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Student cabinet, Infinite Campus and career‑tech updates presented to Barnes County North board
Summary
A student cabinet member and school administrators reported on mental‑health, a flex schedule used at Northern Cass, planned Infinite Campus rollout, AI training for staff, a proposal for online-safety curriculum and progress on a vocational center under construction.
At the Dec. 18 meeting, the Barnes County North School Board heard a student‑cabinet report and several administrative updates on curriculum, technology and the district’s vocational center construction.
Student cabinet member Ian Elston described the superintendent’s cabinet discussions, including student support for proposals on total bans, mental‑health and wellness priorities, and a flex schedule model used at Northern Cass High that provides studio periods and choice time. "It gives our students more control over what they're doing," Elston said, describing two‑hour 'studio' blocks that expose students to career pathways such as mechanics, theater and agriculture.
An administrator reported recent student activities (FCCLA community service, court and career‑expo trips) and described the district’s planned move to Infinite Campus, a platform intended to consolidate multiple current systems into one. The administrator said the state’s implementation package may include tools similar to Schoology and cautioned that roll‑out will require attention to training and configuration.
Staff also discussed a proposal to engage the Social Institute to provide curriculum on online safety and digital citizenship after two recent incidents of student blackmail at the high school. The board asked administrators to gather more information and suggested convening a small review or task force to assess curriculum fit and cost.
On facilities, administrators gave a construction update for the career‑tech/shop project: deliveries are mostly on schedule, two minor issues (a gym height discrepancy and a six‑inch offset in concrete plans) have been identified, and the contract end date remains July 30. The district reported about $153,000 set aside for change orders, with roughly $39,000 spent so far and much of the remaining balance reserved for equipment purchases.
Board members thanked presenters and requested additional cost estimates and implementation plans for proposed programs, including any impacts on staffing and curriculum before pursuing contracts.
