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District reports strong start to 2025–26: new hires, summer credit recovery, cohort growth at elementary levels
Summary
Superintendent and teaching-and-learning staff reported on summer work, professional development, credit-recovery results, new hires and early enrollment figures showing cohort growth in several elementary grades.
District leaders told the board that summer preparation and professional development helped the district begin the school year on a positive note.
Superintendent Dr. Kaczmierczak and Dr. Gillespie (teaching and learning) summarized summer activities that included instructional leadership institutes for principals, literacy training aligned to science-of-reading practices for paraprofessionals, curriculum planning for middle school English language arts, and leadership development for new staff. Dr. Gillespie said about 150 paraprofessionals began a literacy training series in August, with additional sessions scheduled during the school year.
The district offered credit-recovery classes over the summer; more than 200 students participated and four students completed requirements and graduated during the summer term. The activities director reported 850-plus students registered for fall student activities, an increase from the prior year, and more than 300 students attended summer strength-and-conditioning programs.
Human resources reported the district welcomed approximately 152 new employees for the year, about 67 of whom were educators; the district said its overall turnover rate typically runs just under 5 percent. Leaders said staffing is stronger than some neighboring districts but that vacancies will still arise and the district continues active recruiting.
Early enrollment numbers shared with the board showed growth in several elementary schools: Birch Lake, Otter Lake and Northstar neighborhoods reported gains. District leaders cautioned that secondary enrollment figures can change in the first weeks of school as families finalize school choices and the district cleans rolls.
Why it matters: the combination of summer professional development, credit-recovery opportunities, and new staff onboarding are the district’s primary levers for improving classroom instruction and keeping students on track toward graduation.
