Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Principal Ken DeCoster told the board Big Fork School is midyear, reported retirements and screening results, described curriculum implementations (Wit & Wisdom and UFLY), and said the district plans to expand career internships into health-care pathways.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
District staff asked the board to endorse conservative budget assumptions — including a working 2.7% adjustment — flagged retiree insurance cost risk and set a schedule for February and March work sessions ahead of a June budget adoption.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
Staff told the board that a state shift from form-based counts to direct certification reduced compensatory revenue for the district; a "harvest provision" trimmed the projected loss but Speaker 1 estimated the district's difference at about $2,000,000 and urged advocacy to preserve funding levels.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
A school presentation to the Grand Rapids board reported that 61% of third graders at East Elementary require academic intervention and that 25% of students have IEPs; the principal described intervention groups, a new behavior interventionist position, and plans for leadership-team follow-up.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
At its organizational meeting the Grand Rapids Public School District board elected David Cowan chair, confirmed David Marty as clerk and Ashley Goodman as treasurer by acclamation, designated Julie Rasmussen as deputy clerk, and approved the 2026 calendar and multiple routine organizational items including financial depositories and board pay rates.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
The board adopted the district’s final 2025 levy, reviewed annual policy items and approved several policy first readings; Policy 712 (digital surveillance) was presented as a first reading and will return for action at a subsequent meeting.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
District staff identified persistent shortages of education support professionals and higher early‑childhood special‑education referrals; the board approved posting a special‑education teacher for JL Middle School and a cross‑categorical ABD position at West Rapids Elementary, citing 70–80% potential state reimbursement.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
District staff presented the inaugural Comprehensive Achievement and Civic Readiness (CACR) and Achievement & Integration (ANI) reports required by 2024 legislation, citing preschool screening gains, high graduation rates, and strategies to close racial and economic achievement gaps. The board moved to approve the reports for publication.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
A school resource officer and district staff described mandatory SRO training, partnerships with the Grand Rapids Police Department, and reported six threat calls to schools last year; staff pledged a spring breakdown of incident severity and school‑level data.
Minnesota / School Boards / GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
District finance staff told the board the proposed levy for fiscal 2027 would show a 7.81% increase driven largely by an annual OPEB reimbursement; a taconite offset reduces the levy by about $688,000. The board held the required Truth in Taxation public hearing; no public comments were offered.