Itasca Area Schools Collaborative outlines career pathways, special-education co-op and sharp cuts to preschool program

Jackie Skelly, executive director of the Itasca Area Schools Collaborative, and Darla Rani, director of early learning for the collaborative, presented an overview of IASC’s programs and described steep reductions planned for preschool services after a long-running Blandin Foundation grant winds down.

Skelly told the board that IASC provides four main services—career pathways, technology services, special-education cooperative services and early-learning programs—and that the collaborative’s model uses district contributions, grants/donations and business partnerships to sustain programs. She said career pathways participation includes all seven partner districts this year, and that the collaborative has added high-demand courses such as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) course.

Rani outlined current early-learning operations and the funding mix that supports them, and then summarized program changes being planned for next year. IASC currently operates 18 preschool classrooms across four Itasca County districts (seven classrooms in the Grand Rapids area), 22 early childhood family education (ECFE)…