Lily Lake principal outlines special education program, staffing and facility needs

Principal Gransa presented a high-level “state of the school” to the Stillwater Area Public Schools Board of Education, describing Lily Lake Elementary's student population, curriculum practices, inclusion work and facility needs.

Gransa, who said this is his first year at Lily Lake, told the board the school currently enrolls 387 students, down from about 417 last year because kindergarten operates with two sections this year; about 60 kindergarten students are already signed up for next year and the school expects to return to three sections. He said the building's official capacity is 525 but that figure has been adjusted to reflect dedicated rooms for the district's Communication Integration Program (CIP), which reduces usable classroom capacity because CIP rooms commonly serve 7–10 students per space.

The CIP serves students with autism and related communication needs from across the district, Gransa said, and it is the primary reason Lily Lake's special-education percentage—29% in the principal's presentation—is “considerably higher than the rest of the district.” He described the program's wraparound services as including speech, occupational therapy, adaptive physical education, assistive communication devices and social-skills instruction, and said CIP students spend time both in specialized rooms and in general-education classrooms to support inclusion.

Gransa credited long-tenured staff and consistent instructional practices for recent academic gains. “Very often at a grade level, when you go from room to room, you see almost the same lesson,” he said, adding that teachers use common language and data to guide interventions. He said schoolwide intervention meetings and interventionists have helped Lily Lake make “rapid progress back” after COVID-related dips in achievement.

Board members asked for specifics about building practices and staffing. Director Hockert asked about the school's Green Room; Gransa said it is used proactively to teach students to recognize physical signs of dysregulation and to practice calming strategies. Gransa described a typical CIP classroom's staffing as a teacher with at least two paraprofessionals and, in some younger classrooms, three paraprofessionals; he also said one classroom in the CIP currently has 11 older students who are more independent.

Directors and the superintendent pressed Gransa on staffing shortages. Gransa said there are open paraprofessional and CIP positions and noted that filling entry-level para positions is a statewide challenge because competing private-sector jobs can offer higher pay. He urged community members to refer candidates: “So if you know anybody looking for a position, send them my way,” he said.

On facilities, Gransa presented photos showing refurbished and unrefurbished spaces. He said some classrooms and bathrooms still need renovation; a planned summer remodel was delayed by broader district construction and will resume in a later summer. He also contrasted remodeled kindergarten rooms with the unrefurbished third kindergarten space expected to reopen next year, noting equity concerns across rooms.

Ending: Gransa closed by thanking staff, families and community partners—citing active PTO fundraising nights and neighborhood business support—and said Lily Lake remains focused on inclusion and academic growth despite the facility and staffing challenges. The board followed with questions and praise for the school's curriculum fidelity and collaborative practices.