Bismarck — Danica Nelson, director of student support services, recommended the board find the district in compliance with OE‑10, the operational expectation on learning environment, after presenting survey and program data on May 29.

Nelson told the board that student survey responses showed gains on four items: “People at my school care for me,” “My school is safe and orderly,” “I feel welcomed and supported,” and “I feel valued.” She said those items rose roughly 2.5–3 percentage points year over year. “When students start to reflect that their learning environment is feeling safer, it is full of respect, and it feels orderly, we know that there are pieces of our system working,” Nelson said.

Nelson reported that all elementary schools implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) were at 80% or higher on adoption measures, middle schools improved from 81% to 87% (a 6 percentage‑point increase), and high schools rose from 83% to 84%. She highlighted a near‑complete completion rate for the district’s seclusion/restraint survey and related staff training, moving from about 77% to 99% completion, in part by requiring some new hires to finish training before working with students.

Nelson discussed targeted supports and interventions: a 16‑week “Sparks” trauma‑informed group, a systemwide secondary “Check and Connect” mentoring program that pairs staff mentors with students for weekly check‑ins, and continuing work on social‑emotional learning curricula (Second Step, Resilience, Why Try). She also described ongoing partnership with Midwest PBIS for technical assistance and work on tier‑2 interventions.

Board member Mr. Lee asked about middle‑school engagement and whether classroom personalization and choices were part of the strategy; Nelson pointed to expanded electives and mentoring, and to Sparks and Check and Connect as major initiatives. Ms. Peterson and Dr. Fosnott both described Panorama, the district’s data platform, as a tool that will let administrators cross‑match survey, behavioral and academic indicators to identify students who don’t yet show up on traditional measures.

The board moved and approved a motion to find OE‑10 in compliance. Vote calls during the roll call showed all present board members voting yes.