Board committee approves Start College Now applications, 2025-26 professional development plan and 7 Mindsets renewal

The Wisconsin Rapids School District board on April 14 approved committee recommendations to permit five students to enroll in Start College Now courses at Mid-State Technical College this fall, adopt the district professional development plan and calendar for the 2025–26 school year, and renew the 7 Mindsets social-emotional learning curriculum for grades 6–12.

The Education Services Committee, represented at the meeting by committee chair Elizabeth, Roxanne Filts (Director of Teaching and Learning) and others, presented the items as a package of four action items (ES1–ES4). The committee recommended approval of five Start College Now applications for students to take four courses at Mid-State Technical College in fall 2025. Filts presented the professional development plan and the proposed PD calendar for 2025–26, describing coordination with the district strategic plan and input from the quality educator committee, curriculum coordinators and administrative teams. The board also voted to renew the 7 Mindsets program for the 2025–26 school year at a cost not to exceed $39,000, to be paid from the district mental health grant and the comprehensive coordinated early intervening services fund.

The approved PD calendar maintains hybrid professional development days and allows teachers flexibility for record-keeping and summer preparation. Under the adopted plan, teachers remain contracted for 190 days, with five designated PD days; teachers may choose one in-service day between Aug. 11 and Aug. 22 to prepare classrooms or attend summer institute training. The plan also allocates PD credit for completing required district training outside scheduled hours and provides specific PD-hour credits for elementary and secondary reading and building-level trainings.

The 7 Mindsets renewal includes the curriculum and its base education platform intended to provide personalized learning pathways for students needing tier 2 and tier 3 interventions. Steve Hepp, director of people services, said the renewal would be funded through grant sources already identified; the motion specified a not-to-exceed cost of $39,000.

Board members moved and seconded the combined motion to approve ES1 through ES4; the motion carried. The board did not record individual amendments to the items during the meeting.

The approvals finalize committee recommendations and put the PD schedule, Start College Now participation and the 7 Mindsets renewal into the 2025–26 planning and budget process. Implementation details, including participant names for the Start College Now applications and scheduling specifics, were presented to the committee and documented in committee materials but were not read in full during the board motion.

Members asked no additional questions in open session before the vote.