District staff recommend removing several updated Second Step lessons from 2025–26 K–8 sequence

Erin Fells, curriculum coordinator for the West Bend School District, told the curriculum committee on Sept. 2 that an annual review of changes to the Second Step digital social‑emotional learning (SEL) platform led staff to recommend removing certain updated lessons from the 2025–26 K–8 teaching sequence.

Fells said the district’s board approved the SEL curriculum and Second Step as the primary resource for kindergarten through Grade 8 in 2021 and that, because Second Step is a digital product, the vendor issues updates each year. The district’s student services coordinator, Carrie Hughes, reviews every lesson each fall and the district aligns any recommended changes to its communication plan for families.

Why it matters: the changes affect lessons students will see in classrooms and the parent communication the district sends before SEL lessons. Families retain the district’s longstanding opt‑out option for SEL lessons, and principals will notify parents and provide access to the…