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Annandale reports steady enrollment, Title I cuts and gains on MCA tests; student reps and committees give updates
Summary
School staff and committee representatives reported stable district enrollment, a large drop in Title I funding due to a poverty-percentage threshold, and generally strong MCA test results. Student activity numbers and school safety drills were also covered in advisory reports.
District staff and advisory-group representatives gave monthly updates on enrollment, state testing and school activities at the Annandale Public School District meeting.
Enrollment and budget context District officials said the district—s current enrollment has been 1,942 for two consecutive weeks and noted that last year the district finished with roughly 1,939 students; board members described the near-term stability as a positive sign given wider regional declines in kindergarten cohorts. Board members and staff cautioned that final membership counts can shift in the first weeks of school as paperwork is completed.
Elementary advisory and Title I funding Elementary advisory members reported that a portion of the district—s Title I funding is determined by the district—s share of students at or below the federal poverty threshold. The advisory said the district—s reported percentage landed at 4.93%, below a 5% threshold that affects funding formulas; as a result, Title I funding was described as falling from roughly $143,000 to about $60,000. The advisory said that currently one staff member and seven paraprofessionals receive partial salary support from Title I funds and that reduced Title I funding has been absorbed into operating expenses.
Special education caseloads and staffing Advisors and board members said special-education caseloads remain high; committee reports noted about 40 new special-education students in the district this year and said staffing levels are under review as part of planning tied to the operating-levy discussion.
Student activities and school operations High-school student representative Jade Foss, the 12th-grade representative, told the board that homecoming attendance was substantially higher than last year; she reported that more than 200 shirts were sold and 370 dance tickets were sold. Sports updates included upcoming tennis playoffs and a 4-0 football record.
MCA scores presentation John Wenke presented results from the statewide Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) taken in April. He said the district—s overall proficient rate in reading was 60.3% and in math 60.0% (grades varied by test). Wenke noted Annandale scored above state averages in several tests and that participation rates were about 95.2% for the district.
Wenke warned that new science standards produced a redesigned science MCA this year and that results for that test cannot be directly compared to prior years; he said the state withheld some comparative benchmarks and that some test-series results will remain embargoed until Oct. 1 pending state calibration.
Why it matters: Enrollment and test results feed staffing and budget choices the board is actively considering as it plans an operating levy and prioritizes programs such as special education and reading interventions. The Title I funding drop and high special-education caseloads were described by board and advisory members as pressure points for the operating budget.
Next steps: Staff will continue monthly enrollment monitoring and add these budget pressures to levy-linked outreach materials.
