2nd annual Kindness Rally is next week!

Marion Community Schools will celebrate the efforts of its students and staff to prevent bullying at a special end-of-the-year event, the Kindness Rally, and the public is invited to come join in the fun.

The Kindness Rally is set for 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 25, 2014, at the Marion High School gym. Features will include bounce houses, an obstacle course, dunk tank (where principals and other administrators will take the plunge), food, and more.

Tickets to be used for the carnival attractions will be four for $1, and proceeds will fund continuing anti-bullying efforts throughout the school system. The Marion High School FOR TAXII Club (Friends of Rachel / Teens Against Xtreme Inappropriate Interactions), which helps organize and run the Kindness Rally, will also be selling T-shirts and bracelets as a fundraiser.

Doors will open and ticket sales will begin at 5:30 p.m.

The Chain Reaction Ceremony is set for 6 p.m. The ceremony will feature the MHS JROTC presenting the flag, along with performances by the MHS and McCulloch Junior High School choirs, the MHS band, presentation of Student Kindness Awards and messages from district administrators. Students from each school will also participate in the parade of kindness chains from each school, with each link in the chains representing a kind act noticed this school year.


Marion Community Schools is proud of our students and staff who are starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion and making positive changes in our schools and community. We hope that students of all ages and their families, along with community members, will come and help us celebrate at the second annual Kindness Rally!

Regular start/end times resume next Monday, 4/21

The Marion Community Schools alternate schedule is ending this week. Starting next Monday, April 21, all MCS schools will return to their regular start and end times.

Click on the links below to view your school's schedule:

• Allen Elementary
• Frances Slocum Elementary
• Kendall Elementary
• Riverview Elementary
• Justice Intermediate School
• McCulloch Junior High School
• Marion High School
• Tucker Career and Technology Center

Because this alternate schedule allowed us to make up all days missed this winter, the last day of school for students is now set for Thursday, May 22.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact your school's office.

Elementary district boundaries revised for 2014-15

To balance space available in individual elementary schools vs. the number of students attending, Marion Community Schools is revising its elementary school district boundaries.

MCS’s aim is to effectively and efficiently use the space available in each of our buildings. Under current enrollment projections and current elementary district boundaries, Allen and Frances Slocum elementaries will be over capacity next school year, while Riverview and Kendall will be under capacity. This change in district boundaries addresses that issue.

Click the links below to view maps:

• Current MCS elementary school boundaries
  • Detail map of current boundaries (portions affected by change)
• New boundaries (in effect starting in the 2014-15 school year)
  • Detail map of new boundaries (portions affected by change)

The change in boundaries could affect dozens of families, although the plan allows for about a 15 percent “permissive transfer” rate (referring to students who do not live within a specific elementary’s district boundaries, but are granted a request to attend there anyway). This transfer rate is about what we are currently seeing at our elementary schools. This means that a large number of families who are shifted into a new elementary district will still have the option of keeping their student at the school he or she previously attended.

The exact boundaries can now be viewed above. MCS will be providing more detailed information to families in the coming days, and we will work with families to meet as many transfer requests as possible. (One important note, however, is that families who choose to attend an elementary school outside of the district they live in do NOT have the option of MCS bus transportation.) The InfoFinder i address lookup available here at the MCS website will be updated within the next few weeks.

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FAQs: Revised elementary district boundaries

How will I know if my elementary district has changed?
Marion Community Schools will be directly contacting families affected by the changed elementary district boundaries. We will be making these contacts as soon as possible, most likely by the end of April.

When does this change take affect?
The new elementary district boundaries will take affect for the 2014-15 school year.

What if my district changes, but I still want my student to attend the same school he/she has been attending?
The plan allows for about a 15 percent “permissive transfer” rate (referring to students who do not live within a specific elementary’s district boundaries, but are granted a request to attend there anyway). This transfer rate is about what we are currently seeing at our elementary schools. This means that a large number of families who are shifted into a new elementary district will have the option of keeping their student at the school he or she previously attended.

Anyone who wishes to make such a request should contact the office at the school they want their child to attend. Click here for contact information for each school building.

One important note: Families who choose to attend an elementary school outside of the district they live in do NOT have the option of MCS bus transportation.

When will new boundary maps be available to view?
We will make those available as soon as possible here on the website, and the InfoFinder i address lookup tool will be updated as soon as possible as well.