NRHEG School Board
By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
The “Striving for the World’s Best Workforce” bill was passed in 2013 to ensure every school district in the state is making strides to increase student performance.
NRHEG Director of Curriculum and Instruction Terry Engel and Supt. Dale Carlson presented a report on the progress shown by the first year of the district’s World’s Best Workforce plan.
Five goals are addressed: 1. All children are ready to start kindergarten. 2. All third-graders can read at grade level. 3. All achievement gaps betweeen students are closed. 4. All students are ready for career and/or postsecondary education. 5. All students graduate from high school.
Judging by Adequate Yearly Progress, NRHEG did not meet all those goals in this first year, but they didn’t expect to. Instead, they set short-term goals they thought they could meet.
Goal: 70 percent of NRHEG kindergarten students to reach 32 or better on the 2014 FAST reading assessment. Result: 74 percent, thanks to Panther preschool and MN Reading Corps.Goal: 65 percent of third graders reading at grade level. Result: 74.5 percent, thanks to RtI reading programs and faculty work at Late Starts.
Goal: Increase growth across all student groups by at least five percent. Result: Math about five percent, reading only about half that.
Goal: 40 percent of students college ready. Result: 41 percent.
Goal: Increase graduation rate from 85 percent to 90 percent. Result: 2015 graduation rate was over 95 percent.
“This is the result of a lot of collaboration,” remarked Mark Tollfeson.
“We have to be able to show that our students are growing,” said Engel.
Strategic plan
Following the presentation, Carlson remarked that all the efforts and initiatives of the World’s Best Workforce plan should be under the umbrella of the district’s Strategic Plan, which is still in development.
The Strategic Plan was discussed, and it was admitted that not enough progress was being made. It was decided to go ahead with it by enlisting the help of Minnesota School Board Association facilitator Jeff Olson. This is expected to cost about $3,200, of which South Central Services Cooperative will contribute $1,000.
Eagle Bluff
Raptors, bats, teamwork, problem solving, respect, and nature were all experienced by the group of NRHEG 5th graders who appeared before the NRHEG school board Monday evening, accompanied by teachers Samantha Klukow and Peggy Talamantes, fresh from their three days and two nights of challenges at Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center at Lanesboro, MN.
In the second of a series of Teaching and Learning features, the students reported their experiences and reactions to facing various challenges.
Participants were taught to watch food wastage and power consumption, were taught archery and introduced to different kinds of bows, navigated a blindfold maze, and otherwise experienced a simulation of pioneer life, including grinding their own wheat flour to make biscuits, and creating their own games for amusement.
Some of the challenges, like the zipline, were fun, and some were tough, but most required some bravery. The high ropes course was respectfully classed as “pretty hard.” But all the kids expressed feelings of empowerment through facing challenges, and all said they’d recommend the experience to others.
“The more you challenge yourself to try your best,” one said, “the more you have fun.”
Auditor’s report
A representative from Eide Bailly reported that though a new government accounting standard currently indicates an additional $5 million in liability for the district, the situation is constantly changing, and their recommendation is to do nothing different.
In real life, the district shows a “healthy fund balance,” with the undesignated fund showing about $2.4 million, which represents a cushion of about three months’ worth of operating costs. This is above the two months’ worth that the district routinely strives for.
The food service fund shows a slight deficit for 2016, which is exactly what is wanted.
“People cost” (salaries and benefits) is at 76 percent, which is typical.
Finally the lien formula has increased by $500, so allocation is up despite NRHEG’s drop in enrollment. But this is only temporary.
Community survey update
The Community Survey Committee, after meeting with School Perceptions of Slinger, WI, expressed enthusiasm over the possibilities of varied input a survey could produce. Per their recommendation, the board voted to go ahead with School Perceptions to develop a survey, at a base cost of $7,000, well under the $10,000 price ceiling set by the board this fall.
Donations
The district approved three donations; an anonymous donation of $80 for Drivers Education, and donations of $100 each from American Legion Post #75 and Legion Post #75 Auxiliary, for the Veterans Day program.
January and February meetings
As per district custom, the dates of the January and February board meetings will be Tuesday, January 19, in Ellendale, and Tuesday, February 16, in New Richland.