Central SD 13J reviews performance metrics, rolls out attendance postcards; brief hold at CHS due to toy weapon

District staff on March 3 presented the board with updates on performance metrics, attendance and curriculum work, and announced a new weekly attendance-postcard program intended to notify families of student absences.

Executive Director Heilman (presenting strategic-plan metrics) told trustees that the district’s regular-attendance rate through January was about 65% overall, with 60% for students experiencing disabilities and 60% for economically disadvantaged students — all modest declines from the prior year. Heilman described a new postcard campaign that "will give families and legal guardians a visual of their students' attendance every week," and said the district would track who opens digital communications to prioritize follow-up.

Leaders reported mixed results on winter universal screeners and growth measures: third-grade reading and math winter results were below the district’s goals, while some middle-grade reading measures showed improvement. Heilman and other staff emphasized continued work on curriculum alignment, PLCs (professional learning communities), tiered interventions and a planned math adoption implementation in the 2025–26 school year.

Superintendent (name given in the meeting transcript as the district superintendent) told the board that at about 8 a.m. the district placed Central High School and nearby district buildings into a hold — a standard safety protocol — after a law-enforcement response. "Local law enforcement officers quickly located the individual in question and determined that the object in question was a toy in the shape of a weapon. There was no threats to students, staff, or community," the superintendent said. The hold was lifted at about 8:30 a.m.; parent and community notices were sent after the all-clear.

Board members asked for additional detail on attendance trends (noting seasonal sickness patterns), the effectiveness of interventions and a follow-up report on how postcard recipients engage with the weekly notices. Trustees also heard a first reading of a proposed policy change based on an Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) recommendation to narrow directory information and limit personally identifiable information released by the district; board leadership said the policy change is a first reading and will return for final action at a later meeting.

Separately, the board approved two calendar actions earlier in the meeting: an adjustment to the 2024–25 calendar to use two snow makeup days, and adoption of the 2025–26 calendar options; both calendar votes passed 6–0 earlier in the meeting.