Meetings this week were held at the district office on Tuesday at 5:30pm beginning with a Special School Board Meeting. The purpose of the special meeting was to review and vote on the contractor awards for construction of the previously approved storage facility that will be built next to the current maintenance building on the old high school campus. The awards were approved totaling $374,804.93, and the expected completion date is February 2025. This will be paid for from the recently approved bond proceeds and the Long Term Facilities Maintenance Fund. This Special Meeting was adjourned, and we began our usual work session.
First presentation of the work session was given by OMS principal Mrs. Christina Mattson who said that the middle school is in full “middle school mode” with >1000 students and lots of good energy. She notes that the students are demonstrating healthy relationships and age-appropriate behaviors — in a good way! With Erin Halvorson and Katie Lenz presenting alongside Mrs. Mattson, they recognize that MCA scores need improvement, and they have set specific goals to improve the reading and math scores by at least 3% for the spring MCA assessments. They note that the staff and teachers have stressed focus areas for teaching math, reading, science, and behavior. SI Elstad noted that we can no longer assume that students know good and appropriate behaviors and therefore this has to be incorporated into all teaching. The SOAR program has changed this year to be more predictable, now once weekly, for all students, for the purpose of reteaching a topic if needed or to enhance learning of a topic, depending on the needs of the student. Quarterly, all students will still have an enrichment activity which is typically considered more fun and rewarding for students. Also new this year is the PACK program which is for students who would otherwise have an out-of-school suspension. This allows the students to stay at school, work one-on-one with staff, to learn to problem solve and interact appropriately with others. This may entail a few to several days, depending on the situation and the student and once the program is completed, the student returns to regular classes. So far, the staff has seen much success with this program.
The second presentation was given by Dr. Martina Wagner, our new principal of the Area Learning Center (ALC). She first explained the difference between an Alternative Learning Center vs. an Area Learning Center, noting that an Area Learning Center is a separate school within our district. An Alternative Learning Center is actually “a school within a school” and not independent. Currently we have 77 students but have had 100+ in the past. There are criteria to be able to attend the ALC, but students can open enroll and we currently have a partnership with the Medford school district. Medford students attending our ALC can participate in any Owatonna activities (but not those in the Medford district) and can choose to earn either a Medford or Owatonna diploma. Students attending the ALC have more flexibility with classes, more focused attention with very small class sizes and access to multiple specialized staff anytime (counselors, social workers, vocational training, special ed services, chemical dependency counseling). Focused goals for the year include increased attendance, increased student participation in supportive services, and increase participation in social-emotional learning opportunities. Once meeting graduation requirements, students earn the same high school diploma as any other high school graduate. Alternatively, the staff also assist students in obtaining a GED if needed.
Both presentations were delightful and optimistic with focused goals and plans to move students forward into successful learning. However, it is disheartening to hear that our teachers cannot just focus on academics but also have to teach good behaviors to our students. What have we done in our society to require our teachers to focus on teaching good behaviors such as respectful dialogue, conflict resolution, self-regulation (physical, mental, emotional)? ?
The last portion of the meeting went into closed session, therefore anyone who did not receive an invitation to attend, had to leave the room. There are certain topics that require the school board, superintendent, and anyone else necessary (in this case Lori Volz and Bob Olson were in attendance), to discuss confidentially. The topic as stated on the public agenda, “Closed Session to discuss sale of Bridge Street property.” My observation of the discussion was enlightening, and I appreciated open dialogue amongst my fellow board members as I’ve never seen before. While I cannot give any details of the discussion, I believe that the conclusions were reasonable, and a plan will be discussed openly at our next regular meeting.
Upcoming dates:
- Red Ribbon kick-off event at OHS with family friendly activities – October 22, 2024 – 5-8:30pm
- Coffee and Conversation with the Superintendent – November 1, 2024 – 8:30am at the district office
On November 7, 2024, the school board will meet for a data review retreat that will hopefully let us know if our policies are effective and how we may need to amend them if not. The information presented will also explain MCA score interpretation using the MN Report Card and the North Star accountability scores. If interested, the following link is from the Rochester Public School district’s board meeting on 9/10/2024. Starting at minute 11:44 through 45:40 there is a good explanation of MCA scores, and I’m hoping our November 7th presentation will be similar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZTpiSrJLgs&t=808s
Enjoy the autumn weather over MEA break and the long weekend. Take care everyone.
Soli Deo Gloria!
Elizabeth for Owatonna Schools 