Afton Lakeland Elementary School Building Update

Principal Gina Doe presented a comprehensive update on Afton Lakeland Elementary. Key strengths include a strong building culture with a 'all students are our students' mindset, high family engagement (90th percentile in district surveys, high volunteerism, good event attendance), and effective data-based decision-making. Challenges identified were the increasing population of multilingual learners with insufficient dedicated support, the need for improved reading curriculum and targeted resources for 'bubble students,' and concerns about second-grade class ratios impacting literacy instruction. The principal also noted the lean administrative and social worker staffing impacting instructional leadership time due to behavioral support needs.

District Data Use Planning for Instructional Leadership

Sky Hooker and Gina Doe presented on the district's data-driven approach to instructional leadership, emphasizing a 'data cycle' of informing, shaping, and driving. This involves universal screening (FastBridge, MCA) for all students, allowing analysis from national to individual levels. The district is moving towards K-12 consistent screening. The process identifies instructional gaps, supports teachers with training (e.g., Science of Reading), and uses collaborative action teams (CATs) to implement and monitor interventions. There's a focus on making data actionable for principals and teachers, with dedicated time for analysis to move from reactive to proactive problem-solving. This system has been implemented in elementary schools for three years and is in early phases for secondary schools.

First Reading: Transportation Policies (707, 710, 711)

Paul presented three transportation policies for their first reading. Policy 707, 'Transportation of Public School Students,' is a new policy based on the MSBA model, formalizing legal requirements and current practices. Policy 710, 'Extracurricular Transport,' is also a new MSBA recommended policy, clarifying the district's stance on extracurricular transportation. Policy 711, 'Video Recording on School Buses,' replaces the outdated Policy 7-Eleven 'Video Surveillance' from 2012, updating content on using video for student and staff safety. The policy committee noted that the district often exceeds state requirements, and a link to procedural details would be provided on the website.

Bond Update: Bayport Elementary & Oakland Middle School

Mark Wiberg, Paul O'wski, and Valerie Peterson provided a bond update. For the new Bayport Elementary School, they reviewed the lengthy process of acquiring land from St. Croix United Church, including negotiations for an Outdoor Classroom. The discussion highlighted the agreed-upon location for the Outdoor Classroom, adjacent to playground areas, and the ADA-compliant trail system. Concerns were raised by the church and city about ADA accessibility related to walking distance and the city's desire to limit traffic on the emergency access road. For Oakland Middle School, renderings of the addition and remodel were presented based on user group feedback.