5,003 Students

8 Facilities

Our preschool - 12th grade programs serve more than 5,000 students from the towns of LeClaire, Panorama Park, Riverdale, the village of Pleasant Valley and over half of the City of Bettendorf. Our families bring a vibrant mix of cultures and backgrounds to our schools represented by the 39 different languages are spoken by our students at home. Our facilities include one high school, an Alternative High School Program run in conjunction with Bettendorf and North Scott high schools, a Junior High School (7 & 8) and five elementary schools (K-6). All of our buildings are air-conditioned and equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

A rich blend of urban, rural, suburban and small-town living can be found here. Economically the district includes some of the richest farmland in the nation together with exceptional commercial and industrial enterprises.

The schools serve to unite our communities. There is high involvement among all stakeholders at all levels.

Because we know the importance of technology in the future of our children, Pleasant Valley schools employ two technology instructional coaches to work with teachers in planning, teaching and assessing units to improve critical thinking and hone student abilities so they are successful in the digital world.

Elementary schools use two programs to individualize learning for students. Grades K-6 use ST (Spatial Temporal) Math, a game-based instructional software program designed by MIND Research Institute to increase math comprehension and proficiency through visual learning. Kindergarten through second grade students also utilize Waterford Reading Program which is designed to build critical skills in core reading concepts such as phonics, phonological awareness, vocabulary and comprehension.

At the secondary level, we use Project Lead the Way, the nation's leading provider for science, technology, engineering and math learning. Over the next three years, PLTW will be expanded to our elementary science programs.

Scholarships worth nearly $80,000 were awarded to 79 students by the Pleasant Valley Educational Foundation during 2016-2017. The Foundation's goal is to provide every PV graduate a $1,000 scholarship to be applied to their first year of post-secondary work. In addition, our graduates annually earn extensive scholarships for their academic and extra-curricular accomplishments, along with need based aid.

Our students take rigorous course loads with 100 percent of our high school graduates taking four years of English, math, science and social studies. Our graduation rate is 96.6 percent, five percentage points higher than the state average. Approximately 60 percent of the PV students enroll in 4-year colleges. An additional 31 percent enroll in 2-year colleges or technical programs.

Recent accomplishments: Our recent graduates included eight National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists, and three National Merit Commended students and a Presidential Scholar.

Pleasant Valley emphasizes character development using the six pillars of Character Counts: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. These pillars are explored and practiced at the K-6 level. In grades 7-12, schools focus on the acceptance of diversity, the tolerance of others and the expectation of respect for all.

To promote acceptance and respect in high school, students can join the UNITE club where topics of diversity are discussed each month. In addition, the district's Safe Schools Advisory Council meets quarterly to advise the district on new ways to continue to provide a safe and inspiring climate for all students.

At the secondary level, the Pleasant Valley offers courses through Project Lead the Way, the nation's leading provider for science, technology, engineering and math learning. Currently we offer courses in robotics, engineering, biomedical science and computers. We also have begun a three-year implementation plan of adding PLTW to our elementary science programs.

Embodiment of the program: PV's FIRST Tech Challenge Robotics team, The Winter Soldiers, achieved national success this year. They won the Inspire Award, the top award, at the State Competition, and went on to win the Innovate Award at the North Super Regional Competition. This win qualified the team for the Worlds competition in Detroit.

The Winter Soldiers are a uniquely "neighborhood" robotics team comprised of students who couldn't fit a robotics course into their schedule, or aren't yet in high school. The team includes six PVHS students, five PVJH students, one Bettendorf Middle School student, as well as two home-schooled students.

Many lessons vital to success are learned outside the classroom. Beginning in elementary school, Pleasant Valley offers a wealth of opportunities for students to learn beyond the academic core.

More than 70 clubs and organizations are offered in our schools. Whether it is Anime or astronomy, book club or band, majorettes or mock United Nations, Harry Potter or Habitat for Humanity, every student should be able to find something that interests them and enriches their life.

In addition, Pleasant Valley offers two different school entry programs for five-year-olds a traditional kindergarten program and a Transition to Kindergarten (T2K) Program for students who are not yet ready to begin a traditional kindergarten curriculum because of physical, emotional, social and/or academic reasons. A pre-kindergarten program is also offered for qualifying students.

The single most important variable in student achievement is high quality instruction. Our rigorous instruction is aligned to state and national standards in all content areas to assure your child will receive a high quality education. In addition, all of our 338 certified teachers are highly-qualified by the state definition. More than 60 percent of our teachers are seasoned educators who have been in the classroom for more than five years. The quality of our faculty has been recognized on the national level.

Recent accomplishments: Mary Johnson, the high school Career Center coordinator, was selected as the Iowa ACT College and Career Readiness K-12 Champion for 2018. According to ACT, Johnson personifies the mission of ACT through intentional actions that create an atmosphere and culture which promotes college and career readiness for all. In addition, Bill Myatt won the 2017-18 Outstanding Speech, Drama and Theater Educator Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations. Myatt has worked for the PV district for 25 years.

As a student in our district, your child will be surrounded with peers who are focused, caring, and come from a broad range of backgrounds and beliefs. It is a peer group that challenges and supports one another, and a district that achieves success . . . not for some students, but for every student.

The district serves the vibrant and growing communities of Bettendorf, LeClaire, and Riverdale. All three cities affirm and support the connection between great communities and great schools. Our parents are active partners and participate broadly in their children's academic and extracurricular activities along with our PTAs and booster clubs.

The Pleasant Valley Board of Education has maintained a decades-long focus on learning for all, fiscal conservativeness, and collaborative relationships and problem solving. In the past 40 years, the district has been served by only three superintendents, providing consistent leadership and program stability. This leadership team has created an excellent return on investment for citizens as measured by achievement results over levy rate. We are debt-free and carry the lowest property tax levy in Scott County.

Our high school campus is located adjacent to Scott Community College, providing exceptional opportunities for students to excel and be involved. Our concurrent enrollment program pairs with an extensive Advanced Placement curriculum to prepare students for post-secondary success across a complete array of degree and certificate programs.