Tri-City United reports strong start to school year; preschool enrollment, safety measures and facility upgrades noted

Tri-City United School District administrators on Tuesday told the school board the 2025–26 school year is off to a solid start, citing steady overall enrollment, rising preschool participation at some sites, new playground work funded by a foundation grant, and safety measures at the high school that district leaders say have reduced vaping incidents.

Administrators reported total district enrollment of 1,856 students this fall, compared with 1,836 at the same point last year. Lane (Community Education) said the district’s Little Titans preschool program — which began Sept. 8 — is serving about 150 students across sites. He gave site-level counts: La Center is down slightly year-over-year but picked up six students from a Head Start program that closed; Montgomery is serving 52 preschool students; and Lonsdale is serving 68.

"It's kind of a good problem to have," Lane said, referring to high demand for wrap care in Lonsdale where some days exceed licensed group sizes and staff are using alternative spaces and rotational coverage to meet demand.

Why it matters: enrollment trends and early-childhood capacity affect the district's revenue and staffing needs; administrators said preschool growth and full classrooms are helping the district’s budget position. Board members were also told about a number of community-education offerings and family events planned for the coming months.

Administrators described operational pressures and solutions at the Lonsdale site, where afternoon wrap care and before-school care have been especially busy. Lane said some days the program has 43–44 children in the morning and that staff have reconfigured spaces — including temporarily converting a portion of a gym — and used a rotating staffing pattern to cover meal and supervision needs.

District leaders also described site improvements. The central campus will receive a new outdoor play area; Lane said most of the play equipment has already been purchased using an Initiative Foundation grant awarded about a year ago, and a contractor is slated to install the fence and mulch on a non-school day. The Lonsdale Community Foundation awarded a $4,000 grant to Lonsdale elementary to buy playground items, volleyball equipment and full-size soccer goals, the principals said.

Health and student services: administrators said the Lehi Smile dental program (a visiting dental team from Owatonna) returns in November to provide basic cleanings and screenings at no cost to families without dental insurance or who are on state insurance. Amanda Sladek is the local contact and families must sign consent forms for their children to participate.

Special recognitions: the board honored Tri-City United athletes who competed in the Special Olympics bocce state tournament. Lane announced Sam Bizik (third place, 2025 singles bocce), George Durkee (third place), Liam Olsen (third place) and Hunter Jones (first place). Board members and attendees congratulated the athletes.

High school operations and safety: Alan (high school administration) gave a report on the high school start to the year. He said Tri-City United has 10 international exchange students this year and that the additional students generate more than $70,000 in state aid to the district. Extended-day credit-recovery and the Titan Achievement Academy remain in place to give students options to make up credits.

Alan described a recent effort to reduce vaping at the high school by installing four Triton sensors in restroom areas and other locations. "We have really lowered the number of vape use at TCU High School this school year," he said, adding that initial alerts included vape detections and loitering but that the incidence rate has dropped since the start of school. Alan said the sensors also detect certain violent-keyword triggers and that camera footage outside restroom entrances helps staff identify individuals when only a single person enters and leaves.

Assessment and goals: the high school reported screening progress for FastBridge reading assessments, with 96% of high-school students screened and a Q-Comp improvement goal submitted that calls for 50% of students in grades 9–12 to show typical or aggressive growth on the aReading assessment between the 2025 and 2026 screenings.

Upcoming events: administrators listed several community events — Lonsdale Chamber Coffee (Oct. 10), Center Chamber Luncheon (Oct. 21), a Nutcracker performance proposal and a district fire-safety night — and Alan announced Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon will visit Tri-City United on Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. during homecoming week.

The board did not take policy action on these operational items during the meeting; they were presented as reports and updates.