Monday’s Becker School Board meeting featured discussions on the Big Dog Challenge, school space capacity, policy changes regarding service animals, board goals for 2019 and the recommendation of appointing a board member to the TRAK committee.

 

Dr. Stephen Malone said the Becker School District student enrollment is projected to show continued growth. He said a review of instructional space capacity at the Becker Primary and Intermediate Schools was conducted in conjunction with ICS. The Director of Business Services, The Superintendent, Building Principals  and The Director of Buildings and Grounds participated in the review.

 

Instructional spaces were identified as additional classrooms in the Intermediate School since the Sherburne Northern Wright Special Education Cooperative’s Foundations program moved to Monticello last Fall and the space previously occupied by the program can provide two classrooms.

 

Also, subdividing the space currently utilized for reading intervention materials could be divided and used for two or three classrooms. However, this would require some remodeling.

 

Another option is the locker room space could be remodeled and used for a classroom.

 

In the primary school, it was identified that creating additional space to accommodate the continued enrollment growth can be addressed in two phases.

 

Phase one would be a four-classroom addition  to the east side of the Primary School. The addition can be financed through a lease levy. The lease levy will result in minimal levy increase and construction could be completed in the summer of 2018. 

 

 Phase two would be to utilize the storage area in the transportation and grounds building site and be remodeled to be a gym area for the Primary School. That would make the current gym space available for food service, effectively doubling the size of the lunchroom. 

 

Currently, Primary School lunch service begins and ends later than is ideal for young children. The additional space would allow more flexibility with lunch period, making it possible for lunch times to be closer to noon as enrollment grows. The additional gym space would accommodate continued enrollment growth.

 

Another option would be new construction and/or remodeling at the existing transportation site to accommodate the early childhood programs, currently located in the Primary School. The current early childhood space can be remodeled and provide up to six additional classrooms for the Primary School.

 

In addition, the transportation program would be relocated off the school’s current campus.

 

Phase two would also be contingent upon a successful bond election in the fall of 2023. The bond election would be tax neutral due to the expiration of bonds issued in 2013.

 

Dr. Malone made a recommendation to appoint a school board member to represent the school board on the TRAK (Together Reaching Area Kids) committee.

 

Malone said the mission of TRAK is to foster a safe and healthy environment for the Becker community by promoting mental health and resiliency.

 

Membership is comprised of community members, Sherburne County representatives, City of Becker representatives, Becker School District representatives, the local faith community and students.

 

TRAK meets on the second Tuesday of odd numbered months at 6:30 p.m. in the learning center.

 

Two goals were spelled out at Monday’s meeting identifying 2018-19 strategic goals for Becker Schools.

 

Goal #1 included Grades 1-8, 10 and 11 will increase achievement by a positive Z score in reading and math comparing the actual to expected growth as determined by testing in the Fall of 2018 for NWEA to the Spring of 2019 and Spring of 2018 to Spring of 2019 for MCA. The exit outcome is for students to demonstrate proficiency of core academic standards.

 

Goal #2 is the implementation of a sustainable mental health delivery model in each school. The exit outcome is to maintain up-to-date school environments where students are physically and emotionally safe and secure.

 

School District No. 726 prohibits discrimination against individuals based on disability, including individuals who require the assistance of a service animal. Toward that end, the district acknowledges its obligation to allow the use of a service animal by individuals with disabilities. 

 

Malone asked the board to approve a policy accepting the general statement, definitions, rights & responsibilities and general guidelines for service animals.

 

Malone said the latest Big Dog Challenge was officially open for people who have small, big or in-between ideas that create innovative solutions, address a problem, or articulate an unmet need. 

 

Malone said the ideation segment of the challenge was from Sept. 25 to Oct. 5 with pairwise (round one) occurring between Oct. 9-13. The pairwise Best-in-Show will occur Oct. 16-18.

 

Malone said Connie Robinson will be presented with the MSBA Leadership Development Certificate. She has completed the Phase I, II, and III MSBA trainings.

 

MSBA partnered with the Trust Edge Leadership Institute to offer “The Trust Edge for School Districts”.  Malone said MSBA staff presented the one-and-a-half-day workshop and Bryan Olson and Robinson attended. 

 

Blake Paulson will be serving as the student representative on the school board this year.

 

The PK-12 October 1 enrollment for the school district is 2,900 in comparison to 2,893 last year. 

 

The next Becker School Board meeting is Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m.