Woodland CCSD 50 presents student-supports update, highlights visitor screening, health services and after-school expansion

Superintendent's staff and four principals updated the Board of Education on the district's “student supports” initiatives, including a new visitor-screening system, expanded behavioral-health supports and new site-level programs designed to boost student belonging and engagement.

The district has rolled out a district-wide visitor-screening product that allows parents and other visitors to pre-register and use a personal QR code at any campus, reducing on-site check-in lines and generating automated daily reports for administrators if an entry is flagged. "Once you go through our visitor aware system, you are in our system no matter which campus you visit," Dr. Lehi Wallace (district staff member) said during the presentation.

The presentation listed a set of coordinated health and family supports: additional family coordinator full-time equivalents (FTEs), a mobile clinic visit scheduled for Oct. 28 in partnership with Advocates Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House to provide free physicals and vaccinations for students who lack access to care, and districtwide diabetes-care training that will cross-train school nurses and identified administrative staff so more adults can respond to student medical incidents.

District officials described a strengthened approach to special education services. Vasiliki Frick, director of educational services, said the district has expanded board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) coaching into all four district buildings through partnerships with Easterseals and Love Your Classroom, and is refining preschool screening and multi-tiered systems of support to reduce unnecessary early placement into individualized education programs (IEPs). Frick said outside experts are being brought in to align practices among speech therapists, social workers, psychologists and teachers.

Principals described site-level projects intended to create more inclusive and welcoming school environments. Nikki Scofield, principal of Primary School, outlined two sensory walls and updated "buddy benches" on the playground designed to help young students initiate social interaction; she said the school will convene its first parent-advisory committee next week to gather family feedback on belonging and engagement strategies. "I've been out there at recess. I've helped the students initiate that," Scofield said of the buddy-bench practice.

At Elementary School, Principal Jarrett Reardon described a new STEM club (currently for third-graders), expanded parent-volunteer capacity at large events facilitated by the visitor-screening system, and a purchase of culturally diverse, leveled book sets so each classroom has a common set of materials students can see themselves in.

Intermediate School Principal Tim Sheldon highlighted investments in staff whose role is to build relationships and restorative practice supports — a student intervention coordinator and restorative-practices facilitators — and noted a new display of international flags in the cafeteria that students said helped them feel represented. "These are adults that help to forge relationships with students ... and it's helping us expand access, support, and belonging," Sheldon said.

Middle-school leaders described the Student Success Center and a new activity bus that already has about 100 students signed up. Middle-school staff have added clubs including a skateboarding club and portrait club to increase opportunities for students to connect outside class.

Board members asked for clarification on several operational points, including whether the visitor-screening registration is annual; Dr. Wallace said she would check and report back. Board members also urged staff to plan how a single-day parent-teacher conference model (discussed later in the meeting) would preserve access for working families.

Why this matters: administrators framed the initiatives as part of the district's strategic plan to improve social-emotional learning, inclusion and attendance by removing access barriers (health and volunteer onboarding) and by investing in staff roles that increase relationship-building and behavioral supports.

District follow-up: staff agreed to return with clarifications on visitor-registration frequency, training timelines for diabetes-care and BCBA supports, and participation data from the mobile clinic and activity bus.