Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum And Supports topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee of the Whole highlights new English‑language arts adoption, MTSS grant and staffing realignments
Summary
District committee presenters outlined plans to adopt new secondary and middle‑school English‑language arts curricula (StudySync for high school and MyPerspectives for middle school), described a Minnesota MTSS grant opportunity up to $200,000 per year, and proposed staffing realignments intended to yield modest net savings.
The Duluth Public Schools Committee of the Whole reported several instructional and budget items to the full board during the May meeting, including a multi‑year plan to replace decades‑old English‑language arts materials, grant funding to expand Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and personnel realignments intended to support implementation while reducing net cost.
Assistant Superintendent Bonds summarized committee discussion about a Denfeld Indigenous cohort and other targeted supports. The committee also reviewed a recommended replacement of the district’s long‑standing English‑language arts curriculum: middle schools would pilot MyPerspectives (estimated adoption cost about $320,000) and high schools StudySync (estimated about $375,000). Bond and board members emphasized that curriculum adoption requires multi‑year planning and budget commitment.
Brenda Sparks and Director Jen Larva presented an overview of a Minnesota MTSS grant that could provide up to $200,000 per year to strengthen tiered academic and behavior supports. The district proposed two district‑wide instructional administrator (DWEA) positions—one elementary and one secondary—and a reorganization that converts some teacher‑on‑special‑assignment roles into year‑round coordinator positions. Administrators said roughly 40 percent of the new positions’ costs could be covered by initial grant funding, and that the overall realignment would save the district about $40,000 annually compared with the prior staffing configuration.
Finance director Simone (referenced in the committee report) provided a preliminary FY2026 budget review and said the district is awaiting the outcome of the state legislative omnibus bills; staff hoped to have updated numbers at the next committee meeting. Board members asked for continued clarity about long‑term funding and the timeline for adoptions; Member Lofeld and others praised the committee presentations.
No final school board authorization for curriculum purchases was recorded in the transcript; the presentation and estimated costs were described as part of committee reporting and appear on future action and consent agenda planning.
