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Teachers tell board Level 4 students need specialized settings; MDE offered regional crisis team
Summary
Classroom staff told the board that students who require Level 4 supports need separate wraparound services and settings and that current district resources are insufficient.
At the start of the meeting, Speaker 1 told the board that students who "fall into that bracket of level 4 need a different wrap around, need a completely different setting than the general education setting." Speaker 1 added, "I feel like I'm failing them because I can't provide all the needs that they need" (SEG 001'SEG 008), a direct statement of staff concern about meeting high-need students in current settings.
Speaker 2 said the Minnesota Department of Education offered a regional crisis team to "take over for our staff while planning can be done and in place" and that MDE sent some immediate supports the district could use now (SEG 011'SEG 016; SEG 044'SEG 046). When asked whether MDE provided a timeframe for a regional Level 4 facility, Speaker 2 said they did not but that they would follow up with "Matt" at the end of the week (SEG 040'SEG 045).
Speaker 2 also told the board that when district staff presented Southpointe work from 2022'23 to MDE (Sonia Duffy), MDE acknowledged the district's MTSS work but appeared surprised by the district's lack of a full Level 4 tier, which the presenter said was "eye opening" and reason for continued follow-up (SEG 062'SEG 074). Speaker 5 noted that the Northeast region recently broke ground on a Level 4 facility and pointed to at least one site near Duluth, indicating regional activity though no local completion date was offered (SEG 076'SEG 083).
What happens next: staff said they will continue pursuing the issue with MDE and will report back on any timeline. The transcript records staff requests for additional supports and a pledge to follow up, but it does not record a board vote or commitment to a specific facility plan.
