Everyone ready? >> Ready. >> I call the meeting to order. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance >> to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all >> I know. >> All right. Thank you everyone for attending. Um, is there any changes to the agenda as presented? No changes. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda as it presented? >> Second. >> So moved by Schmidt and second by Scully to approve the agenda as presented. All in favor, please say I. I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. Moving to some future events. Please check the district website for a complete list of monthly events. Friday, March 6th, 2026, no school, staff professional work day. Monday, March 9th through the 13th, no school, spring break. Monday, March 16th, no school, staff professional work day. Friday, March 20th, no school. Tuesday, March 24th, school board work session. Tuesday, April 14th, regular school board meeting at 7 PM with communication to the board and administration at 6:45. Moving on to consent agenda. Can I get a motion? >> So moved by Forsber. >> Second. >> Second by Hennon to approve the following items of the consent agenda. Minutes of the February 10th, 2026 regular meeting. bills paid for January 2026 in the following amounts of $13,996,789 and personnel items. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. Moving to discussion, reports and information items. Effective operations, improve our effective management of human, financial, and physical resources. Achievement and integration plan for year 2027 and through 2029 overview. Dr. Hope, >> welcome. >> Thank you. Good evening everyone. Uh tonight I want to provide an update on our achievement and integration plan. Uh this stems from Minnesota legislation that originated in 1997 was most recently updated in 2013. It's a three-year plan along with an annual budget with the ultimate goal of closing the academic achievement and opportunity gap. At last week's work session, as you were there, and I was not, Dr. Melissa Olsen along with Dr. Ronenberg spent a good amount of time going through this in more detail, but tonight I want to recap that conversation at a little bit of a higher level again for the board and for anyone in the community that may be watching or listening. So, as you know, our strategic plan, which you see on the screen, uh sets our vision for the future and guides the development and work of our district operational plan as we move toward that vision. At the same time, the Minnesota Department of Education has a number of reports that are required for school districts to submit, each submitted um each with its own goals and improvement planning that goes along with that. Um, all of the goals that are written and submitted as part of these various reports are all aligned to Spring Lake Park's long-term desired results as well as uh the Minnesota Department of Education's comprehensive achievement and civic readiness plan and goals. And um all the strategies within the multiple reports are aligned to all of our daily standard work in Spring Lake Park schools or aligned to specific projects in our district operational plan. So we purposefully and intentionally maintain coherence and alignment between each of the required reports and plans through the Department of Education, our district operational plan and the work we do dayto-day so that it all it all makes sense all together. Uh, as I mentioned at the start, achievement integration is based on Minnesota legislation. It's in intended to support the four bullet points that you see on the left hand side of your screen to increase student achievement, create equitable educational opportunities, integrate racially isolated school districts, and increase access to diverse and effective teachers. You'll see I put in there in little parenthesis, Spring Lake Park is identified as a racially isolated school district. This isn't a change. This has been for the all the time I have worked um with achievement integration for the last 12 years or so. Um each year the Department of Education analyzes enrollment data from each district to look at racial enrollment differences between districts. When there are differences in racial enrollment between districts that are physically adjoining, like their physical boundaries are next to each other, the district with the higher percentage of students of color is considered racially isolated. So, as a racially isolated district, we are required to participate in achievement and integration and require we are required to partner with an adjoining district the adjoining district where we see those racial enrollment gaps. For us, the partner districts are Centennial Schools and Mountains View Schools. On the right side of your screen, you will see the required elements of the achievement and integration plan, which we will review tonight. Uh, it requires goals in each of those three areas to reduce achievement disparities, increase racial and economic integration, and increase access to effective and diverse teachers. The plan also needs to include strategies aligned to each of the goals, and then a budget aligned to each of the strategies. So, it all kind of flows there. Uh again, I said this earlier, but to clarify, while the plan itself is submitted every three years, the budget is submitted annually and reviewed for alignment to both goals and strategies. This helps us because it allows us to do some real-time adjustments um to the budget based on where we're at with the strategies, what we've learned from that. Um and then throughout this process, I think it's important to note that we consult with a number of folks throughout this whole process, including our parent committees. one I just on February 18th was just with our American Indian parent advisory committee. We talked through what are the strategies, what are we planning to do with this and got some of their input as well. So we'll take a quick look at each of those goals and strategies and align budget. You'll see the first one. It's uh aligned to the required goal of re uh reducing achievement disparities and is focused on increasing our graduation rate. You've heard that before. That's aligned to our comprehensive achievement and civic readiness. Uh the strategy uh one of the strategies to move us toward this goal is really to deepen the work of our student and family advocates. Uh we have five student and family advocates in Spring Lake Park schools. They work primarily, not surprisingly, with students and families in our schools. They really help bridge connections between home school and the community to increase student engagement and student learning. So our student and family advocates lead uh formal student affinity groups. They meet onetoone, connect with kids just um in the hallway, informally all throughout the day, um kind of in those moment connections. They build really trusting relationships with our students and they really work to enhance our students sense of belonging, making sure school is a place where our students feel seen and valued both in and out of the classroom. Um they also lead parent affinity groups and support our family engagement events at schools. Uh this helps to facilitate open communication among family students and staff. Um as you know we have two very active family groups in Spring Lake Park. One is the Ispano Albante which is geared toward our families for whom Spanish is their heritage language. And then I just mentioned our American Indian parent advisory committee. And we are actually you might have heard this last week are in the process of developing a third um parent affinity group for our Somali families. uh our aligned budget for this strategy really just supports the work of our student and family advocates and the work that they do with their student groups um and family uh and parent affinity groups. Our second goal is aligned to the required goal area of increasing racial and economic integration and it's focused on increasing enrollment in our 12 x 12 and pathways courses. Again, something that you've seen and is a part of our um standard work and district operational plan this year. Uh so the strategy is about our pathways and 12 by 12 courses. Uh and this strategy is the one we'll specifically partner with our neighboring districts of um Mountains View and Centennial. So uh this strategy really will support what choices come out of our career and college pathways study this year uh through the district operational plan. It supports that cross-d district enrollment, supports kids in getting between districts to the schools and allowing for that to happen. It also supports continuing our strong AVID program. We had a presentation on that last year. We haven't had it yet this year. Um but that is offered both at Westwood and the high school. And it really, as a reminder, helps students succeed in those rigorous courses um by offering some additional um skill strategies in writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading to earn, which by the way, I think are all skills we use most dayto-day in all of our our work that we do in our careers or at home. Our aligned budget to this uh that supports the strategy includes any costs associated with continuing to offer and expand those courses between districts. It includes any enrollment fees for those embedded college courses that we have to pay for our students to take those as well as um any uh students across districts, resources, curricular resources to help partner well and transportation which I mentioned. Additional budget items includes any supports students need to access those embedded college or 12 x 12 courses, including those things that support our AVID programming. And finally, um the budget, uh supports our counseling services because a big part of Pathways is our counselors meeting with our kids regularly and talking about what is it that you want to do and what courses might help support you exploring new new passions or interests or reinforcing what it is you might want to expo explore post high school. Goal three is aligned to the required area of increasing access to effective and diverse teachers. And we actually have three strategies under this goal. The first one is aligned to the pathways program programming that I just talked about, but it's really specific toward our health and human service uh health and human services pathway with the teacher ed and child development courses. Um, so aligned budget items include continually working to expand enrollment and offerings within that particular area for our high school students with that goal of growing your own future teachers. And if you didn't see the story that our communications team put out last week about teacher ed, you have got to take a minute to read it. That is a call out to our community watching as well because that is actually the perfect example of how this strategy comes to life. One of our the story will highlight two um two people. One is a high school student who is in the teachered course. She's getting her um teacher aid hours at Woodrest. She was an immersion student and is going back to serve there as a teacher aid um with the goal of going and ideally hopefully coming back to teach for SLP. And the second student that's highlighted is um a graduate, a Spring Lake Park High School graduate, a college graduate, and she is serving as a long-term sub at Centerview right now. Um so it's the whole this whole idea of offering this to get people in and she was in teacher ed in high school, she teacher aided at our schools. It really is coming to fruition. It's just really exciting. Um, second strategy provides continued opportunities for one of our uh, teacher and staff groups called diverse educators empowering with purpose. We call it deep because everything has an acronym here. Um, and uh, deep is open to all of our staff both teachers and non-eing staff and initially started a couple of years ago. Uh, the group gets together about six times a year. Uh, they engage in learning and dialogue about how they can support each other as colleagues and our students. Um so aligned budget items include just providing resources and supplies for those group gatherings. Uh like as an example um our the group right now is reading a book called the power of moments. It's a book that our district leadership team read a couple of summers ago and they're really engaging in a lot of dialogue about how do we provide these moments for our kids? How do we provide these moments for each other as colleagues? So it's a it's a pretty cool group. Um the third strategy is just really geared toward refining some of our recruitment and induction processes. It is a milestone in our district operational plan this year. And Enstead who works between learning and innovation and human resources and I um along with a few other folks have been digging into that. There are some real-time refinements we're doing right now, but putting it in this plan allows us to make some larger refinements over the next three years then because there will be more to come with that. And that is it. That is the overview of each of the required elements to our achievement in integration plan. Later in the agenda, you will be asked to take action on the plan affirming that our plan for implementation addresses each of the required elements of the plan and just wanted to bring you along. >> Thank you. >> Any any comments? We did get a really good overview at our work session. >> That's what I heard. Yes, it was very very good. A lot of questions. So, another opportunity for the board to ask questions or any comments. >> I do just want to say thank you to you and your team for all the hard work around this. It's it was very comprehensive. Um, and it's exciting to see what direction we're taking in meeting the requirements. >> Yeah, it'll be fun to bring you along over the next three years about all the work that we do with that. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Thank you. Moving to effective operations improve our effective management of human financial and physical resources monthly financial report for January 2026. Miss Amy Schultz. >> All right. Good evening board. Tonight we are presenting our monthly financial report and tonight we are doing the month of January. Uh we do this each month. It is three cash basis reports. The first one is the treasures report and when we presented the month of December we had mentioned that our receipts would go down in January and our expenses would go up and that is what we did see. Um a combination of just lower tax revenue coming in um and then in addition to that on the dispersement side we do our debt payment at the very end of January. So we were expecting that within the debt service fund. So this is a month where we were expecting to see our cash drop and we did experience that. So you can see that um on the attached slide on the statement of revenues both of the revenues and expenses when we did a budget adjustment last year um for fiscal 25 we did it in January. So the percentages that you are seeing through January for the two previous years reflect budget adjustments that were done and effective during that month. Uh this year we did the budget adjustment in February. So the current year's budget adjustment is not reflected yet. And that usually kind of makes things a little hard to compare this year to the previous two years just because once we do budget adjustments, it really does get a little closer where we expect it to be. And so we are expecting that with the general fund and food service funds, if we were to plug in the budget adjustment that was done in February, you would see those percentages come much more in line with where they were the previous two years. Right now they do look a little bit higher. Um again on that debt service fund as well, that one continues to be high until the adjustment hits next month as well. So there's the same thing is going to be said on the expense side. Um, right now they're all running a little bit higher than what we were kind of expect them to be once once the budget adjustment is done. So, we expect to see those drop again next year. There's nothing else that is standing out on this one as well. So, with that, if there are any questions, >> any questions. >> All right, >> looks good. Thank you. >> Moving to superintendent report. All right. So, a lot of fun things to update you on. So, first off, as you probably know, February was I love to read month. So, this class uh wrote another class recommending of letters recommending their favorite books. So, but this was kind of a highlight in each of our in particular elementary schools. Uh for ReadAcross America Day, we had Whoops. Um, this is Willie Jet on the lower left, the commissioner of uh, education in Minnesota, and he was at Park Terrace. So, he's a park terrace reading to the students as part of ReadAcross America Day. So, um, in these pictures, he's with a group of fourth graders. So, he's a great guy and did a great job with the kids. So, North Point, um, they're got talent finalists. Uh, we're preparing for the final at the high school. So, this is and I and I received a number of emails and even a letter from um some parents about how much they enjoy this experience for the kids. So, um they do a really nice job with it. So, congrats to all the kids who participated along the way. >> Yeah, >> true. It's pretty fun. So, they do a really nice job with that up there. our North Metro Knowledge Bowl competition. Um, our middle school students earn an impressive second and third place and nine out of four teams out of 28 teams. So, that's really good to see. So, they performed really well. Of course, the big news in recent weeks on the athletic side was our girls hockey team uh made it to state, made it all the way to the state championship. They uh didn't end up winning the championship, but a great um showing uh for for uh both Spring Lake Park and Centennial and and a co-op. It's gone really really well for the kids. >> Eight um out of the 18 are Spring Lake Park. So yeah, pretty good. This is Broo Gores. She was the Athena Award winner. um not only for her high school athletic accomplishments, for really being a differencemaker in the community is what this is all about. So, Brooke um had a really amazing athletic career while she was at uh Spring Lake Park. So, she actually graduated early is in Colorado is at Colorado already playing soccer. So, >> our Panther for a Purpose week wrapped up on Saturday with the party up at the uh Bunker Event Center. It was an amazing night, but the entire week um just before the meeting, Colleen shared with me uh that they raised $151,000 over the week for the for the Panther Foundation. That all ends up coming back to the kids in our district. >> Congratulations. Huge shout out to uh Colleen for the work she does leading that throughout the week and her partnership with the Panther Foundation. And I'm going to start naming all of the Panther Foundation members because I'll forget somebody, but they so appreciate the work they do to uh make it a great week and a great event that that culminates that week. So, and then these were just some pictures here on the next couple slides I'll leave up for a minute here to let you look around from some of the events during the week. I was scolded a number of days by Colleen because I didn't have the right colors on on those days, but Yeah, I I do. >> I would have to remember in the morning, >> right? >> Yeah, that that's actually I could do that. >> Yeah, >> I have at least I have at least 12. You can borrow one. >> I think Tony still has one of Ryan Stroberg's shirts hanging in his office that Ryan had in that HR office for that purpose. It wouldn't quite fit me, but it's it's still hanging there. Tony doesn't wear it very often either. So, here's some more pictures from the week. That dog, that dog was not auctioned off at the event. >> Yeah, she was the she was responsible. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Those dogs have the best homes of any dog you know right now. >> Yeah. So, it was a lot of fun. And then Hope talked with you earlier about the uh one part of the work session from last week. You also had an update um from Melissa around the extensive career and college pathways. I encourage anybody um in the community who may be interested in that, want to learn more, they can reach out to Melissa or Hope and learn more. But Dave's been spending the past year really looking in, looking out, looking around um to learn more about what's happening in other districts, kind of what's happening within various industries, what the researches is um what the job market looks like to for the future. Um, and they've had three formal days. I mean, they've done a lot more work than just these three days, but they've had a design team, uh, primarily teachers that have come in, um, and worked for three days, and then we had some industry partners that came in and worked with them the most recent day. Um, at that meeting, they also walked you through the next step. So, really exciting to see the work that they're doing. Appreciate their efforts. And then these are just some upcoming dates on the calendar. So, spring break is upon us. So, uh, no school for students on Friday is a staff day, work day. Next week then is, uh, spring break. March 16th again, no school for students. Uh, it's a staff professional work day as well. And then we'll come back and have a stretch runs twothirds of the way through the year. Kind of crazy. Live on 65. Joan Parker coming up on March 19th at 7 p.m. And that is all I have for you. >> Awesome. >> All right. Thank you. Moving to action items. Can I get a motion to for approval of the submission of the fiscal year 27 through 29 achievement and integration plan? >> So moved by Vala. >> Second by Hennon to approve the submission of the fiscal year 27 through 29 achievement and integration plan. Any discussion? We just had a presentation on it. It was really good and we had it in our work session. All right. All in favor, please say I. I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. >> Can I get a motion for award bids for the Spring Lake Park School's Fine Arts Center updates and Spring Lake at Spring Lake Park High School? >> So moved. >> So moved by McCullen, second by Scully to approve the bid of the Spring Lake Park School's fine art center updates at Spring Lake Park High School. >> Any discussion? Amy, would would you like to share a little bit about this update? >> Sure. I can give you just a really quick summary. So, um, as we do with any project that's over $175,000, we do need to bid it. So, it went through that formal process. Uh, we we received four bids on the project, and I know you have that in your packet. Uh, the low bidder for that was Darian Pearson, and so that is the group that we are recommending awarding the bid for. Uh this bid is it does list the fine arts center updates and so with that it is converging the converting the stage lighting to LED uh improving the there's safety updates within the rigging system in the fine arts center. So that will get done as well as adding track lighting to both the walkways and the aisles. So that's what the project will be for. So >> that would be nice. >> Great. >> So again we're recommending Darren Pearson as the low bidder for this. Any other any further discussion? >> Thank you, Amy. >> Thanks, Amy. >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion passes. Moving to acknowledgement of gifts. Can I get a motion? >> So, move by Forsber. >> Second. >> Second by McCullen. Oh, Skully. No, Schmidt. Sorry. It was an ass. I'll get it. to approve the following resolution. Whereas schoolboard policy 706 establishes guidelines for the acceptance of gifts to the district. And whereas Minnesota statute 465.03 states that a school board may accept a gift of real or personal property by adoption of a resolution approved by twothirds of its members. Therefore, be it resolved that the school school board of Springley Park Schools accepts with appreciation the gifts as shown. >> Any discussion? It is. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Thank you to the to the district and those in the district and for their generosity and it is definitely well appreciated. >> Don't forget to turn your mics on. Clerk, can you please call RO? >> Yes. Miss Schmidt, >> yes. >> Miss Skellyy, yes. Miss Forsber, >> yes. >> Mr. Vala, >> yes. >> Miss McFlen, >> yes. >> Ms. Hennon, >> yes. >> And Mr. Easter, >> yes. >> Resolution passes on a 70 vote. >> Great. Thank you. Moving to board forum. We'll start with our student reps. Welcome. >> Hi. >> Excited for spring break? >> Yes. So excited. only two more days. So, we got it. >> You got this. >> Um, for I guess clubs in the school for StuCo, our next event is our blood drive which will happen on Thursday, March 26th. So, like the week or like the week after we come back from spring break. Um, for Panther Mentors, the application is currently open for 10th and 11th graders. And then for sports, winter sports are wrapping up right now. So our curling team, two of our curling teams placed top five in the state tournament in Baiji. Um, of course, girls hockey, um, state runner-ups. And then boys basketball is currently competing in playoffs at Champlain Park. And spring sports start next week. Yeah. Um I am not excited for spring break because mine is after your guys' and is actually a lot shorter as well. So I'm stuck with midterms right now. Um and going on to the art side. So we had a choir concert yesterday. Me and me over there front row. >> It was pretty fun. They um they had a song where they dressed up as Disney characters. >> So >> yeah, Emels dressed up too, the choir director >> as the fairy godmother. So >> and then tonight we have the wind ensemble and varsity band concert. And then for our spring musical, which is Little Shop of Horrors, they are currently doing rehearsals. And then show dates are April 25th and 30th and May 2nd and 3rd. And lastly, we have our prom committee and prom is on May 9th and they currently have 25 members, which is the largest they've ever had. So, >> great. Thanks for the updates. Sounds like exciting things happening. >> Yes. >> All right. Start on this side. Board members, any any updates? >> Yeah. Um, so I should have said it when we were talking about the uh integration project, but I did get a chance to talk to uh Melissa or email with Melissa and I wanted to share stats. So when we talk about the 12 x 12, 41% of class of 24 all made the 12 by 12. Um, and if a student is with us all four years, um, at least one uh 86% of the students have at least one um, college credit or one class that gets them college credit by the time they graduate with us. So, a lot of people take advantage of it. I forgot to should have pulled that out when we were in the moment. Um the other thing hot off the press, there is a um group of students down in Minneapolis this week, Sunday to Tuesday, doing DECA state competition and state conference. Um so hot off the press, we had a student that uh placed third in one of the events and therefore qualifying for nationals. >> So who was it? >> Why why would you do that? Um um I only know Olivia is um the student. I do not know her last name and probably um we can celebrate her >> next time. Um so so I just parent text parent text there lots for replying. Um so uh congratulations. There were a lot of teams. Olivia made third but actually we had a number of teams that made it to finals. So um we'll get more details later but that's the that's the hot the press. I just wanted to do a shout out to Colleen and how well she manages the Panther Party. I know this year that everyone was distracted with the levy. But I mean, it was just a welloiled machine. It's just everything is done so right and so well thought out and everybody's in their place to do what needs to be done at the right time. So, it's just fantastic. >> I'll echo that too. Just want to say that I think that was my 10th or 11th one. And I if you think it could get any better every year, it does >> and it's Colleen and her foundation and all the the props behind that. And so it was amazing night. >> Backing up. Sorry. That's great. >> Whoever the MC was, I didn't know who she was because I know she's new to the Panther Foundation, but >> she did a great job. really good job. >> Yeah, I'll just mention I attended the Woodrest Greenwich immersion PTO meeting via Zoom last night. They were trying something new right before spring break and they had I think almost 20 people were on there so it worked pretty well. Um their glow party went really well that I mentioned previously. They've got their garden club and they're already kind of getting their plans ready because spring is around the corner I swear. And um as many PTOs, they need new board members. And so that election will be next month if there's anybody out there who is a Wood Crrest parent that wants to um help out in another way or just be part of a committee. And then finally, um Jess presentation reminded me they are going to try a Wood Crrest Got Talent. They are inspired by what happened at North Point. I've talked to their their um counterparts at North Point to get some good advice and I love that they are kind of working off of each other and working together. So obviously a super positive experience at North Point and I know it will be there as well. So that's all I got. >> Thank you. >> I went to the middle school play The Sound of Music. It was so cute. I loved it. It was great singing. I was so impressed by there was a high note that was hit. I can't by a boy, you know, and I won't reenact it, but it was it was pretty amazing. Like I it was really fun and I was impressed just these are pretty young kids to be doing this. So it was really fun. I went to the boys basketball game their senior night last week. So it was kind of weird for me because my kiddo played with a lot of them to see them all. There's so many of them. So it's it was fun to see that too. Um watched the hockey online. That was exciting cheering in my living room. And then Lighthouse also will be needing more members on their group for the PTA as well. They have a lot of people that have been there a couple of years now. So they're going to need to add more members. So >> thank you. >> I thought the party was great, too. I think I've been to all of them. However many that >> I want to know. I want a number. Um 9:16 meets tomorrow night since we're meeting early. So um a couple of things from there. I think if I can recall which may not be totally accurate that we have 32 students in their career and tech program. Um they have not settled their teachers contract. the the committee did and it went to the membership and went down. So that is still in the process of being settled. Um this morning I attended um MSBA's coffee and conversation and that's a setting where anybody can throw out any topic gets discussed. This morning the main topic was insurance which is part of the hangup at 9:16 but there's a proposal. It's House File 2904 for a statewide school district insurance pool and it would require that districts pay 85% of family and 95% of single premiums. And for districts like ours who are self-insured, their their uh pool would be confiscated. So, um, it's it's probably not going to be passed this year, but it's being held out for next year when there would be some state money available to start this. So, um, something that we are going to have to keep track of because it would impact us, but it would be even more significant in smaller districts. >> Can I just mention um, I know you probably have more um, that reminded me and Marilyn, you were probably on it as well. MSBA also has their Friday legisl Friday Friday morning 9:00 a.m. legislative updates. Again, again, you can always watch them later. You don't have to watch them live. They and they also have a thing that includes notes and that bill was also mentioned already in there. So, I'm sure that will come up in that one again as well. So, >> okay. >> And lots of other bills, but yeah, >> thank you. So, concerns about that and then of course the 250 million uh from special ed. So some of these districts are if they're anticipating that are really hurting um as well as some things with compensatory. So um that's my that's my story for today. >> Thank you. Anything else from board? >> All right. Moving to adjournment. Can I get a motion? >> So Hen moved by Hannon. Second by Forsber to adjourn the meeting at 7:37. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion is approved. >> Thank you. Meeting is adjourned.