Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Administration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Superintendent reports enrollment dip, curriculum training and new handbook draft
Summary
At the Oct. 28 Lake of the Woods School District board meeting, Superintendent Mary Merch reported K—2 enrollment at 428 (down three since September), described teacher training through Serve Minnesota's Bridge to Read, proposed a board handbook draft based on MSBA materials, and outlined committee consolidation plans and a part-time custodial position.
Superintendent Mary Merch told the board on Oct. 28 that district K—2 enrollment stands at 428, down three students from the September report; the elementary (K—) was up two and the high school was down five. She said the district has had staffing challenges with substitutes but has several hires on the agenda and is seeking a part-time custodial position to reduce reliance on seasonal help and to cover snow removal and bus-garage needs.
Merch described a recent School Forest tour that allowed board members, teachers and buildings-and-grounds staff to inspect trails and discuss planting trees as snow buffers and possible future trail work. She said the tour provided perspective but did not produce formal board decisions.
On curriculum and staff development, Merch said elementary teachers have engaged in Bridge to Read training through Serve Minnesota, with free continuing workshops scheduled; she encouraged use of PBIS inventory work to support grant applications. She noted upcoming parent-teacher conferences on Nov. 7 and 12 and a Veterans Day program on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. in the auditorium.
Merch presented a draft board handbook created from materials produced by the Minnesota School Boards Association and asked the board whether to implement it; she proposed bringing a redlined, district-specific version back in November for review and suggested using the district website to link to policies rather than reproduce lengthy narratives.
On governance, Merch recommended streamlining several committees (for example, combining facilities and transportation, and merging athletics with community education and wellness) and formalizing expected meeting frequencies and purposes ahead of the January organizational meeting. She said some committees that meet rarely could be eliminated or combined to reduce administrative overhead.
The superintendent also outlined outreach tied to a planned referendum, including a pancake feed and presentations to neighboring cities, and said the district has been running targeted media to increase public awareness.
