Superintendent's Update - September 16, 2025

A Great Start to the 2025-2026 School Year!

Dear North Marion Families,

When I stop to wonder how we are already in the third week of the school year, I remember the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” We must be having a lot of fun! 

The start of the school year has been incredibly smooth. This is a testament to our incredible caring adults who serve our students in the classroom, main offices, and cafeterias. And let’s not forget our First Student bus drivers who are the first and last friendly face that our students see each day. If you have an adult in one of our schools that you’d like to thank for making the start of the school year go well for your student, take a minute to send them a note. You would not believe how much of a difference this can make for our staff.

Our students also deserve some of the credit for the wonderful start of the school year. Here are some recent observations to describe how great North Marion Students are. Today, we held our first fire drills of the school year. As I watched our middle school students exit and then reenter the building, they were absolutely quiet and respectful during the drill. Similarly, I was walking by as our intermediate students lined up during the evacuation, and again absolutely quiet. This kind of cooperation and respect doesn’t happen by accident. Our kids come from homes where respect is expected and they carry this wonderful trait and skill with them into our schools. 

Finally, I want to applaud our high school students. I have been in our commons several times during lunches and there isn’t a cell phone to be found. Based on feedback from our high school admin team, the new cell phone policy has been easy to implement. As I observe our students, they are engaging with one another and the need to have their phone hasn’t been an issue. This further reinforces my belief that students will rise to the expectations we set. 

In the coming days, you will be receiving another update from me regarding some of our annual safety training. In addition to fire drills, there are other training exercises we do to make sure we prioritize the safety of our students.         

Sent to all families via Parent Square 9.15.2025

Sincerely,

Dan Busch
Superintendent