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Superintendent reports steady attendance, flags ADA and SPED needs
Summary
Superintendent Keith told the Poplar School District board that first-semester attendance averaged about 85%, praised expanded counseling services and food-pantry work, and urged the board to address ADA-compliance bathroom work and teacher housing ahead of spring planning.
Superintendent Keith reported to the Poplar School District board that the first semester closed with an overall attendance rate of about 85% and that school staff had "more counseling services in the middle school," which he described as a priority for student safety and wellness. He told the board physical aggressions and fights have been "minimal" and said staff continue to focus on social-emotional support alongside academics.
Keith said the district must address outstanding ADA compliance work, including unfinished bathroom renovations, and asked the board to "talk to Mike" about getting that work done. He also warned the board to watch teacher housing and turnover going into the second semester: "We're full with teacher housing. We don't have anything available," he said, urging planning to avoid staffing gaps.
At the same time, the board heard several staff updates on student supports. Morgan, who presented enrollment and program details, said the district is exploring locker options for an incoming fifth-grade cohort of 78 students and described progress expanding a discreet food-pantry program, crediting staff member Jess for organization: "Jess has really stepped up and done a really good job getting us getting that up and going," Morgan said. Staff said the pantry now uses drawstring bags to reduce stigma and plans to distribute pantry items alongside backpack meal programs.
Special-education staff told the board they are testing students across grades K'12 and reevaluating students due for review; the district reported high IEP counts in several grades (roughly one in four in some classes) and noted Head Start enrollment has declined since the pandemic. A staff member said the district provides on-campus and online speech therapy and that a speech-path assistant is on-site multiple days per week.
Board members requested more data for parent review, particularly around kindergarten leveling and classroom placements, and asked staff to return with comparative data from prior years. The superintendent closed that portion of the agenda by saying the district will continue to prioritize early identification and support: "We try to meet the individuals who they need," he said.
