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Board hears proposal to adopt BAR model after state offers three-year grant; staff ask for one extra PD day
Summary
District administrators told the board the state offered a three-year BAR (Building Assets & Reducing Risks) grant to fund implementation across buildings and asked the board to permit district participation and to approve one additional professional development day paid by the district (approx. $15,000) so staff can complete BAR training.
District administrators asked the board to approve participation in the BAR (Building Assets & Reducing Risks) model, reporting that the state has offered a three-year grant to cover implementation costs. Administration described BAR as an intensive, relationship-focused intervention that requires pre-service training and periodic in-school coaching and would be implemented across elementary, middle and high schools over three years.
Officials said the state's offer would make Vermillion the only district in South Dakota to receive that three-year BAR grant, and they requested board permission to proceed. They also asked the board to approve an additional in-service day to be paid by the district (estimated at about $15,000) so teachers can complete BAR training without sacrificing essential classroom preparation time. "We have basically been offered a 3 year grant — to invest in BAR to come to Vermillion and work strictly with our kids and our staff," an administrator said.
Administrators described BAR's goals as improving engagement, attendance and academic outcomes through intentional teacher collaboration and purposeful conversations about every student. They said the model requires an upfront investment of staff time during the first year and ongoing coaching visits and that published BAR literature shows improvements in attendance and academic measures in other districts.
Board members asked clarifying questions about the cadence of training across the three years, state oversight and the district's financial commitment. Administration described year-one requirements (two pre-service days, four in-year days and coaching visits), a reduced training footprint in subsequent years, and the district's role in funding the requested extra PD day. One board member described the $15,000 district investment as modest compared with the $240,000 per-year state funding being offered.
The board took no final public vote recorded in the speaker transcript text beyond inclusion of the item in the packaged motion later in the meeting; the administration said it would keep the board updated on implementation details and costs.
