Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Superintendent Report topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Interim superintendent highlights community outreach and student research on recycling
Summary
Interim Superintendent Dr. Hoffman summarized outreach with about 256 secondary students, staff and parents, citing strengths (extracurriculars, pathways) and challenges (disconnection, bullying). High school student Erin Tuck presented AP research showing mixed student willingness to recycle and recommended starting with paper recycling.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Hoffman used his superintendent report at the May 28 meeting to lay out findings from weeks of outreach with students, staff and parents and to set priorities for rebuilding trust and strengthening student connection.
Dr. Hoffman said he had spoken directly with roughly 256 secondary students and reviewed survey feedback from teachers and community members. "The students really consistently express that they want stronger connection," he said, noting common themes: engagement through extracurricular activities and pathways, but pervasive concerns about students spending too much time on computers and feeling disconnected from adults in the building.
The superintendent said staff repeatedly requested stability and professional trust, and parents emphasized safety and stronger communication. To respond, he described steps already taken, including shifting professional-development time to increase teacher ownership and completing a districtwide bullying recognition and response training in March. He invited parents and community members to participate in ongoing follow-up work posted on the district website.
The report also featured student voices. Erin Tuck presented an AP research poster on recycling-bin design and student engagement. "For my research project, I did it on high school students and recycling bin design," she said, and reported that about half of respondents said having input into bin design would increase their willingness to recycle. Tuck described preferences for simple, familiar designs in green or blue with clear recycling symbols and suggested the district start by prioritizing paper recycling and use contests or PSAs to boost participation.
During Q&A, the director of facilities explained the district contract with Republic includes a recycle dumpster and that paper and cardboard are captured, but classroom sorting is inconsistent: custodial staff sometimes find mixed cans and trash in recycling containers. The director said, "We do recycle to a degree. Could it be better? Yes." Dr. Hoffman and board members said they would follow up on practical next steps such as piloting paper-only recycling and looking at building-level practices.
The superintendent closed by reiterating a request for continued communication and community partnership as the district develops longer-term strategies to improve belonging and student supports.
