ISD 197 School Board Recap: Jan. 22, 2024

Thanks to Dakota County and Block Portrait Studios for their support.

A meaty agenda for the ISD 197 School Board included the middle school schedule change, School Age Care (SAC) price increases, more days off for students next year, and more.

Middle School Schedule

The district’s Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Cari Jo Drewitz presented on the proposed middle school schedule change that will go into effect next year.

• What: The schedule is a six-period day with four lunch periods. Classes will be 52 minutes long with a three minute passing time. Homeroom will be dropped and the first period extended by 10 minutes. There will also be a 30-minute flex time that can accommodate a number of things including recess, academic support, clubs, and more.
• Why: The change creates an every other day elective schedule for the entire school, which vastly simplifies the schedule for families and staff. It also makes it easier to meet new state standards for media arts and fine arts.
• Electives: One of the biggest changes will be the expansion of electives, increasing student choice. There are a potential 19 different class choices, including music exploration, design and modeling, coding and mechanical systems, medical detectives, teenager 101, and more. Heritage will offer magnet-themed choices, including marine science. The new schedule gives students six slots across the year to choose classes, with some classes taking two slots (such as band). The availability of classes will be dependent on scheduling and student interest, with Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog noting there would likely not be 19 new electives available.
• Flex: Another big change is the shift from recess to flex time. The middle schools are currently working on their own plans for flex within district guidelines. Those guidelines include offering fifth grade students “unstructured movement breaks” as many days of the week as possible.
• Timeline: The changes will be officially approved at the next board meeting and middle school registration will begin in February.
• Changes: “It’s the first year of something new,” said Olson-Skog, acknowledging what a big change this will be and asking for understanding and patience. “We will learn along with families and students.”

SAC Price Increase

The board reviewed a proposed increased to School Age Care (SAC) prices.

• How much: The day rate will increase 20% and the non-school day and summer rates will increase 10%.
• Why: Impacts due to inflation.
• Comparison: These increases keep the district in line with other districts.
• Waitlist: SAC has had a waitlist since 2021 due to staff shortages. With 439 kids in the program, there were 175 kids on the waitlist at the start of the year and 122 now.
• Registration: Last year’s first-come, first-served registration filled up the morning it opened and nearly crashed the system. This year they’re opting for a lottery system to make it more accessible.
• Timeline: The board will officially vote on the price increase at the next meeting.

More Days Off

The districts needs more teacher training to comply with new state reading requirements, so they’re adding three professional development days to the 2024-2025 school year. This means three more days off for students.

• When: The three days off are Friday, Dec. 20, 2024; Friday, Feb. 14, 2025; and Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
• Why: The dates were chosen to both space out the training and add on to existing breaks. The hope is to make it easier for families arranging childcare.
• Snow days: This gives the district 166 days of instruction, one more than required by the state. That allows for one snow day and five elearning days before the district would need to add days to the calendar.

Lone Oak Road Improvements

A representative from Dakota County’s engineering firm Bolton & Menk shared details on the reconstruction of Lone Oak Road, which will impact Pilot Knob Elementary School and involve approval of right of ways and easements.

• What: The project will include improved pedestrian crossings, a 10-foot-wide trail, turn lanes at the school, and reducing the road from four lanes to two.
• Why: Reduce traffic speeds, improve safety, and fill a trail gap.
• Pushback: Some local residents oppose the project due to property impacts of the trail, including removal of trees, adding retaining walls, and the steepness of the trail.
• Timeline: The project will come back at the next meeting for the board to officially vote on the right of ways and easements. Tree clearing will begin in the fall of 2024, with construction starting in the spring of 2025.

Other Items on the Agenda

• Policies: The board reviewed a number of policies, including specific discussion on staff development and the school calendar/school day. Those policies will come forward at the next meeting for approval on the consent agenda. Three other policies were approved on the consent agenda for this meeting, including equal employment opportunity, waste and recycling, and do not resuscitate (DNR) orders.
• Superintendent goal review: A mid-year update on Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog focused on the recent levy approvals. Both levies exceeded expected support. The next step is budget negotiation, and Olson-Skog noted that while there is more money for contracts, there is less than expected due to a number of factors including new state mandates, reduced federal funding, recent deficits, etc. On the flip side, during public comments, Brian McCarthy, president of the teacher’s union, argued that the board could widen budgeting parameters—specifically by reducing the required 8% fund balance policy—in an effort to keep teachers from leaving for better pay at other districts or retiring early.
• School board goals: The board reviewed their self-evaluation on 2023 board goals, where the previous board rated themselves on a scale of 1-5 in five different areas, with scores ranging from an average of 4.5 to 4.88. This is a precursor to the new board setting their own goals for the coming year.

Engage

• More: Agendas and minutes for ISD 197 School Board meetings are available online.
• Watch: You can watch this meeting online.

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