Lakeville presentation outlines new state American Indian education aid, staffing and parent-advisory duties

Nicole Adams, director of integrated continuous improvement for Lakeville Area Schools, and Amy Gishmeier, the district—s American Indian education coordinator, briefed the Lakeville Area School Board on Feb. 11 about statewide changes to American Indian education funding and how the district is responding.

Adams said the May 2023 legislation converted long-standing optional grants into state aid and created new compliance and staffing rules for districts. "Do know that it is state aid," Adams told the board, explaining the funding is now formula-based and carries statutory conditions for how it may be used. The presenters described a base award and a per-pupil increment and said Minnesota Department of Education reporting drives the allocation.

The change matters because it requires dedicated staff, changes allowable spending and raises new reporting duties. Adams said districts with 100 or more state-identified American Indian students must employ at least one full- or part-time American Indian education program coordinator; the law also limits salary spending to no more than 50% of the American Indian education aid, with the remainder required for direct student services.

Locally, presenters said the district—s earlier MARS (Minnesota Automated Reporting Student System) submission yielded a budget this year of $88,000 based on an earlier count; presenters told the board the October 2024 MARS submission reported 187 American Indian students, a change that will increase the district—s award in the next aid year. Adams said the district intends to hire an additional 0.5 American Indian education liaison, to be paid from achievement-and-integration funds, to support student-facing services while Gishmeier shifts into program development.

Gishmeier used a classroom anecdote to illustrate why updated curriculum and in-district Native presence matter. "Native people, today live in homes, go to school, have jobs, shop in stores," she said, describing how students often learn only historical portrayals unless contemporary context is taught.

The presenters outlined allowable uses of the aid, examples of activities funded (culture and language, family engagement, staff professional learning and college and career readiness), and district collaborations such as a regional powwow and drum-and-dance classes. They also described an American Indian Parent Advisory Council (APAC) structure: voting membership is limited to parents/guardians and other eligible American Indian community members, APAC must meet annually before March 1 to judge whether the district is serving American Indian students, and an APAC resolution of non-concurrence would require a written district response within 60 days.

Adams told the board the APAC met Jan. 28 to review the current plan and that the APAC—s decision and any resolution will be presented to the board later this month. She emphasized the district will provide the formal reading of APAC votes and follow required timelines for responses.

Board members asked about how the district improved student identification and what is automated in the MARS/enrollment workflow. Adams and other administrators said staff ran manual reports and disaggregated "multiracial" enrollments to identify students whose records included American Indian background, and that the district now sends an alert to the American Indian coordinator when a student enrolls who self-identifies as indigenous or multiracial with an indigenous component. Adams noted federal and state definitions differ and that the district does not require blood-quantum verification for state aid counts.

Discussion also covered allowable uses of the aid (direct services vs. salary), APAC membership and meeting rules, and timeline for a posted 0.5 liaison position that presenters said they expect to fill by the end of the month.

District staff made materials and state guidance links available to the board and public. Presenters said they can return to give additional briefings on elements that extend beyond annual compliance, such as cross-agency health and human services implications of the statute.

Ending: The board received the presentation; no formal board action on policy or budget was taken at the Feb. 11 meeting. District staff said they will bring APAC outcomes and any formal recommendations to the board after APAC completes its review and votes, and the additional 0.5 liaison posting will proceed under the staffing process described.