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Baldwin Elementary proposes STEAM program option, board asks implementation questions
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Summary
Baldwin Elementary Principal Christie Luper presented a plan to convert Baldwin into a district STEAM program option beginning the 2027–28 school year, citing strong staff and family support and partnerships for teacher training; trustees praised the vision and asked about curriculum, staffing and outcome measures.
Baldwin Elementary Principal Christie Luper told the Oak Grove School District Board on April 16 that Baldwin is prepared to become a districtwide STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) program option, with a target rollout for January 2027 enrollment for the 2027–28 school year. Luper said Baldwin has spent six years building the plan, developing partnerships with the Tech Interactive and local providers and piloting practices in TK–6 classrooms.
"We really wanted to inspire creative problem solvers and innovative thinkers," Luper said, noting that a staff and family engagement process produced strong backing: about 93.8% of Baldwin teachers support the change and roughly 98% of surveyed families said they are interested in enrolling their students in a STEAM option.
The presentation included site data: Baldwin has 455 students, of whom the presenter listed 193 Hispanic/Latino students, 156 Asian students, 45 students of two or more races, 112 identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged and 54 English learners. Luper said the program will use the district’s board-adopted curriculum and “infuse” STEAM design challenges rather than replace core curricula in math and science.
Assistant Superintendent Anna and Principal Luper described a two-year professional-development plan with the Tech Interactive to train teachers and build common design-challenge language across grades. Luper said the school will continue board-adopted curriculum materials (for example, board-adopted math and science texts) while adjusting units to include STEAM approaches.
Trustees asked about enrollment caps, staffing, sustainability of outside partnerships and how outcomes will be measured. Luper replied that Baldwin would be a whole-school program option: students living in the Baldwin attendance area would continue to enroll automatically, and other district students could apply through the program-option process. She said about one-third of Baldwin’s staff already has Tech Interactive training and that measurement would use the district’s usual assessment tools, while recognizing a broader set of benefits such as increased critical thinking and engagement that may not immediately map to test scores.
Board members expressed broad enthusiasm and appreciation for the community engagement and long-term planning. The item was informational; the board did not take a vote on program approval at the meeting. Board staff will bring further implementation details and any required policy or enrollment changes to the board as the planning advances.
