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Remote Lakeview school reports staffing shortages, unreliable Wi‑Fi and aging facilities
Summary
Lakeview and other small schools reported enrollment declines at some sites, chronic absences for a subset of students, lost greenhouse produce after a storm, staff shortages for substitute/paraprofessional and bus driver roles, and intermittent Starlink/Great Plains internet service affecting remote tutoring programs.
Administrators for Lakeview and other small schools told the Todd County School District 66-1 board that staffing shortages, aging trailers, pests and unreliable internet were affecting instruction and student supports.
Lakeview's presenter said current enrollment was 37 students compared with 49 the prior year and that schoolwide attendance was about 94 percent, though several students were chronically absent. "So at 37, that's we were, like, at 49 last year, so we kinda lost some kids," the presenter said. School leaders said they were focusing attendance outreach on students with 65 percent or lower attendance and planning parent-teacher conferences in October.
Administrators described operational challenges at remote sites: aging trailers with HVAC problems, pest issues and a damaged greenhouse that lost vegetables in a recent storm. The presenter described the physical conditions as interfering with learning: "Facility concerns, aging trailers, HVAC issues, pest presence... It's not fair that our students have to fight, you know, wasps and..." they said.
Staffing shortages were a recurring issue. Lakeview's presenter said the school lacked a substitute paraprofessional and a bus driver/custodian, forcing staff to rotate driving duties. "I drove last week every morning in the bus, so we're just kinda taking turns so we all don't get burnt out out there," the presenter said.
Administrators also raised technology failures that interrupted a tutoring partnership. The school had used Starlink last year to support online tutors and small-group instruction; this year the Starlink service has been subject to a low-data fallback and monthly quota limits that reduce throughput to roughly 0.5 Mbps when data allowances are met. Technicians switched Lakeview back to a Great Plains connection as a backup and upgraded plans, but staff said connectivity remained unreliable and prevented participation in the Ignite tutoring program (Teach For America tutors from out-of-state). "Now that the Wi Fi isn't working, we can't do that... we have not had Wi Fi," the presenter said.
Board members and staff discussed options including checking device connections, switching networks and pursuing plan adjustments with providers. District staff said technicians had replaced an antenna and moved to a one-terabyte plan intended to reduce quota drop-downs, and that a Great Plains backup link remains available.
Schools also described active programs: archery and cross-country teams, student councils, new small-group math instruction, a student council and family engagement events, and partnerships for a greenhouse and equine therapy. The district is using RST education department assistance and local groups to support some programs.
No formal board action was taken during the school reports; staff asked the board to consider district-level support for staffing and connectivity solutions and to follow up on facility repairs and long-term facility planning.
