Delano School District — Transcript
Monday, June 22, 2026
Q Comp Review and Academic Performance
Curriculum Implementation and Teacher Professional Development
Financial Oversight and Gift Acceptance
Staffing, Retirements, and Cybersecurity Impacts
Student Well-being and Behavioral Initiatives
Community Education Program Updates
School Board Elections and District Census
Votes (17)
Q Comp Review of 2025-2026
Dissent: No
The Q Comp advisors, Megan Gibbus and Maria Mens, presented results for school-level and district-level goals. Preschool/Elementary met their math goal (79.4% vs 79.34%). Intermediate and High School did not meet their math and reading goals, respectively (83.1% vs 86.6% for Intermediate; 83.7% vs 87.06% for High School). The district math goal was met (84.63%). Challenges included a cyber security attack preventing final testing and the inherent difficulty of spring-to-spring comparisons with different student cohorts due to state requirements. Future plans include continued math and literacy focus, year two of ELA science of reading training, deeper understanding of the updated observation rubric, and new secondary grade-level PLC groups in high school.
Resolution for the Acceptance of Gifts
Dissent: No
Moved by Cory [6:42] · Seconded by Baker [6:47]
The board reviewed a substantial list of donations from various booster clubs and community organizations totaling $50,250.75 for school programs, field trips, and athletic supplies. Board member Ryan raised a question about 'supply overages' for football and the transparency of how booster club funds are presented, suggesting a future discussion on budgetary allocations and booster club fundraising for public understanding. Superintendent Matt Shane clarified that booster clubs manage their own funds for specific programs.
Personnel Matters Report
Dissent: No
Moved by Deppa [7:44] · Seconded by Ryan [7:45]
The report covered retirements, resignations, and recommendations for summer coaches and community education programming, consistent with typical June hiring. Specific recognition was given to Mary Reader for her upcoming retirement and her willingness to stay on for a gradual transition after the cyber incident. Barry, another individual, was also thanked for his service.
Superintendent's Report & Strategic Plan Update
Dissent: No
Superintendent Matt Shane provided updates on the Community Education Building facility committee meetings, focusing on establishing needs and criteria for future solutions. He also presented an update on the district's strategic plan vision card, noting measurements in achievement, graduation (5.0 score for all students, 4.7 for subgroups), desired daily experience (DDE) statements (2.9, high concern), initiative implementation (3.8, baseline), and operational measures (3.8, baseline). The composite score without achievement data was 2.5 out of 3.5. A deeper dive into DDE statements is planned for the August retreat to develop action cards for improvement.
Elementary School Principal's Report
Dissent: No
Principal Miss Schultz reported a successful end to the school year. The site-based leadership team will review DDE results and develop action steps for next year. Notably, the SEAL action card initiative resulted in a 43% decrease in minor behavior incidents (from 268 to 152 offenses) from December 2025 to May 2026. Updated achievement data showed increases in kindergarten and first-grade reading proficiency (30% to 50% for K, 61% for 1st grade), correcting previous technical errors. Delano sits 15-20% higher than the state average on initial reading assessments. The elementary school met its Q Comp goal. Staff were recognized for retirements and awards. Next year's focus includes win time expectations, math curriculum implementation, and PD plans.
Intermediate School Principal's Report
Dissent: No
The Intermediate School Principal (Jessica Banker) reported on plans for the August retreat, including reviewing past goals, action cards, DDE surveys, and utilizing Edge Climber for achievement data analysis. Student belonging and well-being remain a focus. The school did not meet its Q Comp math goal when comparing spring-to-spring cohorts, though within-cohort data showed a 2% increase from fall to spring. The school will implement a new 'Reveal' math curriculum building-wide next year for fourth and fifth grades, which will be a major focus. Staff awards were announced, and challenges in staffing (special education teacher, behavior teacher, para) were noted.
High School Principal's Report
Dissent: No
The High School Principal's report, read by proxy for Mr. Voit, acknowledged a successful end to the school year despite the cyber incident, thanking IT staff (Jack Jackson, Nick Bane, Joe Hitchings) for mitigation efforts. Athletic achievements included girls track state championships (Maya Warner, Sienna Claire, Evelyn Oberling, Anna Lamcker) and baseball winning the section championship and a state tournament run. Academically, over 95% of grades were C- or higher, with only 0.8% failing in credit-bearing classes (9-12). The report highlighted the impact of DHS teachers on student success, with 100% of students attending DHS courses for 9-12 graduating on time, and a comparison showing higher failure rates for PSEO courses.
Director of Business Services Report
Dissent: No
Scott, the new Director of Business Services, presented the financial report, noting year-over-year comparisons for general fund expenditures and other funds (food service, community service, debt service). The FY26 audit is scheduled for August 12-16. A significant challenge highlighted was the ongoing effort to recreate business office documents and information lost due to the cyber event, with Mary Reader providing continued support during her transition/retirement. The team is working with a third-party vendor for data reclamation.
Director of Community Education Report
Dissent: No
Director Abby Lane provided updates on summer programs, including the TKC program for 238 students in 11 classrooms. She thanked the IT team for quickly restoring Wi-Fi connectivity, which was crucial for attendance and billing after the cyber incident. A new organizational structure was implemented, creating an Early Childhood Coordinator and a Child Care Coordinator. A pilot 'building site supervisor/rec support' role was introduced to manage the busy campus with 105 summer programs and various facility rentals. The new Tiger Swim mini camp launched successfully, with high enrollment.
MSOB Board Report
Dissent: No
A board member reported on the MSOB (presumably Masico) meeting, which focused on budgeting for the special education district, a complex process due to predicting usage and staffing needs. The board met at 'Wings,' a chemical health residential center in Lichfield, where MSOB provides education. The report highlighted the challenges MSOB staff face in providing meaningful education within the confined, non-traditional spaces of care and treatment facilities, emphasizing the need for positive relationships with providers and adaptability.
Right Tech Board Report
Dissent: No
Board member Ryan reported on Right Tech enrollment (531 students, up 26; Right Academy 88, steady but down). They received a $19,000 donation for their welding program. Two positions were filled, but special education positions remain difficult to fill. The report also mentioned year-end festivities and summer maintenance activities, including HVAC unit replacement, roof repairs, and parking lot repaving using LTFM dollars. New equipment like printers and a laser shooting machine for law enforcement were also acquired.
Approval of the 2026-2027 Budget
Dissent: No
Moved by Jim [38:52] · Seconded by Corey [38:53]
The board discussed the FY27 budget. The general fund's assigned unassigned fund balance took a slight hit but is projected to remain at 13% at the end of next year, nearing the 12% threshold for concern in the following year. Food service fund balance is high, with plans to purchase new equipment (ovens at elementary, other items at high school) to spend down the excess, as state regulations limit fund balance to three months of expenditures. State aid for unemployment was increased by $50,000. Mary Reader's extended tenure was also factored into the budget.
Approval of the FY28 LTFM 10-Year Plan Resolution
Dissent: No
Moved by Ryan [40:02] · Seconded by Jess [40:03]
Scott presented the FY28 Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) 10-year plan resolution, an annual requirement to be submitted to the department by the end of July. It was noted that this plan, like other documents, had to be recreated following the cyber data loss.
Approval of Milk and Bread Vendors for FY27
Dissent: No
Moved by Ryan [43:24] · Seconded by Jess [43:25]
The board approved Panagold Baking Company as the bread vendor and Kemps as the dairy product vendor for the FY27 school year. Panagold was recommended due to overall pricing and meeting dietary guidelines, after considering Bimbo Bakeries. Kemps was the only bid received for dairy products. A humorous exchange about the name 'Bimbo' occurred among board members.
Approval of 2026-2027 Student Handbooks
Dissent: No
Moved by Jess [43:59] · Seconded by Sarah [44:00]
The student handbooks for elementary, intermediate, and high schools for the 2026-2027 school year were approved. These handbooks had been presented and discussed in a previous work session, with no new changes since then.
Approval of Resolution for School Board Member Election
Dissent: No
Moved by Corey [44:46] · Seconded by Ryan [44:47]
The board approved a resolution related to the election of school board members and calling the school district general election. Four positions are up for election, with filing dates between the 14th and 28th (month not specified, but typically in late summer for fall elections).
Approval of Resolution Certifying Population Estimate for 2026 Payable 2027 Levy
Dissent: No
Moved by Sarah [46:42] · Seconded by Ryan [46:43]
The board approved a resolution certifying the population estimate for Independent School District 879 for the 2026 payable 2027 levy. This estimate drives some revenue for community education. The population estimate provided was 13,768, encompassing areas like Franklin Township and Delano. An initial motion was corrected to reflect the correct '2026 payable 2027' year.
Notable Quotes (26)
The uh preschool elementary did meet their goal with a score of 79.4%. Uh the intermediate and the high school did not meet their goals. Uh they fell short.
The last day we were going to test was the day that we had no school for cyber security attack. So, that was really some um was a challenge.
It's mainly required. We have confines through the state.
So on the football there, what what are supply overages? Does that mean?
And I guess the reason I ask is we don't have to solve this today. But there was discussion about the fees for sports that have higher expenditures being higher. And you know, look, people that are running cross country are paying the same fees as people that are playing football and other things. And that's not all that um even.
We could talk to it better too if asked, you know, like is the budget allocated equally and how is that set up?
I would like to pass on tremendous amount of thanks to Mary. I know this is Mary's last official school board meeting. Um, but since the cyber incident and since uh we were a little delayed with it was a perfect storm in the business office... Mary graciously said, 'Listen, I'll stick around.'
The facilities committee will hold its fourth meeting out of five on Thursday, June 25th at the community ed building. Our agenda items include establishment of needs of the building... and then we're going to start to develop consensus statements and evaluation criteria to be utilized for various solution options.
With regards to our desired daily experience statements, we have about a 25% weight of the work that we do. That's the percent of agreement of the DTE statements taken from the district climate survey. students, staff, and families. We averaged out to about 2.9, which is just at the very high end of a high concern, but just under the baseline level.
From December to May of 2025, we had 268 offenses, which is sort of our minor incidents, and we were really trying to work on decreasing that. Um, and from December to May of 2026, we were at 152 offenses. So, a 43% decrease in those behavior incidents.
Delano sits about 15 to 20% higher than the state on all of our initial reading assessments.
Our goal was to increase from 86.1 from last spring to 86.6 this spring. Um so we scored this spring at 83% low-risk or college pathways. Um it's tricky when it's a spring to spring goal. Um you're not looking at the same group of kids.
Math in general is going to be a really big area of focus for us next year. Um, we implemented, as you know, our new reveal curriculum in sixth grade only this year. Um, next year we'll be implementing it buildingwide. It will be new for fourth grade and fifth grade.
On behalf of the entire DHS staff, a ser sincere appreciation goes out to Jack Jackson's Gross Gretz Nick Bane, Joe Hitchings, their work in mitigating the impacts, troubleshooting uh workarounds and sustaining our classroom efforts to the best of their abilities given the circumstances. And that was quite the journey we had uh and still are on.
The bottom line is is that for the past six years, 100% of students that attend Delano High School courses throughout the duration of their 912 career graduate on time. I wish the staff and students across Delano schools my best wishes as they continue the noble work of shaping our future.
The team is continuing to work to create all of the business office related documents and information that was lost in the cyber event. So um that will be that will be a big lift. Um but we'll get there and I guess I will get to learn from ground up. So I won't have work papers from the past.
Pretty much all of my stuff was on a server, so yes, it's all gone. Some of the stuff I had emailed... but my 16 years of data is gone.
Not having Wi-Fi, we just really realize how much um, we rely on it. Uh, even just for attendance purposes. So, all of TKC's attendance is done via iPads. And it sounds like a pretty easy thing. We'll just do a paper and pencil... but it's a big deal to have 250 students and not know 100%.
One of the things that is has been pretty exciting is I had mentioned it in my in-depth or my program review that um we are putting all of child care together. So and we're putting early childhood together. So the current way that our office is set up is that Becca Cyberlick um is the preschool coordinator and then oversees preschool child care. Rachel Wallace is the um TKC coordinator overseas youth enrichment. We said, 'You know what? We've lived it. That's awesome. You got to try it. For the long term, we are going to make some adjustments and we're going to have Becca Cyberlick step out of child care and take preschool ECF screening, create that early childhood coordinator. Rachel Wallace will take all of TKC, all of child care, be a child care coordinator.'
It's enlightening to see the settings that many of our um staff especially in the care and treatment programs work in because they are in the provider space... our staff, the Moso staff really works to create really positive relationships with the um the pro the care and treatment providers because we are utilizing their space.
Their special education, one of their special education positions is very difficult position to fill. So, they told me to put a plug in if anybody knows anybody looking for a special education teacher job, they would love them.
At the end of this year I it's still going to be at 13%. So what I did within at the end of next year? Yep. So this year I still think we're going to be around 15%. I think next year we're going to be at 13, but what I increased the revenue, it helped offset some of the expense increases I had to put in. So, I still think you'll be at 13% and hopefully a little bit more, but you just never know. But you're getting very close to that 12. You'll be below 12 the following year if something doesn't change.
So you just so you're going to have to buy whether you um you're gonna you're going to do one-time expenditures. You're not going to put a lot into something where it's ongoing because then you're going to but if they stop with free meals, you'll see that decrease really quick.
This again is an annual requirement that we have to do. It has to be sent into the department by the end of July. Um, we get this done in June. So, um, no nothing has changed on that. Um, as part of the data loss, we got to recreate some of these things. So, um, that was positive.
The recommended uh action is for Panagold Baking Company for us to go with them for FY27 school year due to their overall pricing and products that meet the dietary guidelines.
13,000 768.
Ordinances & Resolutions (16)
Annual review of teacher compensation and performance goals.
Tool for teacher evaluations, piloted and being updated by TD&E Committee.
Formal approval for accepting various monetary and in-kind donations.
Report detailing retirements, resignations, and new hires.
District's strategic planning document, with measurements in five levels.
Part of the district climate survey for students, staff, and families.
Key initiative mentioned in strategic plan implementation.
Legislation driving language arts training (Letters, Strive).
Specific training for language arts, part of Read Act.
Secondary approach to science of reading training, part of Read Act.
District's operational measures for safety and incidents.
Annual budget approval for the upcoming fiscal year.
Annual resolution for the Long-Term Facilities Maintenance plan.
Approved handbooks for elementary, intermediate, and high schools.
Formal action to initiate the election process for board members.
Formal approval of population data used for calculating tax levy revenue.