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Board hears year-end reports from Vista View, Virtual Academy and alternative high school
Summary
Administrators and students presented school climate, literacy, specialist staffing and program updates for Vista View Elementary, the district Virtual Academy (K–12) and Burnsville Alternative High School at the March 13 board meeting; Virtual Academy credit attainment and waiting lists were highlighted.
Administrators and students reviewed programs and outcomes from Vista View Elementary, the district Virtual Academy and Burnsville Alternative High School (BOS) during the March 13 Burnsville Public School District Board of Education meeting.
At Vista View Elementary, Principal Angie Pohl (identified in the presentation) told the board the school has used Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and targeted literacy instruction to reduce behavior referrals by 48 percent and improve family engagement; the school used Title funds to hire consistent full-time specialists (art, music, digital learning specialist) so students receive coherent specialist instruction across years.
Dr. Chris Belmont, Assistant Superintendent, and virtual academy staff described the Virtual Academy’s K–12 program structure: elementary multi-age classrooms, daily live meetings for elementary and middle school students, asynchronous high school coursework, specialists delivered virtually, monthly materials pick-ups for hands-on science and arts activities and regular office hours. Virtual Academy presenters said the program’s curriculum aligns with district core instruction and that Elementary teachers use Heggerty phonics instruction; materials and the learning model aim to replicate in-person specialist experiences. High school presenters said course attainment rose about 9 percentage points year-over-year, with current credit attainment around 73% of attempted credits; staff noted waiting lists and requested capacity expansion.
Burnsville Alternative High School staff said credit attainment increased from about 50% in 2019 to roughly 73.5% this year. Presenters also described student support services at BOS (nurse, drug-and-alcohol counselor, interventionists), increased post-secondary visits and an upcoming mentorship program using a former BOS graduate as a mentor. BOS reported students feel safe and named trusted adults available at school.
Board members praised the presentations. Director Ault applauded use of student voices in virtual presentations and cited the Virtual Academy’s role in allowing students with family or work responsibilities to continue schooling. Dr. Belmont noted curriculum alignment efforts across secondary sites and the value of full-time specialists at Vista View. No formal action was taken on these reports; they were presented as the board’s final school reports for the school year.
