Battle Ground schools begin year amid data migration, HVAC issues and new construction‑trades planning
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Summary
District staff told the board start‑of‑school operations face technical and facility hiccups after a Skyward data migration, reported increased enrollment at primary grades, and announced an engineering contract to launch a construction‑trades program phase 1.
School leaders told the Battle Ground School District Board on Aug. 25 that the district will open schools on schedule despite several operational challenges tied to a month‑end migration to the Skyward system and isolated building issues.
Superintendent Shelly and staff described the Skyward migration as a major background task that limited staff access during the final summer weeks and left several third‑party integrations (attendance reporting, payroll encumbrances and other modules) still under validation. "We had two weeks where we really didn't have access to our data… until we actually do it, we're the largest district in Southwest Washington that has rolled all components of Skyward into the new cumulative system," said Michelle Lee, staff member (finance). IS staff member Michael Clark was singled out for extra work to reestablish connections with third‑party vendors.
Practical impacts and mitigations - Attendance reporting: staff cited an integration with the district’s attendance tool (referred to in the meeting as Thrillshare) and recommended parents use the First Student FirstView app to check bus times because GPS data from First Student may be more reliable during the first days of school. - HVAC: Yackel Primary’s HVAC was expected to operate at roughly 75% capacity on opening day; the district planned early‑morning cleaning, window airing and use of fans until replacement parts restore full capacity. - Cascadia Tech/Evergreen: Nearby Evergreen Public Schools delayed its start by a week. The district said this could affect students who attend Cascadia Tech and that any impact on instructional minutes will be tracked; short absences under a week can sometimes be covered by waiver if instructional minutes meet requirements.
Enrollment and staffing Staff reported an enrollment increase (an estimated 160–170 students above budgeted projections) concentrated in primary grades, with some increases in middle school and uncertain counts at the high‑school level due to running start and Cascadia Tech mixes. To manage roster uncertainty, the district said it built shadow classrooms into master schedules to allow quick adjustments once counts stabilize.
Construction trades program Superintendent and staff noted that an engineering contract with Robert Feit’s Engineering Company for a construction‑trades program phase 1 appears on the consent agenda and will proceed following administrative approvals. The district said the work is funded by the capital levy and will start at Battle Ground High School.
Staff changes and new hires Teaching and learning staff introduced Nadia Bush as the new director of programs and compliance; the board approved program approvals on the consent agenda. HR reported the district is close to filling most vacancies but still has two staff on the reduction‑in‑force recall list and has posted K–8 elementary positions to meet certification needs.
What happens next District staff said they will continue to monitor integrations, deployment and staffing during the first week of classes and will report operational updates at future board meetings.
Speakers who addressed operational topics included Superintendent Shelly; Michelle Lee, staff member (finance); IS staff member Michael Clark (mentioned); Lanelle (teaching and learning staff); and Nadia Bush (new director of programs and compliance).
