to the classroom but are types of skills that in the workforce nowadays, we want people to be able to collaborate,” he explains. North Polk has set an ambitious target: 85% of students in grades seven through twelve must participate in at least one co-curricular or extracurricular activity.The district currently exceeds this goal at 86%, a remarkable achievement based on intentional programming. When hiring for positions like a new payroll specialist, Kline looks for these same collaborative abilities. “As we interview, we’re going to be looking at how you fit into our organization? What is your ability to communicate at high levels in writing, verbal communication, but then culture wise, can you get along with others?” The emphasis on “power skills” aligns with broader workforce development trends across Iowa’s education system. With over 2,200 students participating in various activities, North Polk demonstrates that extracurricular engagement scales effectively even during rapid growth.“Can you operate in an organization, 320 plus staff members 392 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 09
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