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District updates Bridgeway career learning and operations; leaders ask for community mentors
Summary
Administrators reported mid-year operational highlights, Bridgeway career-learning progress and cybersecurity protections, and asked the community for mentors to support students at the Bridgeway program and career hub.
Superintendent Rick Stinson and operations staff presented a mid-year update on district operations, student-centered learning and career-program developments, highlighting the Bridgeway competency-based Career Learning Program and asking the community to help recruit mentors.
Administrators described Bridgeway as an alternative, competency-based model that currently serves students who benefit from non-traditional high-school programming. The district reported 19 students enrolled in Bridgeway’s career-learning classes for the second semester and administrators said the hub model allows students easier access to electives such as welding, culinary and mechatronics, which staff said increases student engagement and attendance.
“Joe talked about the need for mentors,” a district staff presenter said, describing a Champions Committee presentation in which Bridgeway staff emphasized mentorship as a high-impact intervention for at-risk students. The district asked community members with a variety of backgrounds to volunteer as mentors — staff said the single most important attribute is a consistent, caring adult presence rather than a narrowly defined technical skill.
Administrators also summarized mid-year operational work: continued implementation of MTSS (multi-tiered systems of support), use of FastBridge screening data tied to teacher planning days, and efforts to align schedules and staffing to reduce lost instructional time. The district reported an IT incident in which an external actor attempted to access a finance system but was stopped by two-factor authentication; the district said no data breach resulted and credited the technology team for the defense.
On recruitment and retention the administration described pilot work to improve substitute-teacher processes, efforts to make some roles easier to apply for via QR codes and a continued shortage of substitute teachers; administrators said principals, instructional coaches and secretaries sometimes fill short-term coverage gaps.
Finance staff presented planning assumptions used for budget development, noting the district’s fund-balance policy seeks to maintain a reserve between 11% and 16%. Staff said final state revenue figures are uncertain because this is a legislative year and the district is starting with conservative enrollment and revenue estimates while preparing multiple scenarios.
Board members asked clarifying questions about outcomes from FastBridge screening and about the Bridgeway program’s effectiveness; staff described Bridgeway’s competency model and said community mentors would help increase students’ confidence and connection to postsecondary pathways. Sean Johns of Alexandria Technical and Community College joined Champions Committee discussion about pathways to ATCC programs.
Administrators asked the community to consider becoming mentors for Bridgeway students. The district said mentors may come from many walks of life — the key attribute the district seeks is a dependable adult who will invest time, not a narrowly defined technical credential.
The board acknowledged the program’s early results and encouraged continued outreach to partners, while administrators said they will present further budget and staffing details as planning continues.
