[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6126746,"mediaKeyId","2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c","parentId",2665902,"title","Board approves consent agenda, youth center agreement, calendar change, policy first reading and withdrawal from county consortium","audioSeconds",6834,"startMs",356000,"endMs",7190000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c&start=356&end=7190","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c/thumbnail_356000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6126746/Wisconsin/Board-approves-consent-agenda-youth-center-agreement-calendar-change-policy-first-reading-and-withdrawal-from-county-consortium","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126746-2b7d1acf7f1cbd6493eb69d91855e00f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544677&Signature=EKlD8ZnDWP9bDumNM1kywi52sk6zO8fT91eBDQilYICMiEv~rLhv26fXPHekf4V4Jk9DKZaLFA9JPiVfoSzveoVXkqBa0viK8c63QOBkhbOxxqC8WOGrzKWagh1FHp3NyRy1U38gChSVJp2xp4GbnKVIqfLIOATwC-~EMEjGua75Q-fNAin4QECcMS77yrm9Ed9xilEeM-IcIyo0zpTBgs-0Uk1OGttz3GNNAyVhnDJ3aFxX2WipapCbfJLsq1QxXeukbfasyZpMV1INeojq1pEXnpLS6iLTjjlXhkg1c2~gVYya5EZeYh99GPvqLqVPdvNGZSGRhVGTt6WZhFVmjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District","date","2025-03-18T02:29:20Z","article","The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education voted on multiple administrative items at its March 3 meeting, approving routine consent items, an amended agreement for a local youth center, a date change to next year’s meeting calendar, the first reading of policy revisions and authority for the superintendent to give 90-day notice to withdraw from the Dane County School Consortium.

The board approved its consent agenda by voice vote; the consent items included approval of bills payable, staff resignations, appointments, retirements and school safety drill reports. The board then approved an amended agreement with the City of Middleton regarding operation/participation in a youth center and later approved moving the September 22, 2025 board meeting to September 29, 2025. The board also approved the first reading of multiple policy revisions and voted to authorize Superintendent-level notice to dissolve the district’s participation in the Dane County School Consortium effective July 1, 2025.

Why it matters: These votes affect routine district operations (payables, personnel and drills), formalize the district’s partnership with the City of Middleton on the youth center, adjust next year’s schedule to avoid a conflict, move the policy revision process forward to a second reading and start a transition away from the existing county consortium toward a different regional structure for career and technical education coordination.

Details and next steps: The youth center amended agreement was approved following a staff presentation and a short discussion. The calendar change was approved as an amendment to the published 2025–26 board calendar. The policy revisions were approved as a first reading; board members discussed minor editorial items to be incorporated before the second reading. On the consortium item, administration requested and the board granted authority for the superintendent to provide 90 days’ notice of withdrawal; administration said the district would likely join a reconstituted workforce/CTE governance structure being developed by Dane County partners, and that student services and CTE opportunities would continue through the transition.

Votes at a glance (motion text paraphrased; outcome):
- Consent agenda (approval of bills payable; personnel actions; school safety drills): approved (voice vote).
- Amended youth center agreement with City of Middleton (motion to approve amended agreement): approved (voice vote).
- 2025–26 board meeting calendar amendment (move Sept. 22 to Sept. 29): approved (voice vote, amended motion).
- First reading of policy revisions (various governance and compensation edits): approved for first reading (voice vote); editorial corrections to be incorporated for second reading.
- Authorization for superintendent to give 90-day notice to withdraw from Dane County School Consortium (effective July 1, 2025): approved (voice vote).

Formal vote tallies were not recorded in the minutes; board actions were taken by voice vote and the motion outcomes were announced by the meeting chair. Administration said it will return with implementation details and any required follow-up at future board meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Meeting March 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education voted March 3 to approve its consent agenda, an amended youth center agreement with the City of Middleton, a change to the 2025–26 meeting calendar, a first reading of policy revisions and to authorize superintendent-level notice to leave the Dane County School Consortium.","taxTitle","Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, School Districts, Wisconsin","taxId",38580,"location","Wisconsin","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126727,"District delegation urges legislators to fund special education aid and index per-pupil adjustments; legislators warn of delayed state budget",3389,3484000,6873000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c&start=3484&end=6873","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c/thumbnail_3484000.jpg","/articles/6126727/Wisconsin/District-delegation-urges-legislators-to-fund-special-education-aid-and-index-per-pupil-adjustments-legislators-warn-of-delayed-state-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126727-ab0dd4ef917590beee0935f03df4e638/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544677&Signature=Cz9qevJsxwAwEJ9c1Aw9Fz20dFIFOemIOVy973h~V0Ius23Se1IsORKOdCT3DJxzWy~J6-SyJkaPD7BImlIivyEi3Fk5jTyWZ5vULd2esar22vlDthqlg~QoqYKEEvE42cWkrYe8c1wdHaYivAcM3jysiY6KUwM3Tz4Orq1xJyX5TawwcEwZ0BGI665J8O7W3BI7CDJ5d-ySH8MP6OO0hvXmKPcZeBZESfCHw5Gj5uT2ZaX~vkTPY1jBAfTiKP67OMGp6SbOINyOh4LmH47VRYN9lTgwk5coXRhkkFXrJ4vlPr8yWSb9hkZE2ZOUKgsiFBEQcH-9yKpCIEgjq6mJ8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members who attended the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB) Day at the Capitol reported back to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District board on March 3, describing key advocacy priorities, what they told legislators and what legislators said in response.

What district advocates asked for: District representatives — including Vice President Bob Green and board member Jim Corsi — said WASB prepared talking points to press for increased special-education reimbursement and for indexing per-pupil adjustments to the consumer price index so state aid keeps pace with inflation. WASB’s materials referenced a range of possible reimbursement rates discussed in state-level conversations; presenters said Governor Tony Evers had proposed a higher reimbursement than past practice, and DPI had argued for a higher share in earlier discussions.

What legislators said: Attendees reported that some legislators advised that a final state biennial budget may not be available until mid-to-late autumn, citing political and procedural uncertainties (including potential actions on vetoes and the upcoming Supreme Court election). Presenters said several legislators raised a talking point about concerns of “over-identification” of students for special education — a framing that meeting attendees found problematic — and the district delegation relayed concerns about the accuracy and implications of that framing to their legislators.

Follow-up and advice: Board members said legislators were generally receptive to hearing from districts and encouraged continued outreach; presenters recommended that district stakeholders contact their representatives and help build community awareness about the need for stronger special-education funding because underfunded mandates affect all students through diverted general-fund resources.

Ending: Board members said the day was well organized, that they gained useful contacts in Madison and that they will continue local and regional advocacy through the Dane County governance group and WASB.","Board members reported on a Wisconsin Association of School Boards Day at the Capitol where they pushed for higher special-education reimbursement and CPI-indexed per-pupil funding; legislators told attendees the state budget may be delayed until autumn and flagged concerns about over-identification messaging.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126731,"Middle schools report literacy gains, plan schedule changes and districtwide responsive-classroom training",1351,3863000,5214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c&start=3863&end=5214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c/thumbnail_3863000.jpg","/articles/6126731/Wisconsin/Middle-schools-report-literacy-gains-plan-schedule-changes-and-districtwide-responsive-classroom-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126731-eb351436e2d254b5e9524bab7cf7b222/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544677&Signature=eYr0NLLNM1RltjykMJcJ0RA2~81E0EHARvxkpMl-YXs5UwntUjHkmZVg3RVcsUBU66zdtOUKHDGTsuVeCQDicVcayrINzL-DjQX7yGm9YMiYhLNvnDx80RtANWBLEi6x9yJx7Ejs2U4-SpYPw6oHdaqi3LFHG81Wt-O8qbzWrajesB2sm-gl2aA5Ma-cMav5eWktW0XbHycCLmzZpzCJS5cUNcBfHyc0GTrtyITLU4yjiCbXXkb73jkiH8NkFgusI1vWCa5P4JmJvCFz5dL~KLBTSAcP9F3SWVxKKc~T8Cm2arXmzGYzlhWkniA-SnKNJW1P5aESou19mHHygKSfdw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Middle school leaders presented a combined update on literacy implementation, professional collaboration, schedule changes and plans for academic and career planning (ACP) at the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District’s March 3 meeting, saying early indicators show literacy growth and outlining next steps to sustain that implementation.

Literacy implementation and data: Administrators said the district adopted a new literacy curriculum this year with a large scope (several units totaling more content than available instructional days) and that teachers are selecting priority units in team planning. Early fall-to-winter measures (staff noted a national re-norming of Star reading assessments that affects comparisons) showed overall gains and particularly notable improvements among some underserved subgroups, according to district presenters. Coaches JoAnna Cree, Holly Reardon and Amanda Montoya were credited for in-class and planning support.

Professional collaboration and C3 teams: School leaders described established co-planning/co-learning teams (“C3s”) that include general-education teachers, specialists and case managers to plan instruction and interventions collectively. Administrators said C3s are an important structure for sharing assessment data, common assessments and targeted instructional moves.

Schedule changes and minutes: To accommodate the new curriculum’s recommended instructional minutes for literacy and math, the middle schools will shift schedules to provide roughly 55-minute core blocks (an increase of about 10 minutes per day for some grades). Administrators said the changes reduce the number of daily transitions, allow deeper work in literacy and math, and will require encore/rotation adjustments for non-core classes.

Social-emotional learning and extracurriculars: District leaders announced a responsive-classroom training rollout for middle-school staff during the summer with schoolwide implementation in September. They also presented participation figures for extracurriculars (the presentation cited about 52 clubs at one middle school and 43 at the other) and positive behavior recognition totals (roughly 2,000 positive referrals across the two schools), noting extracurricular participation correlates with engagement.

Academic and career planning (ACP): Administrators reported progress on revising ACP so it aligns with the Cardinal’s Journey competencies and creates a multi-year student portfolio/learning-path experience beginning in sixth grade. The middle-level team described mapping ACP lessons and planning a more distributed approach across grades rather than concentrating all ACP lessons in eighth grade.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members praised the literacy results and coaches’ work, asked about supports for students with fine-motor/writing struggles and transportation for extracurriculars, and were told the district provides late buses for students with identified transportation barriers. Administration said more schedule and ACP details will be provided as staffing and FTE decisions are finalized.

Ending: Administrators said they will continue to monitor literacy outcomes, return with finalized schedules and ACP materials, and begin responsive-classroom professional learning ahead of the 2025–26 school year.","Middle school leaders reported early literacy growth following a new curriculum, described collaborative C3 planning structures and coaches’ support, outlined schedule adjustments to add instructional minutes for core subjects, and announced districtwide responsive-classroom training and ACP alignment with the Cardinal's Journey.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126736,"4K and early childhood update: district proposes full-day pilot, adds community site and expands early childhood sessions",1622,1722000,3344000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c&start=1722&end=3344","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c/thumbnail_1722000.jpg","/articles/6126736/Wisconsin/4K-and-early-childhood-update-district-proposes-full-day-pilot-adds-community-site-and-expands-early-childhood-sessions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126736-85e4e6898fca9e432ba983e8982c3850/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544677&Signature=UitcDbHZ8Peol1ebyXZOOlks52wdQh3bHPssyLaHASTjbGnECGRr4OS~vGRJU-GW3bmPMDjckPSVFb4tHlx~LiroMH58EeYLGs96SDOHUdJADzzlvhtUyz4Jm~3yIJ3DNNAGK7fYHdyU1jf3UEhpoyA70BYpJwWMq6oYN~WHBOt8epu-zvK115~V458dODLY3SOqBqT3EKsJUJt~IdFpGPomOAEl3oIbZXfHCZ6iBx-kUzQ96AOZD6lYJRfwlUR0toA-m5PzoAwn4U8FKPJoRaQMbjZvDD2nvoezdaYnilyN06e7-gstNeYXCxFEyGXyuXEja1ivNW2ICcsIe-SBdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District staff presented a detailed update on four-year-old kindergarten (4K) and early childhood (EC) programs at the March 3 board meeting, outlining enrollment trends, program structure, recent expansions, and proposed next steps to increase participation and inclusion.

Program structure and services: Staff said the district’s district-run 4K program is a voluntary, developmentally appropriate, play-based 2.5-hour program for students age 4 by Sept. 1 of the school year (presentation materials list program rules). The Early Learning Center (ELC) hosts the district-run AM and PM co-taught 4K classes (general-education teacher + special-education teacher + paraprofessional plus itinerant related services). Eight community partner sites run additional 4K sessions under a community-collaborative model; partner sites hire DPI-licensed teachers while the district provides curriculum, professional development and special-education services at the sites.

Recent changes and capacity: Staff said the district has added the Goddard School (AM only) as a 4K community site for next year. They reported that some West Middleton-area families were being bused to other sites this year due to full rosters at preferred local sites, and that Academy for Learners (a private site) is full. Staff noted the ELC’s higher concentration of students with significant special-education needs and that related-services providers (speech, OT, PT, vision, assistive tech, audiology) serve the ELC classes.

Early childhood and special-education services: The EC classroom (3–4 year olds with significant disabilities) is housed at the ELC; staff reported class sizes of 5–6 students per session and said rising demand led to an added Tuesday/Thursday AM session in January with five students. Staff recommended reducing session length for EC classes (from 2.5 hours to a shorter session) to allow more sections with smaller numbers of students and to keep instructional minutes while reducing classroom dysregulation. They also recommended adding general-education peer models and exploring a partnership with Milton Parks & Rec to recruit peer models.

Enrollment trends and evaluation findings: District staff presented a multi-year analysis showing 4K participation among district kindergarten cohorts has remained relatively steady but that the district’s internal 4K participation rate (percent of kindergarten students who attended a district 4K program) ranges approximately 64–71% — lower than several neighboring districts that reported 84–95% in-district participation. Staff surveyed families who did not use district 4K and found reasons included attendance at private preschool/daycare sites (families stayed at an existing provider) and lack of wrap care (transportation/wrap care availability was a barrier for some families). At the time of the presentation staff reported about 75 registrations open for next year (a typical registration cycle has January/February spikes and further summer changes).

Assessment and interventions: Staff described a small winter AIMSweb pilot with positive feedback and said all 4K teachers will be required to administer AIMSweb in spring; that assessment will provide fall-to-spring measures and data to share with kindergarten teachers. The district runs Child Find developmental-screening dates (federal requirement); staff reported about 35 children attended Child Find this year and about 24 referrals followed, with 50 initial evaluations across 4K/EC levels overall. Birth-to-3 transition referrals (as children approach age 3) were also active; staff said 15 referrals from Birth-to-3 had been received as of March 10 and five transition meetings were scheduled for the week of the presentation.

Proposed next steps: Administration proposed work for the 2026–27 planning cycle including better census outreach to families, piloting a full-day 4K at the ELC with partner wrap care (targeting Title I schools where wrap care is a barrier), and exploring inclusive models to raise Wisconsin DPI indicator-6 ratings (early childhood environments). Administration said the pilot would be used to test operational and financial effects before any wider expansion.

Board questions and discussion covered how assessment data would be used, transportation and slot availability at community partner sites, the possible financial implications of a full-day pilot for private partner sites, and the impacts of shortening EC session time on families’ routine and respite needs.

Ending: Administration asked for board feedback on the proposed pilot approach and said it will return with a planning timeline and more detail for any 2026–27 pilot.","District staff reported stable long-term 4K enrollment but lower district participation relative to surrounding districts, described a new community site onboarding, added early childhood sessions to meet growing special education needs, and recommended a targeted full-day pilot to address wrap-care barriers.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6126741,"District unveils 'Cardinal's Journey' portrait of a graduate; committee recommends rubrics and visuals for implementation",1324,392000,1716000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c&start=392&end=1716","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2665902-7a8b76203c56c5f5bed7379562ae3f1c/thumbnail_392000.jpg","/articles/6126741/Wisconsin/District-unveils-Cardinals-Journey-portrait-of-a-graduate-committee-recommends-rubrics-and-visuals-for-implementation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6126741-c667e18f601dd5a6063800e886749b4c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770544677&Signature=HFSZmQqJCb~YdGxZhxqShyWz3Y5oT53EruJ9blyPvpmiDw0LXLngvzsbAm5KJNmS-cJ82iFJLyBowHMJv~S5-hR6Sm9498MbNx4diw788OAaY23Y~zR-yxp44c22AFVN~owxoFTh2gMRuAI8cQY4OGKSSFzfPtZhj2LVca52QTnhVQLFtt0n~HCns4NQXCa4Yg43nBwrpOcStEygVrHqbPzB5v1-xd7Vae8-9MTAa88g5-ghfGozZOr2d5Ac4xBwu4nxTRa-MgY6F8v4Wn~v5G~K~lOmNLzG4RnCwEOsE8GUSjT5NNHl2Bgcg~t0pC4wtVgGUz9p8b0dZVR5f4C7yQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A district stakeholder committee presented a proposed portrait-of-a-graduate framework — branded the “Cardinal’s Journey” — to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education on March 3, recommending a two-part structure of mindsets and foundations, rubrics for classroom use and a set of visual assets to carry the work into schools.

The committee said the project was developed over five months with participation from students, parents, community leaders, educators and administrators, including facilitation and wordsmithing support by Bartlett Durand and design work led by Shannon (graphic lead). The model groups desired graduate outcomes into the “Cardinal mindset” (curiosity, community orientation, self-awareness and accountability) and “Cardinal foundations” (communication, collaboration, critical thinking and adaptability). For each competency, the committee created short rubrics, suggested student/teacher reflection questions and visual symbols intended for posters and district communications.

Why it matters: A formal portrait of a graduate is intended to provide a consistent language and expectations across grades and buildings. The committee told the board that the framework is designed to anchor curriculum renewal, middle- and high-school academic and career planning (ACP), report cards and student-led conferences. Committee members emphasized the goal of making the framework meaningful and long-lived rather than a one-time document.

Committee process and outputs: The committee reviewed exemplars from other districts, notably Mesa, Arizona, and iteratively narrowed a larger set of competencies into locally resonant language and visuals. The group developed two complementary rubrics (mindset and foundations), exemplar questions to involve families, and draft rubrics that could be used to align teacher practice, report cards and student reflection across levels. The presenters recommended piloting visuals in schools, embedding the Cardinal’s Journey into curriculum renewal, and exploring software for student portfolios beginning at sixth grade.

Board reaction and next steps: Board members praised the inclusiveness of the committee — particularly student involvement — and the quality of the visuals. Several trustees suggested adopting the committee’s community agreements as a board norm. Administration and the committee said they plan to present implementation steps next year including staff and family communications and curriculum alignment; they recommended piloting portfolio-style learner profiles beginning in sixth grade and using student-led conferences at multiple levels.

Selected quotes (attributed to meeting participants):
- \"We prioritized the key attributes and skills…we wanted to make these something that was personally and locally meaningful and significant,\" said the committee presenter.
- \"Some of us helped to create rubrics about expectations of how students, staff, and administrators would bring this work to life in the district,\" the presenter said.

Ending: Administration said the Cardinal’s Journey will be used during curriculum renewal and ACP planning, and that more detailed implementation timelines and materials will be brought to the board as schools prepare to adopt the visuals and rubrics.","A stakeholder committee proposed a locally tailored 'Cardinal's Journey' framework that defines mindsets and foundations (skills) for Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District graduates and recommended rubrics, visuals and initial integration steps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves consent agenda, youth center agreement, calendar change, policy first reading and withdrawal from county consortium

District delegation urges legislators to fund special education aid and index per-pupil adjustments; legislators warn of delayed state budget

Middle schools report literacy gains, plan schedule changes and districtwide responsive-classroom training

4K and early childhood update: district proposes full-day pilot, adds community site and expands early childhood sessions

District unveils 'Cardinal's Journey' portrait of a graduate; committee recommends rubrics and visuals for implementation