District leaders on Sept. 9 presented a quarterly update on the long-range plan and strategic loan timing, describing new data and communications tools, staffing pressures in special education and a possible capital borrowing that would affect next year’s levy.

Why it matters: NextPath and a streamlined messaging platform aim to save staff time and improve response during crises; decisions about borrowing and the timing of state aid will determine levy impacts for the next budget year.

Data and communication tools
Rachel (district staff) described NextPath, a data-visualization and warehouse tool the district is deploying to bring multiple data sources into one interface. She said the district is currently using it for reading-intervention plans and data-analysis teams and listed five tasks the district hopes teachers and administrators will accomplish with the system. Rachel said NextPath should speed case identification for intervention and make data analysis more efficient.

District staff also described a new messaging and communications platform (MessagesXR) and a redesigned district website. Staff said MessagesXR lets administrators send email, text and voice messages; text messages are limited to about 200 characters and the system will translate messages into families’ home languages automatically using the language tied to a family record in Skyward. Staff said the new website and messaging app are expected to go live in the next two to three months, with the app enabling parents to subscribe to school-specific feeds.

Special education and staffing
Superintendent Dr. Conrad and other speakers reiterated that special-education staffing remains strained. The board discussed state-level proposals to ease rehiring retired employees; staff said a bill to allow rehiring retired educators and other public employees had momentum but encountered technical concerns from the state retirement system and might be carved out in ways the district opposes. Board members said the change could provide short-term staffing relief for special education.

Strategic borrowing and levy timing
Mark (district staff) said the district is meeting with financial adviser Baird to time any future borrowing to take advantage of favorable interest rates and to coordinate levy reporting with state-aid releases. He said the district must decide on borrowing quickly after state aid numbers are released (expected Oct. 15) because early-year interest payments would affect the levy calculation for the next budget year.

Operations and completed projects
Administrators reported completion of several operational objectives: the district installed a secondary data center in this building for redundancy and completed camera replacements on five buses to modernize on-board video systems. Those items were presented as completed milestones in the long-range plan.

Ending
Board members asked whether building-level staff would be able to use the new messaging tools directly; staff said the platform is intended to become the primary communication channel, though some instructional- or class-level tools may persist for classroom-specific work. No final borrowing decision was made at the meeting; staff will return after state aid numbers are released.