Thanks to Clover Montessori School and West St. Paul Chiropractic for their support.
The school board approved a budget framework focused on cost containment and discussed results of a survey that showed strong support for the district.
Budget Framework
The school board unanimously approved the administration’s proposed budget framework for the 2025-2026 budget. This framework will guide the budget process with a final budget to come forward in May/June. The details were presented at the previous meeting, and largely represents an effort at cost containment, using a lower fund balance to avoid painful cuts and achieve stability.
Residential Survey Results
Every other year the district commissions a survey of residents to gauge how the district is doing in a number of areas. The results were overwhelmingly positive and show strong support in the community for local schools, especially compared to other districts. The survey was conducted in mid-December.
- Overall: 87% ranked the quality of education as good or excellent. 30% rated it excellent, while the state average is 12%.
- Taxes: 83% said the district is spending tax payer money efficiently, while the state average is 58%. 76% said they support raising property taxes to invest in schools. 37% said school property taxes were high, while the state average is 58%.
- Teachers: When asked what they liked most about the district, teachers were the top answer (followed by programming and academic quality). Teachers also topped the job performance rankings with 84% approval, with principals at 74%, and the administration and school board both at 71%.
- Top issues: The only issues that reached double digit responses were lack of funding and large class sizes. A larger percentage said ‘nothing’ was the most serious issue, which was way above the state average.
Other Items on the Agenda
- Special education: Staff gave a presentation on the Special Education Department, giving an overview of where things are at. Highlights included the growth (164% in four years, amounting to 21% of students), adding classes to multiple schools, and curriculum changes including popular unified classes that combine special education students with general education students.
- Goals: The board approved a series of school board goals, including specific professional development goals, reviewing the superintendent evaluation rubric, and discussing what non-partisanship means for school board members.
- Policy: The first reading of the student discipline policy covered a minor change to come in line with recent legislation around school resource officers (SROs).
- Hired: A last-minute addition to the personnel recommendations included the hiring of Jess Cabak as the new principal at Two Rivers.
Engage
- More: Agendas and minutes for ISD 197 School Board meetings are available online.
- Watch: You can watch the video recap from Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog and Board Member Marcus Hill.
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