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Brandon Valley superintendent touts strong proficiency, outlines facilities plan and warns of legislative funding pressure
Summary
Superintendent Larson presented the district's State of Schools report, saying Brandon Valley schools outperform state averages and citing plans for a new elementary, a middle-school addition and a bond for the intermediate school while warning that pending state bills could tighten funding.
Superintendent Larson told the Brandon Valley School District 49-2 board that the district's schools continue to perform above state averages and outlined facility projects and budget risks the district faces going into the next legislative session.
"The Brandon Valley School District maintains proficiency rates 20 to 24 percentage points higher than state averages," Larson said in the State of Schools presentation, and later urged the community to "be proud, not satisfied." He also said the district's on-time graduation rate is 97 percent, with high school completion at 99 percent, compared with statewide rates of 86 percent and 91 percent respectively.
Larson walked the board through grade-level proficiency figures and district trends, noting that third- and fourth-grade ELA and math proficiency hovered in the low- to mid-70s (third-grade ELA just over 71%, third-grade math just over 73%; fourth-grade ELA about 75%, fourth-grade math about 77%). He clarified that "proficiency" is determined by the Smarter Balanced assessment (scores of 3 or 4) and that the state sets cut scores.
The superintendent described major facilities work: district property has been set aside for a Westside elementary to relieve capacity at Fred Assam and Inspiration elementaries; the board is planning a bond for Brandon Valley Intermediate; and current projects include the elementary renovation/construct project and a middle-school classroom addition, both targeted to open in fall 2026. Larson said the middle-school addition will increase capacity from about 900 to 1,200 and that wings were designed so they can be extended later.
Larson credited debt-management strategies and capital outlay certificates for allowing the district to complete projects "with no increase to the respective tax rate." He framed the district's approach around its strategic plan priorities: student achievement, staff development, facilities planning (BV Vision 2040), fiscal responsibility and family/community relations.
Looking ahead, Larson said the district met its 2025-26 enrollment projection and expects growth in the next year, estimating between roughly 50 and 80 additional students as staff refine projections. He cautioned that the upcoming legislative session could reduce funding; as an example he cited a local line that he described as "going up 9%... it's gonna be like a 100,000 ish," underscoring fiscal uncertainty that could affect programs and staffing.
In question-and-answer exchanges, board members asked how proficiency is measured and whether the district tracks postsecondary outcomes. Larson and high school principal Jared said the district receives limited first-year postsecondary metrics from state institutions and will gather additional information for the board.
The board took no formal action on the State of Schools presentation; Larson closed by reiterating that the district has "a lot to be proud of" while emphasizing continued improvement.
