Board accepts Native American Parent Advisory Committee's vote of nonconcurrence; NAPAC urges action on achievement gap and data accuracy

The South Saint Paul School Board accepted a vote of nonconcurrence from the district's Native American Parent Advisory Committee (NAPAC) at its Feb. 24 meeting, formally acknowledging the committee's view that the district has not yet met the educational needs of Native American students.

Amy Winter presented the committee's findings to the board on behalf of NAPAC, and the board accepted the vote 7-0. The committee said it conducted its annual review in accordance with state requirements and concluded that persistent disparities remain in academic achievement, daily attendance and graduation rates for Native American students.

What NAPAC asked for: The committee urged the district to prioritize recommendations it previously submitted and to address inaccurate or incomplete data collection that impedes targeted interventions. The committee noted some improvement in data collection but said more action is needed to close the achievement gap.

Board response and next steps: Chair Heumann and other board members thanked NAPAC representatives for their work and committed to reviewing and addressing the concerns. The board accepted the committee's vote to make its recommendations part of the district's planning process but did not adopt any specific remedies at the Feb. 24 meeting.

Ending: NAPAC members who attended the meeting included co-chair Renee Davis; Amy Winter said the committee wants the board to follow through on previously proposed steps to narrow disparities and improve data accuracy.