May 20 Meeting Highlights

 

Action Item - Approval of the Agenda

The motion carried (5-0).

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Action Item - Approval of Consent Agenda

The motion carried (5-0).

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Comments to the School Board
Four individuals provided comments to the School Board. One Moreland Elementary parent invited the School Board to their mural celebration on June 4 from 1:30-2:00 p.m. One teacher submitted support for the district’s Paraprofessionals and Child Nutrition staff. One parent submitted support for the district’s nutrition specialists. One staff member expressed concerns about the Child Nutrition staff negotiations process.

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Proposed Changes to the FY 24-25 District Academic Calendar
Peter Mau, Assistant Superintendent, presented proposed changes to the FY24-25 district academic calendar. The FY 2024-2025 academic calendar was presented at the October 23, 2023 board work session and approved at their November 13, 2023 meeting. In February 2024, the administration added 3 professional development days to support the Science of Reading training which took the place of 3 student days.

For the past few years, the high school has had “flex learning” days on days where assessments like the ACT are given. On these days, students in grades that are not testing stay home and complete assignments while students who are testing come to school. This year, to allow families to better plan for these days and to be transparent about the process, the administration asked for board approval to incorporate these “flex days.”

The high school intends to have three flex learning days for the upcoming school year. Two of the flex days will be for assessment and one for transition to high school:

• Tuesday, March 4, 2025, when the ACT is administered to juniors and the preACT to sophomores
• Tuesday, April 8, 2025, when the preACT 8/9 is administered to 9th-grade students, MCA Reading and MCA Math assessments are given to sophomores and juniors respectively
• Last year, an 8th grade visit day to Two Rivers was added as part of the transition to high school, and that will continue on November 26, 2024, based on the success and positive feedback from staff, students, and families. The day will provide 8th graders with the opportunity to learn about the transition to high school, prepare for course selections, meet their high school counselor, interact with high school students, eat in the cafeteria, and tour the building - this day would also provide opportunities for the high school students to demonstrate leadership and service.

This item will be brought back for approval at the June 3, 2024 meeting.

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Special Education Advisory Committee Update
Rachel Johnston, Special Education Coordinator, and Caitlin Conway, Special Education teacher, presented an update on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). By law, the school district must have this advisory committee. The SEAC works to increase the involvement of parents of children with disabilities in making recommendations regarding special education policies and programs. Membership includes staff, parents, and community representatives. Topics and events over this past year included autism resources, Unified Club/Unified PE, movie night, and guest speakers. The Minnesota Autism Portal provides several resources to families. The Unified Club/Unified PE at Two Rivers High School creates experiences where students with and without disabilities can come together. During movie night, the committee watched the movie “How to Dance in Ohio” which is a story about students with autism and their experiences navigating social and societal expectations of a formal dance. A representative from Ellie Mental Health presented information on the digital brain and the impact of how adolescents function. A special education parent and guardian group was created at the request of parents attending SEAC who asked for a social-based organization for networking and conversation. At their May 28 meeting, staff will gather topic ideas to incorporate into next year’s meetings.

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Early Learning Advisory Committee Update
Laurie Hume, Assistant Director of Early Learning, presented an update on the Early Learning Advisory Committee (ELAC). By law, the school district must have this advisory committee. The ELAC is a group of volunteer parents and staff members who assist in promoting the goals of the district’s early learning program through a variety of efforts. They work to enhance public awareness of the programs available to families, organize events for legislative advocacy, and advise on early learning curricula and programs. Membership includes staff and parents. Meetings are held both in-person and virtually to accommodate families. Topics over the past year included information on Social Emotional Learning (SEL), community resources, curriculum updates, and safety and emergency preparedness. In 23-24, a fall dance party was added for family engagement. There was also an increase in the number of families that attended family events. Additionally, 77 families participated in the family survey. Future goals include offering childcare during parent meetings and increasing the time for families to connect during pick-up and drop-off times.

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TriDistrict Community Education Advisory Committee Update
Lisa Grathen, Director of Community Education, presented an update on the TriDistrict Community Education Advisory Committee. By law, the school district must have this advisory committee. This combined committee for the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, South St. Paul, and Inver Grove Heights school districts supports and promotes the philosophy of lifelong learning and strong communities. Members include community members, community organizations, district parents program representatives, and a school board member who advise the Community Education department staff in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of departmental activities and programs. Goals over this past year included:

• Developing a process and holding training for School Age Care (SAC) staff to implement an annual student focus group to bring youth voice into the committee’s work
• Increase outreach and marketing of the South Suburban Basic Education Program which provides adults with educational opportunities to acquire and improve literacy skills

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Discussion on Solar for Schools Grant
Mark Fortman, Director of Operations, presented information related to the Solar for Schools grant. School District 197 has received preliminary approval for the full grant amount (up to $650,000) it requested from the Minnesota Department of Commerce for the Solar for Schools grant. This is a significant step forward in the district’s efforts to enhance energy sustainability. The administration has diligently worked with two different solar developers to provide proposals for this project. Ideal Energies has been selected as the preferred solar developer. The next step in the process is for Ideal Energies to do all engineering for panel layouts and utility connections and agreements. They will also submit the full grant application on the district’s behalf. The
administration will seek the board’s approval, via resolution at the next meeting, to enter into a guaranteed energy savings contract with Ideal Energies. The full application and resolution are due by June 7, 2024.

This project, made possible by the Solar for Schools grant, will significantly enhance energy efficiency. It will add a total of 708 kW of onsite solar generation, distributed as follows: 162 kW at Friendly Hills Middle School, 216 kW at Heritage E-STEM Magnet School, and 330 kW at Two Rivers High School. This will not only maximize the allowable solar generation of onsite and community solar at 120% of the district’s electric load, but also lower the utility bills for these buildings by approximately $50,000 per year. Over the 25-year life of the panels, this will result in a total savings of $ 1,252,893.

This item will be brought back for approval at the June 3, 2024 meeting.

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Adjournment

The motion carried (5-0).