Glidden-Ralston (G-R) Community School District is underway in less than three weeks, welcoming students, and staff back into the buildings but prohibiting cellphones and personal devices. The first day of school is Aug. 25, and G-R Superintendent Tom Ridder says the no cell phone during the school day will be the biggest adjustment students will have to make this upcoming year.
Ridder says this new policy was required to be implemented by legislation that was passed by Gov. Kim Reynolds earlier this year. He says students will not be allowed access to their phones at all during the school day.
Ridder says while the major projects that are being financed with the $1.34 million Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) will start in the summer of 2026, some other projects did get completed this summer season.
As Ridder has said previous, they had to create additional classrooms for the full roster of teachers that the district now says it has.
New teachers report to the district for their first official day on Aug. 19, with all staff returning back on Aug. 20. An open house is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ridder says he welcomes all students and staff back for what he believes will be a great 2025-26 school year for the G-R Wildcats.
