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Brandon Valley School District 49-2 readies schools as construction, meal policy and enrollment converge ahead of term
Summary
Superintendent Larson told the board that elementary and middle school construction is nearing key milestones, the district will again cover reduced-meal costs for eligible families this year, and tentative enrollment is just over 5,200 students ahead of the official September count.
Superintendent Larson told the Brandon Valley School District 49-2 board that campus construction and school-start logistics are on track but will require operational adjustments as students return.
Larson said Portland Valley Elementary "continues to progress," with trades on site and steel and masonry work advanced on the east side of the building. He reported the Brown Valley Middle School addition is "wrapping up" and that the parking lot has been completed; light poles and other finishing items are expected in the coming days. Larson said hard surfacing near the middle school kitchen on the west side is complete and advised families to follow safety signage and adjusted pickup/drop-off directions.
The update also covered district programming and staffing: Larson thanked community partners, including the local library and Pizza Ranch, for supporting the summer reading program and praised custodial and maintenance crews completing summer punch-list work. He outlined the 2025–26 professional development plan and invited curriculum committee members to an Aug. 15 teacher-leadership summit that will feature keynote speakers from local law enforcement.
Larson announced the district will again cover the cost of reduced-price meals for families who qualify this school year but added a caveat that the policy "may not always be possible" in future years. He described the application process and timing: prior-year applications remain valid for about 30 days into the new school year, and processing is "generally within the week," although direct-certification cases can vary.
On calendar items, Larson said staff in-service begins the next day, the all-staff welcome is scheduled for Aug. 19, and the first full day for grades 1–12 is Aug. 20, with early childhood and kindergarten starting later. He gave a tentative enrollment snapshot of just over 5,200 students and reminded the board that the official count is the last Friday of September.
"Slow down, take your time, and arrive safely," Larson said, urging caution during traffic and construction impacts.
The board did not take formal action on the update; the superintendent’s report was informational and followed by a short question-and-answer exchange about meal-application turnaround time.
