Junior‑high principal highlights PBIS gains, GoGuardian rollout and staffing as budget drivers

Jason Briggs, the junior‑high principal, told the board the school’s budget increase is driven primarily by staffing and supports designed to improve attendance, behavior and academic readiness.

Briggs emphasized positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), expanded professional development, and targeted interventions that aim to keep students in district placements rather than more costly out‑of‑district placements. "It's not about the programs ... it's about the people," he said, noting salaries and benefits comprise the bulk of junior-high expenses.

The principal also described technology safeguards and behavioral-education efforts: the junior high plans to use GoGuardian to let teachers monitor student Chromebook activity in class and to implement a vape‑education program intended as an educational alternative to punitive discipline. Briggs said chromebooks are locked down on the district network and GoGuardian will be deployed for grades 7–8; he noted a setup fee and optional professional development from the vendor.

Briggs reviewed line items the board had questions about, including contracted services (a shared school resource officer and shared JMG teacher) and modest textbook or materials increases tied to curriculum updates. He said the junior high shares staff and resources across district buildings to stay fiscally efficient and to deliver interventions where needed.

Board members asked technical questions about GoGuardian’s ability to detect VPNs or student hotspots; Briggs said the district‑managed Chromebooks are locked to the school network and staff have not encountered VPN bypasses on school devices.

The presentation concluded with a reminder that people — teachers, support staff and coaches — account for most of the budget and that continued investment in staff underlies academic and behavioral gains shown in the diagnostics presented earlier.