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Superintendent reports slight enrollment uptick, discontinues 3K pilot and flags federal funding risk
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Nye reported a modest enrollment increase, announced the district will discontinue its nearly entirely grant-funded 3K pilot, summarized employee engagement survey gains, and flagged that federal funding makes up about 8% of the district budget and could pose contingency risks.
Superintendent Dr. Nye told the D C Everest Area School District Board of Education that the district recorded a small enrollment increase from 5,759 to 5,777 students since September, an increase driven mainly by pre-kindergarten learners.
At the same time, Dr. Nye said the district has reached a difficult decision to discontinue the district's 3K pilot program moving forward. The superintendent said the 3K pilot served a range of students and was "nearly entirely grant funded," with strong community partnership support (the Hmong American Center was identified in meeting remarks as a lead supporter). District leaders said the program's discontinuation reflects the absence of sustainable local funding and the need to "right size" the budget.
Dr. Nye also presented results from the district's employee engagement (Studer) survey. Participation remained strong and the overall mean score rose, the superintendent said, with the highest-scoring item being staff agreement with the statement that their work positively impacts those they serve. The superintendent noted continued lower scores on resource-related questions and said building leaders will hold structured rollout conversations to define "resources" in operational terms as the district prepares for difficult budget choices.
On funding, the superintendent noted federal dollars account for about 8% of the district's overall budget and cautioned that those dollars are restricted to specified purposes. Staff said contingency plans are being developed in the event of an unexpected federal funding reduction, but there are limited ready options for addressing an abrupt loss of about 8% of the budget.
Other brief updates from the superintendent included an update that the district's cell-phone enforcement at the senior high has proceeded "in a relatively uneventful fashion," plans for professional development for administrative assistants and secretaries, and a forthcoming communitywide newsletter summarizing board priorities and district highlights.
Board members asked clarifying questions about survey trends and resource allocation; the superintendent acknowledged the upward trend over the last three years while noting room to grow. No formal board action was taken on the 3K discontinuation during the meeting; the superintendent presented the decision as the district's current direction given funding realities.
