The St. Francis Area Schools Board convened on September 22, 2025, to discuss various topics concerning the district's media centers, academic performance, and staffing needs. The meeting began with a report from district media specialist Adia Burrill, who provided an overview of the current conditions in the district's media centers.

Burrill highlighted staffing levels, noting that while elementary schools have full-time media assistants, secondary schools only have part-time coverage. She expressed concern over the age of the book collections, revealing that many books are outdated, with the average age of books in the middle school being from 1991 and in the high school from 1995. This has contributed to a significant decline in book circulation, with high school checkouts dropping nearly 90% over the past decade.

To address these issues, Burrill proposed conducting an inventory of the collections and collaborating with a collections expert to remove outdated materials and create a replenishment plan. She emphasized the need for a full-time media assistant at the high school to support both career counseling and library management, as well as the potential for adding another media specialist at Saint Francis Elementary to accommodate growing student numbers.

Board members engaged in a discussion about the decline in reading among older students, attributing it to competition from digital media and a lack of current materials. Some members suggested focusing resources on elementary education, where engagement appears stronger, while others advocated for revitalizing the high school library to enhance student interest in reading.

The meeting also included updates on academic performance, with reports indicating growth in proficiency levels in both math and reading across various grades. The administration outlined plans for continued improvement, including new curriculum implementations and training for teachers.

Additionally, the board addressed staffing changes, including the hiring of a new kindergarten teacher at East Bethel Elementary due to increased enrollment. Concerns about heat and humidity in school buildings were raised, with the administration acknowledging the challenges and ongoing efforts to improve indoor air quality.

The meeting concluded with a reminder about the upcoming Meet the Candidates forum and homecoming events, emphasizing community engagement and support for district activities. The board plans to revisit several action items in future meetings, including policy updates and further discussions on staffing and resource allocation.