Integrated plan report: Central SD 13J cites $4.4 million in grant-funded programming, mixed results on state targets

Central SD 13J presented its annual integrated-plan report Wednesday, summarizing how six state- and grant-funded initiatives align with the district’s strategic metrics and reporting outcomes tied to state performance growth targets.

Superintendent Jennifer Kubica told the board the combined programs provided $4,400,000 in support during the prior year and said the initiatives are intentionally aligned with the district’s strategic plan. Kubica said the district exceeded the baseline and met the stretch target for third-grade language arts proficiency (baseline cited as 26.5% and stretch at 30%).

However, Kubica said the district did not meet baseline targets for the district ninth-grade on-track measure and was one percentage point below the baseline target for the state’s regular-attendance metric (baseline cited as 60%). She said staff are still analyzing gap-closing targets for focal groups because the assessment data were released recently.

On graduation rates, Kubica said final results will not be available until January because the state reviews and validates graduation data; she said the district will provide midyear updates after the first semester and full-year results in late June or July as part of routine reporting.

Kubica also highlighted a persistent budget concern: rising special-education costs. She said the district faces high-cost disability spending and described state reimbursement as limited. "We continue to see rising costs in special education, specifically in our high-cost disability amount," she said, and said reimbursement levels and caps leave a funding gap the district continues to advocate about.

Board members and staff said they will review the high-school success plan and budget as part of ongoing efforts to address ninth-grade on-track and graduation outcomes.