Madison Local outlines high-school mentoring rollout and reports small enrollment shifts

MADISON — District staff told the Madison Local School District board on June 3 that the district will train roughly two dozen high-school teachers this month in a mentoring and monitoring approach called Check and Connect, funded by an Each Child On Track grant, to support students at risk of disengagement.

The district said about 22 teachers will be trained this month; the program pairs a caring adult mentor with identified students, monitors engagement and academic progress, and includes family engagement as part of the approach. Staff said the district will start small — possibly one student per mentor — and expand as capacity allows. Training will take place before the school year, the district said, and grant funds are covering the initial costs.

District staff also reported enrollment trends to the board. Kindergarten registrations are down by about nine to 10 students compared with the same time last year, the staff report said. The district noted some families have chosen alternative options — including charter or nearby district programs and homeschool — and staff said roughly 50 students in the district were being homeschooled at the time of the meeting. District staff attributed some of the increase in homeschooling to recent changes in state requirements that reduced administrative steps for home education.

The board also recognized Marilyn Crane, an intervention specialist at South Elementary, as member of the month for her work with students and colleagues. Administrators thanked teachers, intervention specialists and educational aides for work during the school year and noted summer evaluation work and growing workloads tied to increased scholarship or external-service referrals.

Why it matters: The Check and Connect rollout targets attendance and engagement issues linked to dropout risk; early staffing and training choices and enrollment trends affect classroom planning and resource allocation for 2025–26.

Ending: District staff said they will monitor the mentoring rollout and share follow-up results with the board when available.