottsman followed closely with an impressive 3rd place finish.

Great start, Huskies!

🌸✨ It’s a great day to be a Husky and celebrate our incredible staff! ✨🌸

One of our fellow team members had this to share about a colleague who goes above and beyond every day ❤️👏

English Teacher James Higdon — these kind words were shared by a fellow staff member:

"Mr. Higdon is more than a colleague; he's a collaborator and sage advisor. My favorite thing about him is how much he is like the subject he teaches: someone for whom your appreciation and admiration for grows with time and reflection. His jokes don't hurt either!"

We are so lucky to have such a dedicated, caring, and passionate group of people supporting our students and each other!

💬 Want to give a shoutout to someone who makes a difference? We’d love to hear from you!
👇 Click the link below to recognize one of our amazing staff members 👇

https://forms.gle/iHwm3drTDq3DRNE56

#StaffAppreciation #HuskyPride #StrongerTogether 🐾❤️

Dear Highland Community,

I am writing to share an important and thoughtful step forward for our students and athletic programming at Highland Community School District.

After careful consideration and collaboration, both the Highland CSD Board of Directors and the Lone Tree CSD Board of Directors have approved a middle school and high school football sharing agreement for the 2026–2027 school year. At its core, this partnership is about opportunity.

By bringing our programs together, we are creating a more sustainable and competitive football experience for our student-athletes. We anticipate an increase in overall participation, resulting in larger team numbers that will strengthen depth, enhance player development, and provide more opportunities for students to compete at a level that aligns with their individual skills and growth. Just as importantly, this collaboration expands opportunities for students to build meaningful relationships.

This agreement includes both middle school and high school football. Highland will host the high school program, while Lone Tree will host the middle school program. Transportation will be provided by the school districts. As we move forward, we are actively seeking a qualified head football coach for the program—someone who will prioritize student development, foster strong relationships, and build a culture that reflects the values of both communities.

We recognize that changes like this often come with questions. Please know that we are committed to clear, ongoing communication as details are finalized. More importantly, we are fully invested in ensuring this transition results in a positive, meaningful, and high-quality experience for every student involved.

With your support, I am confident we can build something that not only sustains football at Highland, but strengthens it for years to come.

Please stay tuned for additional updates in the coming weeks. We are excited for our student-athletes to come together and proudly represent both districts.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

With appreciation,
Spencer Lueders
Superintendent
Highland Community School District

Highland Community,

We hope this message finds you well. We are writing to provide an update regarding our snow make-up days following the recent school cancellations on March 16th and 17th. As always, our priority is to balance meaningful instructional time with the well-being of our students, staff, and families.

Snow Make-Up Days
Following the recent school cancellations on March 16th and 17th, we are planning to make up one of those days on Friday, April 24. As always, our goal is to prioritize both student learning and the well-being of our community. We will continue to monitor the remainder of the school year closely. If additional cancellations or delays occur, we may need to utilize Friday, May 8 as an additional make-up day. At this time, however, May 8 will remain a non-school day. We will keep you informed every step of the way so families can plan ahead with confidence.

November 2024 Bond Appeal Update
As many of you know, the appeal concerning the November 2024 bond election remains pending before the Iowa Supreme Court. Earlier last year, the District Court dismissed the original challenge to the election results; however, the opposing party chose to appeal that decision.

We have now received an important update: the Iowa Supreme Court has selected the case for oral argument. The argument is scheduled for March 26, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at the Drake University Legal Clinic and will be streamed live.

Community members may view the proceedings on the Iowa Supreme Court’s YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/@iowacourts8702/streams

Once oral argument is completed, the appeal will be considered fully submitted, and the case will then await a decision from the Iowa Supreme Court.

We appreciate your flexibility, engagement, and continued support of Highland CSD. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Spencer Lueders

Superintendent of Highland Community School District

🌸✨ Another day to allow us to take a moment to celebrate our incredible staff! ✨🌸

One of our fellow team members had this to share about a colleague who goes above and beyond every day ❤️👏

Elementary Associate Kristin Benesh — these kind words were shared by a fellow staff member:

"Kristin is an outstanding paraprofessional who consistently goes above and beyond for the students she works with. She shows genuine care and compassion for all students in the classroom and helps create a supportive, nurturing atmosphere. Kristin’s dedication and passion for her work are evident each day, and Highland is truly fortunate to have her as part of our team!"

We are so lucky to have such a dedicated, caring, and passionate group of people supporting our students and each other!

💬 Want to give a shoutout to someone who makes a difference? We’d love to hear from you!
👇 Click the link below to recognize one of our amazing staff members 👇

https://forms.gle/iHwm3drTDq3DRNE56

#StaffAppreciation #HuskyPride #StrongerTogether 🐾❤️