During the December 4th, 2023 Board of Education meeting, several informative reports were presented. These reports offered valuable insights into the district's progress in regards to pupil nondiscrimination, enrollment trends, sustainability, school priorities, and financial audits.
Five Year Pupil Non-Discrimination Report
The first report, presented by Director of Student Services Chris Mand, detailed the key findings of Cycle VI of the Pupil Nondiscrimination report. This comprehensive evaluation, carried out to ensure compliance with PI 9.06, Wis. Admin. Code, focused on crucial areas such as board policies, enrollment trends, instructional methods, discipline, extracurricular participation, and scholarship/recognition.
With a strong emphasis on inclusivity and accessibility, the report highlighted the significance of all board policies incorporating protected categories and ensuring that procedures are easily accessible to all. It also underscored the need to enhance diversity and inclusion in advanced/elective courses, improve instructional practices and curriculum, and address any disparities in disciplinary actions.
The report outlined several recommendations to support the district's ongoing efforts towards equality and nondiscrimination. These recommendations included a thorough examination of discipline processes, expansion of opportunities for extracurricular participation, and improvements in data accessibility for scholarship and recognition programs.
The next steps for the report include obtaining Board approval on December 18th, submitting state assurances, and widely disseminating the report to ensure transparency and accountability at all levels.
Sustainability
Next, representatives from McKinstry, a global leader in sustainability, provided an overview of the services they offer and outlined a pathway to help our district meet its sustainability goals. With an office established in Madison, WI in 2006, McKinstry has a track record of working with local school districts including Madison Metropolitan School District and Monona Grove.
Our district has set a sustainability goal to achieve 100% renewable energy for all district operations by 2035. This commitment reflects our dedication to reducing our carbon footprint and becoming a leader in sustainable practices.
McKinstry presented a comprehensive plan to help us achieve our sustainability goal. The plan includes the following key elements:
Green Career Pathways for Students: McKinstry aims to collaborate with our district to provide educational opportunities and pathways for students interested in pursuing careers in sustainability.
Strengthened Community Partnerships: By engaging with community organizations and stakeholders, McKinstry seeks to build strong partnerships that will support our sustainability efforts.
Leading by Example: McKinstry emphasizes the importance of constructing and retrofitting high-performing buildings in the district. This not only showcases our commitment to sustainability but also ensures energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Fiscal Responsibility: McKinstry understands the need for a balanced approach, considering the return on investment while achieving greenhouse gas reduction targets.
Renewable Energy: At the core of the plan is the adoption of renewable energy sources to power our district operations, such as solar and wind energy.
During the upcoming meeting scheduled for December 18th, 2023, the contact with McKinstry will be brought to the board for approval as the next step.
Middle Level Report
Next, the Middle school administrative teams provided a comprehensive annual update, focusing on key priority areas, including literacy practices, staff retention, and student engagement. These priorities align with each school's improvement plan and the district's strategy map, ensuring a cohesive approach to achieving educational excellence.
Regarding literacy, both schools have implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to study and implement effective reading strategies across various subjects. The report showcased numerous activities that have been recently undertaken or are currently underway to align with the Optimal Learning Environment and reading frameworks. In addition, the team saw a growth of black students in literacy.
Student engagement is another critical focus area for the Middle schools. The report highlighted the implementation of advisory lessons that concentrate on positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), social-emotional learning, and culturally relevant activities. In addition, the schools offer an array of clubs, sports, and affinity groups to provide students with diverse extracurricular opportunities for personal growth and community involvement. To ensure student safety and wellbeing, surveys are also sent out to gather feedback on students' perceptions of staff support.Students at both schools have access to diverse extracurricular opportunities, with approximately 80 clubs offered in total. Also, at Kromrey, the school administration makes it a priority to call all families to share positive information about their students and engage with families.
Recognizing the importance of staff retention and recruitment, the Middle schools have implemented various initiatives to engage educators. Noteworthy efforts mentioned in the report include empathy interviews, educator effectiveness activities, and regular meetings with paraeducators. Additionally, both schools emphasize ongoing relationship-building endeavors aimed at creating a positive working environment for staff members, ultimately contributing to enhanced student experiences.
Student Enrollment Analysis
Deputy Superintendent Sherri Cyra conducted an analysis of enrollment trends in the district. The report highlighted declining enrollment over the past five years, with the most significant drops in 4K, kindergarten, and 1st grade. Factors contributing to these declines include low birth rates, transfers to private schools, and tight real estate conditions. The report recommended strategies such as adjusting the open enrollment policy and advocating for affordable housing to mitigate the declines.
Review of Proposed Calendars for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
Next, Deputy Superintendent Cyra reviewed two draft calendars for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. The purpose of developing these 2-year calendars is to enhance planning and predictability. Last year, a calendar model that included monthly professional development (PD) days was implemented to provide more collaboration time and professional development opportunities during regular work days. This model, which consists of a total of 10.5 PD days, will continue due to new PD and curriculum requirements from ACT 20.
According to the employee handbook, there are set numbers of days allocated for PD, teacher work days, family conferences, and student instruction, which limits calendar flexibility. To gather preferences from staff members, a survey was conducted regarding the length of the winter break and the timing of the October break. After collecting feedback from over 500 MCPASD staff members, the following options received the most votes:
2024-25 - click to view calendar
First day: September 3, 2024
Last day: June 10, 2025
2-week winter break
2 PD days in August (1 additional day compared to this year)
2025-26 - click to view calendar
First day: September 2, 2025
Last day: June 9, 2026
2-week winter break
Continuation of 2 PD days in August
Fall Break - (October 30th & 31st), as typically scheduled
The main changes in these calendars include moving 1 PD day from February to August to better support literacy PD for ACT 20, and incorporating a 2-week winter break.
The approval of both calendars is scheduled to take place at the December 18th Board meeting.
Stakeholder Communication Related to Parking and Traffic Flow at High School Campus
The board addressed the need for a communication plan to inform stakeholders about parking and traffic flow at the high school campus. This communication will be shared with families, staff, stakeholders, and the media.
Acceptance of the 2022-2023 Audit Report
The independent audit firm Wipfli conducted the annual financial audit for the 2022-23 fiscal year. This was the second year they conducted the audit. They issued an unmodified, clean opinion stating the financial statements accurately present the district's financial position.
Key highlights:
No difficulties or disagreements were reported during the audit process
No journal entries or audit adjustments were required
No audit findings for the 7th year in a row
The report recognized and thanked the Business & Employee Services team and other departments like Food Service, Transportation, and Teaching & Learning for their diligent work and impact on the successful audit.
The report outlined the objectives, requirements, and collaborative approach for the annual financial audit. It serves to inform the Board of Education of the audit results and provide assurance that financial reporting and controls meet standards.
For access to all the reports and additional information from the board of education meeting, please visit our website.
https://www.mcpasd.k12.wi.us/page/expanded-agenda-and-minutes