Superintendent Rizzo Saunders briefed the board on student recognition, district events and strategic-plan progress and led a curriculum-related discussion about priorities including a possible dual-language program.

Saunders reported that the Kennett Middle School Student Assistance Program received a county-level Outstanding Team award and listed outreach and appreciation activities held for staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. She said the strategic-plan subcommittee’s work is near completion and that the administration will provide an early draft of the plan in the coming weeks; an administrative retreat in late June will begin work to translate the plan into departmental goals.

Saunders described Kennett Day activities, including visits from alumni and touring events for prospective kindergarten families, and highlighted student participation in district travel to sporting and music events. She noted several music students advanced to regional and state-level performances and that two students represented the district at the All-Easterns event.

On curriculum matters, a district presentation to the curriculum committee covered curriculum mapping, an instructional model, and a “portrait of a graduate” developed with guiding questions. Board members pressed administration on priorities including early-reading instruction (K–2), strengthening elementary science and social studies, and expanding future-ready opportunities.

Board members and the superintendent discussed a proposed dual-language (immersion) program. Saunders said full implementation would likely require 7–10 years primarily because of difficulties recruiting bilingual teachers and added administration may pursue phased approaches that begin in lower grades while working to recruit staff, potentially including international recruitment.

The superintendent said the board’s direction favors multi-language programming but emphasized staffing and resource constraints would govern the timeline.

The administration scheduled further curriculum-committee work, including a strategic-plan update on May 19 and a special meeting June 16 to review a 10-year historical analysis of district data.