Maple Ridge reports stronger test scores, unveils new playground and celebrates first multicultural night

Principal Steger told the South Madison Com Sch Corp board on Monday that Maple Ridge Elementary posted gains across early-grade benchmarks and celebrated community engagement events this year.

Steger said kindergarten through second-grade NWEA growth outpaced projections last school year — kindergarten grew 18 points versus a 14-point projection, first grade grew 17 points versus a 13-point projection, and second grade averaged 17 points versus a 12-point projection. She said the school’s third- through sixth-grade iLearn and iRead results also exceeded several state averages, crediting curriculum adoption, targeted interventions and instructional coaches for the improvements. "In 2025 the state iRead pass rate was 87 percent, and we had 97 percent of our students passing that third-grade test," Steger said.

The report also covered nonacademic investments. Steger described a new playground installed this year — funded through school fundraising and community support — that includes traditional elements such as a merry-go-round and teeter-totters. She said the playground has been well used by students and by families in the adjacent Maple Trails neighborhood.

Steger and staff also presented Maple Ridge's first multicultural night, organized in partnership with the Title I family outreach program and high-school classes. English-language-learner teacher Megan Reth said 12 families hosted booths, two students performed cultural dances and the event drew about 206 participants representing roughly 15 languages. "We welcomed 206 participants in our very first year," Reth said, describing the event as a community-wide collaboration involving art, music and food.

Two student participants described the event from a child’s perspective. Avner said, "It felt fun. It felt like I'm traveling outside the world when I'm still in the school," and encouraged the school to hold the event again.

Board members thanked principal and staff for the report and for the outreach that drew family involvement. The board held no formal vote on the principal’s report; the presentation concluded with an invitation for photos in the lobby.

The presentation and data were offered to the board as informational, with school leadership noting continued emphasis on interventions and curricular supports to sustain growth.