Big Lake board approves middle-school fee increase, new ELA adoption, SEL program and transportation contract

At its regular meeting, the Big Lake Public School District board voted to raise the middle‑school activity fee for the 2025–26 school year, adopt new English language arts materials for middle school, approve a social‑emotional learning curriculum for K–12, and ratify a multi‑year transportation contract.

The board approved a one‑year increase in the middle‑school participation fee from $99 to $125 for the 2025–26 school year after a staff presentation and board discussion about budget parity with neighboring districts and protections for low‑income families. Activities director Mark Quiesley said the district compared fee levels with other Mississippi 8 schools and found Big Lake “way behind” and proposed a phased catch‑up. Quiesley and other administrators told the board the district will track participation and the use of fee waivers and reductions and report back next spring on whether the change affected low‑income students’ participation.

Board members discussed communications and access: they asked staff to add reduced/waiver information to the online registration page and to alert families when the increase is posted so households that qualify for free or reduced fees can apply. Quiesley said the district already applies existing free/reduced eligibility during registration and that staff will provide a historic breakdown of participation by free/reduced status to the board next year.

On curriculum, the board approved adoption of Amplify ELA for grades 6–8. District staff and the middle‑school ELA adoption committee told the board the choice aligns with the district’s K–5 CKLA materials and the new Minnesota ELA standards. Curriculum staff described Amplify as a content‑specific, cumulative program with digital and pencil‑and‑paper options and built‑in differentiation. The board also approved a buyback/upgrade plan for CKLA to the third…