Moline Rotary

We were excited to welcome our new Moline High School Student Rotarians at today’s Moline Rotary meeting!

Welcome Mariah A., Kayden D., Nick H., Ameilia L., Abe P. and Lily R. We’re glad to have you joining us and look forward to learning more about each of you during your time with Rotary.

District Governor Tina Curtis Visits Moline Rotary, Highlights Lasting Impact.

MOLINE, Ill. — Moline Rotary Club members were encouraged Monday to look beyond individual projects and consider how the work they do today can continue making a difference years into the future.

Rotary District 6420 Governor Tina Curtis visited the club for its Oct. 5 meeting, praising Moline Rotary for the breadth of its community involvement and challenging members to think about what the club should look like five years from now.

“What stood out to me wasn’t one particular project,” Curtis said. “It’s the breadth of what the club is doing in this community.”

Curtis highlighted Moline Rotary’s investments in young people through scholarships, Interact, RYLA, Youth Exchange and the club’s newest effort — establishing a Rotaract Club at Black Hawk College.

Gary Francque updated members on the developing Rotaract organization, which will be one of only two Rotaract clubs in Rotary District 6420. A core group of Black Hawk College students has already begun meeting, with upcoming organizational meetings expected to establish membership and a board of directors before the club applies for its Rotary International charter.

Curtis said programs such as Rotaract give young adults another pathway into Rotary, particularly for those who may have first encountered the organization through literacy projects, school programs, scholarships or other Rotary-sponsored activities.

“Lasting impact happens when what we do today creates something that continues after today’s Rotary meeting,” Curtis said.

She connected that theme with Rotary’s broader emphasis on peace, noting that communities are strengthened when people feel safe, connected, valued and able to contribute.

Curtis also praised Moline Rotary’s involvement in literacy and education, efforts addressing poverty and hunger, environmental projects, community safety initiatives, grants and hands-on service projects.

Among the examples she cited were the club’s planting of more than 1,000 flowers at the Butterworth Center, support for the summer concert at Bass Street Landing, and assistance provided to numerous community organizations. Rotary grant funding also supports local youth programs, including assistance with a cast and crew dinner for Moline High School’s upcoming production of Clue: On Stage.

Collaboration among Rotary clubs was another major theme of Curtis’ remarks. She pointed to the upcoming World’s Largest Polio Walk, which will include participation from 18 area Rotary clubs, as an example of what can happen when clubs build relationships rather than view one another as competitors.

“We don’t work against each other,” Curtis said. “It’s not competition. It’s collaboration.”

She encouraged Rotarians to do a better job celebrating and sharing those accomplishments.

“We need to, for lack of a better word, brag a little bit more about what Rotary is doing and how it’s helping the youth, the community and our partners,” Curtis said.
Curtis also challenged members to rethink how they invite others into Rotary. The next member may already be connected to the organization as a volunteer, scholarship family, community partner, Black Hawk College student, high school student or participant in a Rotary-sponsored event.

Rather than simply asking someone to attend a meeting, Curtis suggested a different invitation:

“Come see what we do. Come serve with us. Walk with us. Come be part of what we’re doing.”

Join the Moline Rotary Club this Monday, October 5 at noon, as we welcome Rotary District 6420 Governor Tina Curtis as our featured speaker.

Tina will share a District 6420 update, discuss Rotary leadership, current initiatives and priorities, and highlight how Rotary is making a difference in communities across the district.

The meeting will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1330 13th Street in Moline.

We hope you’ll join us for a great program and an opportunity to hear directly from our District Governor.

Service Above Self

Registration is now open for the World’s Largest Polio Walk in the Quad Cities!

Join Rotary members, families, friends and community members on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Vibrant Arena in Moline as we walk together to raise awareness and support the worldwide effort to eradicate polio.

The walk begins at 10 a.m. and registration is FREE at poliowalk.org.

We are also looking for Quad Cities-area polio survivors to be recognized during a special ceremony at 9:30 a.m. before the walk. Survivors interested in participating should contact Forrest Meyer at 319-530-1558 or [email protected] by Oct. 20.

Twelve Quad Cities Rotary clubs are joining nearly 40,000 Rotarians across 11 states and two countries for this special World Polio Day event.

Bring your family, invite your friends and help us show what our community can accomplish together!

Saturday, Oct. 24
Vibrant Arena, Moline
9:30 a.m. — Polio Survivor Recognition
10 a.m. — Walk Begins
FREE registration: poliowalk.org

Join the Moline Rotary Club for our Annual Club Picnic on Monday, September 28 at noon at Rotary’s Glenn Medhus Pavilion in Riverside Park!

It’s a great chance to enjoy lunch, fellowship and time together in one of Moline’s beautiful parks. Members, guests and friends of Rotary are welcome.

📍 Rotary’s Glenn Medhus Pavilion
Riverside Park
3300 5th Avenue, Moline, IL

We hope to see you there!

MOLINE — Moline-Coal Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Rachel Savage told Moline Rotary members Monday that the district is seeing continued progress while also facing ongoing challenges tied to attendance, mental health, school safety and growing student needs.

Savage said the district serves about 7,300 students and employs just over 1,000 full- and part-time staff members. The district includes 15 schools: 10 elementary schools, an early childhood center, two middle schools, Moline High School and Aspire, the district’s alternative school.

She said diversity continues to be one of the district’s defining characteristics, with more than 60 languages reported as being spoken in students’ homes.

About 62% of district students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

Savage said that level of need requires the district to use its resources carefully and work closely with outside organizations to provide additional support to students and families.

“Our community partners help fill in all the different nooks and crannies and cracks of needs that our families have,” she said.

The district’s stated priorities include fostering student growth, creating safe and welcoming schools, strengthening community partnerships and helping students become more resilient.

Savage said one of the district’s strongest indicators is its teacher retention rate, which stands at about 95%.

She said Moline-Coal Valley has largely avoided the teacher shortage problems facing many other districts.

“Our teachers come and they stay,” Savage said.

Average elementary class sizes are about 21 to 22 students.

Moline-Coal Valley is the 26th-largest school district in Illinois and is a member of the Large Unit District Association, which connects larger pre-K through 12 districts throughout the state.

Savage also provided an update on several district construction projects.

At Moline High School, the district is renovating restrooms and developing a new trades suite in Room D101. The space will give students hands-on experience in areas such as electrical work, plumbing and other skilled trades.

Savage said the goal is to better prepare students who may later enter trade programs at Black Hawk College or other post-secondary institutions.

She also said a new right-turn lane at Moline High School has helped improve traffic flow during arrival and dismissal times.

The district’s largest current project is the construction of Ontiveros Elementary School at the Lincoln-Irving site.

The existing Lincoln-Irving building is being renovated, while a roughly 44,000-square-foot addition is being constructed.

Ontiveros School is expected to open next August and will combine students from Lincoln-Irving and Willard Elementary.

Students will become the Ontiveros Owls.

Savage said this will be the final school year for Willard Elementary, which is about 128 years old.

She said the district prefers to describe the building as being “retired” rather than closed.

Willard has served the community for more than a century, but Savage said the building has major limitations, including a lack of full ADA accessibility and the inability to fully air-condition the school.

Lincoln-Irving students are currently attending school in Buildings A and B at Western Illinois University’s Quad Cities campus while construction is underway.

Savage credited Western, MetroLINK, staff members, families and students for making the temporary move successful.

The district is also looking ahead to a possible future project involving the old Coolidge School site.

Savage said Coolidge will likely be torn down and the site could eventually be used for another larger elementary school.

She said the district has found advantages in larger elementary schools with multiple classrooms at each grade level because staffing and support services can be consolidated more efficiently.

Savage also addressed several areas where the district continues to struggle.

Attendance remains one of the biggest concerns.

She said attendance rates have not rebounded as quickly as district leaders had hoped following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students who attend school regularly are significantly outperforming students who miss school frequently, Savage said.

The district’s chronic absenteeism rate declined by 16% last year, although she said more improvement is still needed.

Savage also discussed school safety, saying planning for physical, mental and psychological safety is ongoing.

“That work is never done,” she said.

The district continues to update safety plans and practices while adapting to changing technology, staffing and other circumstances.

Mental health is another growing concern.

The district has counselors, psychologists and social workers and also works with organizations including the Youth Service Bureau, Robert Young Center and local hospitals.

Savage said those resources are important but still do not meet the full level of need seen among students.

She also described social media as a major challenge for schools.

While social media can be used to promote positive events and student accomplishments, Savage said it can also contribute to bullying, threats and conflicts that carry into school.

Savage said the district is making progress in other areas, including results from the Illinois 5Essentials Survey.

The survey measures five areas: involved families, collaborative teachers and staff, ambitious instruction, effective leaders and supportive environments.

The district has set a goal of earning strong ratings in all five categories by 2028.

Savage said she is also proud of the district’s Board of Education, calling members dedicated volunteers who give their time to the district.

She said the board currently includes parents of district students and praised members for taking on what she described as a difficult but important role.

Savage said the district remains proud of its progress, but acknowledged that many of its greatest challenges cannot be solved by the schools alone.

She said continued cooperation among families, educators and community organizations will remain an important part of the district’s work.

Join the Moline Rotary Club on Monday, September 21 at noon as we welcome Dr. Rachel Savage, Superintendent of Moline-Coal Valley CUSD, for a New School Year Update.

Dr. Savage will share an update on the new school year, discuss key priorities and initiatives for students and families, and look ahead at opportunities and the future of our local schools.

The meeting will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1330 13th Street in Moline.

We look forward to an informative program and a great conversation about education in our community.

Service Above Self

Quad Cities Marathon Founder Shares the Heart Behind the Race

We enjoyed hearing today from Joe Moreno, founder and race director of the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon, who shared how an idea to bring a marathon to the Quad Cities has grown into one of the region’s signature events.

Next year will mark the marathon’s 30th anniversary, and Joe is still leading an effort that now includes approximately 1,000 volunteers, a 60-member committee and a nine-member board.

Joe likes to describe the weekend as five races through four cities, over three bridges, in two states and through one island. While the word “marathon” can sound intimidating, the weekend also includes a half marathon, 10K, 5K and five-person relay, giving runners of many different abilities a chance to participate.

The event has earned recognition as the No. 1 marathon in Illinois outside of Chicago, and this year the Road Runners Club of America selected the TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon to host its national marathon championship.

But Joe made clear that the event is about much more than running. Proceeds support ZERO Prostate Cancer, and the marathon’s Shoes for Kids program provides more than 500 local children each year with new ASICS shoes, with school nurses and staff helping identify children who need them most.

Through its Charity Bib Program, runners can also raise money for local organizations, with 100% of those funds going directly to the participating charities.

Perhaps the most meaningful part for Joe comes at the finish line. For nearly 30 years, he has stood there high-fiving finishers—seeing the tears, excitement and sense of accomplishment from runners completing their first marathon, a bucket-list goal, or sometimes their final marathon.

Thank you, Joe, for sharing the story behind an event that has become such an important part of the Quad Cities community!

Moline High School welcomed a new group of Student Rotarians during a recent Rotary meeting.

Moline High School Principal Jeff Whitaker introduced the six seniors selected to participate: Enzo Gomez, Mya Johnson, Connor Morel, Max Gentry, Rylee Thompson and Calla Graham.

The Student Rotarian program gives local students an opportunity to learn more about Rotary, community service and leadership while meeting and interacting with community members throughout the school year.