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MACCRAY board hears enrollment, testing and special-education staffing update
Summary
Superintendent-level staff presented enrollment numbers, third-grade class-size monitoring and special-education hiring updates; the board heard that overall attendance is 94.4% and third grade currently has two sections of 23 students each while staff continue recruiting special-education teachers.
The MACCRAY School District received an update on enrollment, testing preparation and staffing at its regular board meeting. Staff reported that kindergarten and preschool registration is underway and third-grade enrollment is being actively monitored as the district prepares for statewide MCA testing.
The report, delivered after the board observed an FFA parliamentary demonstration, focused on third-grade class sizes and supports for students preparing for the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. "We had about 80% of our kids sign up so far," the presenter said when summarizing kindergarten/preschool registration efforts. The presenter also described MCA Academy after-school sessions for third graders as "reading for the first half hour, second half hour math" and said the program typically retains about six to seven students per session.
Why it matters: Board members pressed staff on class-size plans and special-education capacity because those factors affect individualized support and state reading targets by third grade. The presenter reported that third grade currently has two sections of 23 students and that the district is "actively watching the third grade" to determine whether an additional section or staff adjustment is needed before school starts.
On attendance and outcomes, the presenter said overall attendance remains high at 94.4% and acknowledged a small subset of students with excessive absences. "If you miss 10% of the school year, then you are considered habitually truant," the presenter said, noting the district's tiered response: contact at three absences, a meeting at seven, and county notification when thresholds are met.
The board also heard program-level details. Staff said MCA Academy uses state-provided passages and question sets, splits time between reading and math, and supplements instruction with targeted skill work (for example, focusing reading on cause-and-effect or math on multiplication and geometry). Participation is voluntary; staff noted incentives such as a pizza party to encourage attendance.
Special education and staffing: The presenter told the board the district has hired two special-education teachers and plans additional interviews later in the week to fill remaining needs. "We're moving; for hiring we're ahead of the game," the presenter said. Board members asked how caseloads will be balanced and whether class sections will remain below desired caps; staff said they will add paras and coordinate schedules to ensure targeted support.
Other items in the report included the DARE graduation led by Deputy Shawn Joyce, an author visit by Kevin Lovegreen, and the Read Across McCray initiative (staff reported 192,487 minutes read and roughly $13,000 raised to support school activities). Staff said funds raised go to licensing, author visits, field trips, kindergarten shirts and other student supports.
Where this goes next: Staff will continue monitoring third-grade enrollment and return to the board if class-size changes are needed. Hiring updates and the results of scheduled special-education interviews were listed as items to be reported at a future meeting.
