Missouri Ridge Principal Dina Morbing presented the school’s start‑of‑year plans to the Williston Public School District board, detailing use of the BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risk) model, changes to daily schedule to support PLCs and MTSS, and early assessment gains on district measures.

Morbing said Missouri Ridge, a K‑5 Title I school, is in its third year and is shifting from high turnover to greater staff stability while aligning instruction through common blocks. "For those of you that don't know me, I'm Dina Morbing, Missouri Ridge principal, and I'm excited to showcase our school at the beginning of the year," she said.

The presentation explained how BARR structures staff collaboration and student supports through a weekly "U time" (morning meeting), grade‑level small blocks, cross‑team big blocks and a Community Connect team that includes the school counselor, nurse and resource officer. Morbing said those routines shape interventions and coordination when students move between schools under upcoming boundary changes.

She provided quantitative points the board can use to track progress: new‑student percentages fell from 85% in 2023–24 to 34% in 2024–25 and are projected at 22% for 2025–26 (the presenter noted that figure includes three kindergarten classes). Staff new‑hire rates fell from 60% (2023–24) to 17% (2024–25) and to about 13% in the current year. On district assessments Morbing reported interim gains between fall and winter i‑Ready windows of 14 points in reading and 13 points in math; she also said K‑2 reading grew 15% and K‑2 math grew 20% on a new assessment but that results for grades 3–5 on the district’s "NDA plus" test were not yet available.

Morbing described operational changes made after reviewing gaps: expanding PLC and small‑block time, moving MTSS to a broader school‑level process, and refining arrival/dismissal protocols to protect instructional minutes. Innovation and engagement items included a STEAM rotation for K–5, a student leader program that pairs older students as teacher assistants, family events (back‑to‑school barbecue, cultural potluck) and a grant‑funded "engagement lab" with immersive learning technology.

Board members asked about the Buddy Thursdays structure; Morbing credited former instructional coach Tessa Halston with starting the program and counselor Jessica Conlon with continuing it. She described Buddy Thursdays as a rotating hour of paired grade‑level activities (STEM, library, gym) that the school plans to expand to projects and field trips. "They know who my buddy is. High five," she said, describing how the program builds cross‑grade relationships.

Board members praised staff culture and Morbing’s leadership, and Morbing thanked the Missouri Ridge staff and PTO for support. The presentation closed with Morbing noting the school will keep using district reading and math pathways so interventions remain consistent across schools as boundaries change.