Superintendent highlights student programs, crisis drills and equity work at McFarland board meeting

Superintendent Tarnitzer reported several district happenings to the McFarland School District Board, including student outdoor learning, a new safety patrol rotation, a professional development keynote on inclusion, crisis response tabletop exercises and an equity collective meeting focused on the financial needs of students and families.

Tarnitzer said the district’s school meal program served about "55,000 breakfasts and a 176,000 lunches" last year and thanked staff for the effort. She told the board that crisis response teams from each building ran realistic tabletop scenarios this year to refine response plans and inter‑building coordination.

Tarnitzer described a professional development series led by Dr. Moore focused on inclusion — emphasizing that inclusion means more than physical presence and that students should be able to "be their authentic selves," and said the series will meet four times this year. She also reported that two social workers attended a McFarland Schools Equity Collective meeting that concentrated on barriers families face when seeking supports and that the meeting produced action steps to simplify access while protecting privacy and confidentiality.

Tarnitzer announced a ribbon cutting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. the following day for the Spartan Fuel Cafe, a collaboration between the district’s business/marketing program and the special education department that will provide beverages and work opportunities to students. She also thanked staff leads including Lauren Arango and Angie Brunette for crisis response and communications work.

Why this matters: the report shows district emphasis on student supports, equity, safety preparedness and hands‑on learning opportunities.

The superintendent closed with community notes about recent events (homecoming, trunk or treat) and upcoming conference and staff development days.