Reek Elementary School

JP Cullen was hired by Reek Elementary School (Linn J6) to deliver a vision for modern, secure, and innovative learning environments. Through the successful passage of both a $320K Operational Referendum and a $4.1M Capital Referendum, we helped create spaces that support students, staff, and the community.

Operational Referendum

• Maintain Small Class Sizes: Ensuring personalized attention and high-quality instruction for effective learning.
• Invest in Classroom Technology & Infrastructure: Upgrading digital tools and systems to enhance teaching and student engagement, supporting K-12 facility upgrades.
• Attract & Retain Staff: Offering competitive salaries and benefits to keep exceptional educators in the classroom.
• Manage Rising Costs: Addressing essential expenses such as insurance, transportation, and utilities to maintain smooth operations.

Capital Referendum

• New Cafeteria & Music Room: Relieving strain on the gym and creating dedicated spaces for physical education and music programs, while expanding extracurricular opportunities. This also allows the gym to be used for more community events as it previously also served as the cafeteria.
• Renovate the Elementary Wing with STEAM Classroom Renovations: Modernizing classrooms and adding space for STEAM and makerspace activities.
• School Security Improvements: Implementing enhanced safety measures for a secure learning environment.
• Community Space Additions: Creating a rentable area for local events and meetings to meet growing community needs.

Results

With both questions passing at 60%, the community came together to make these improvements possible. JP Cullen worked directly with Reek to support the referendum efforts by:

• Developing and managing a comprehensive school referendum communication plan with clear, consistent messaging.
• Creating branded materials, including direct mailers, yard signs, quick facts flyers, social media graphics and copy, and website updates.
• Budgeting and option development.

What would the District Administrator say?

• “One thing that struck me watching you all interact with each other and the voters, was each one of you has an impact on education in this State. It is work like yours that help schools create an environment for learning and ultimately make the teacher’s jobs easier, more satisfying, and more efficient. So, thank you for the job you do that impacts children, staff, and communities in a positive way.”
• “Along with the experience in school construction, the marketing aspect was a big reason we chose JP Cullen as our contractor. We recognized we needed that service in order to get the referendum facts communicated.  The other aspect JP Cullen stood out in was the fact they knew our school. They knew how the building operated down to the traffic flow of people at events and sporting events.  The team was able to anticipate needs and obstacles in the pre-planning stages.”