School Board Update
June 2024
Administrative Services & Human Resources
By: Shawn Kirkeide
Bluejacket Celebration
Again this year this event was a huge success. We were able to honor 20 retirees with many of them bringing their families to help celebrate their years of service and wonderful gifts they have given to Cambridge-Isanti Schools. We were also able to recognize over 200 staff members that were nominated for PBIS Award, Bluejacket Way - Above & Beyond Award, Support Staff of the Year, Teacher of Excellence, and ECMECC Educator of Excellence award. There were also 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 45 years of service awards given to over 40 employees in our district. It was truly exciting to celebrate these wonderful current and retiring staff members.
E-Finance and PowerSchool
Our HR department is working collaboratively with the finance department to transition to the new E-Finance platform starting July 1. We want to thank the entire finance department for the countless hours and attention to detail they have put into this platform to make this a seamless transition for our department and all our employees.
Finance & Operations
Finance
We will present the FY2025 preliminary budget at this month's school board meeting. The budget aligns with our projections as we enter a period of deficit spending. We are prepared to manage this situation, but without additional support from the State, we will need to implement more stringent budget measures. In the last legislative session, discretionary funding increased by only 6% over the two-year budget period, despite claims of historic funding levels. This has resulted in significant budget cuts for many school districts statewide. While we haven't reached that point yet, we may face similar challenges unless the financial situation turns to our favor.
Transportation
We have received delivery of five of the eight buses we ordered. We ordered them over a year ago to take advantage of pricing and ensure delivery for the start of the year. Routers will be busy this summer fine-tuning the routing to gain additional efficiencies to account for the current state of driver shortages.
Food Service
After a year of roughly 40% more lunches served and a doubling of our breakfast numbers, our Food Service staff will receive some well-needed rest. This summer, we will tackle a number of projects, including:
- Address recurring issues with freezers at CPIS and IIS
- Address minor issues found during health inspections (cracked floor tiles, etc)
- Update our water softening and fire suppression solutions at IMS
- Various routine preventative maintenance (filters, gaskets, etc)
Additionally, we have some administrative tasks such as our preliminary financial audit in late June, numerous vendor contracts to renew, the annual refresh of the free and reduced applications, and some legwork helping HHS administer the Summer EBT program.
Building & Grounds
The parking lot projects have already started. CMS and IMS are underway and things are going smoothly so far. The rain may slow things down but the crew seems very optimistic things will be routine and done on time. The high school track project will begin on June 11, a week ahead of schedule. Custodial crews are beginning their summer cleaning schedules and things seem to be moving quite well so far. Starting July 18, the wrestling room will be prepared for cleaning and repainting. It's been a long time since we have had an opportunity to complete that work and now that it remains dry we will be giving that entire room a refresh.
Technology
As the school year has come to an end, the tech department is ramping up summer plans. Some initial projects that have started already are:
- Adding new intercom phones at some entrances. These will be connected through our new phone system and the image quality will be greatly improved to help with security.
- The Tech Department surveyed teachers this spring to identify interest in non-interactive flat panel TVs for their rooms. We will begin adding 75-inch flat panel TVs to the classrooms of teachers who indicated interest in transitioning away from SmartBoards. This will free up capacity for our SmartBoards to provide replacement needs.
- We have started a large Cat-6 network cabling project at all buildings. This is mostly funded with ERATE funds and will add an average of 4 data lines per classroom at most buildings and increase network speed. This will allow for flexibility in regard to the placement of the teacher computers and desks, as well as rooms to house more than 1 teacher effectively which is often the case with special services.
These projects are in addition to the normal Chromebook cleaning, repair, and middle school-high school transition, and the summer cleaning, and computer recycling.
Community Education
By: Christina Thayer Anderson
Adult Education Graduation
Our Adult Learners will celebrate the completion of their GED on June 27 at 6:00 pm. GED graduation holds significant importance as it represents a major educational milestone, specifically for individuals who were unable to complete their diploma in a traditional high school setting. Achieving a GED demonstrates resilience, dedication, and the capability to overcome personal or academic challenges. It opens doors to further education, better employment opportunities, and personal growth. Moreover, it contributes to the community and the economy by equipping individuals with the essential skills and qualifications needed in the workforce.
Teaching & Learning
The Department of Teaching and Learning is submitting the Teaching and Learning Advisory to the School Board at the June 20, 2024 meeting. The Advisory is comprised of family, community, and staff members. We are grateful for the feedback and input and value the partnership in support of the District Strategic Plan.
June is busy with Professional Learning and curriculum work. District Instructional Leadership Team members attended the PLCs at Work Conference to support Professional Learning Communities and the Strategic Plan. Over 100 staff attended Keeping Them in the Room, a professional development aimed at serving all students especially those with disabilities. Teachers will collaborate to implement pilot or adopted curriculum resources as outlined in the advisory summary.
Student Support Services
By: Dr. Julie Williams
Extended School Year
The special education department is gearing up to kick off the 2024 Extended School Year Program in July! The program will run for 3 weeks in mid-July. We are excited to welcome students who meet the eligibility criteria for ESY and look forward to continuing to work on academic and behavioral skills; mixed in with fun activities!
Immunization Reminder for Families
As we head into summer, the District’s Health Offices want to remind parents and guardians of the immunization requirements so they can use the summer months to get their child’s shot records current. Fall will be here before we know it and ultimately it is the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure their child will not miss any classes because an immunization record is not up to date.
Immunizations are required by Minnesota law and must be completed before students can start school in the fall. Kindergarten, 7th grade and 12th grade students have several requirements. 7th grade students need to show proof of a Tetanus Diphtheria booster shot and meningococcal vaccine after the age of 11. These are required for all students grades 7-12. New in 2021, schools are required to report a second meningococcal vaccine for 12th grade students. This immunization can be given as soon as students are 16 years old.
A copy of the student's current immunization record must be on file at school PRIOR to the first day of school. Parents may file a medical exemption signed by a healthcare provider or a conscientious objection signed by a parent/guardian AND notarized.
IMPORTANT - By law, students will be excluded 30 days after the start of school, which means if students do not have current immunizations or a conscientious objection on file, they will not be able to attend school after October 16, 2024.
For a current copy of your child’s vaccination record call the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC) at 651-201-3980 or your primary care provider.
Use this chart as a guide to determine which vaccines are required for school (online, home school, public, or private).
If you need exemption information, the Immunization Form (Immunization and Exemption Form) is available on the MDH website.
Isanti County Public Health has low cost immunizations available for infants, children, and adults who are eligible for Medical Assistance/MinnesotaCare, uninsured, under insured, or otherwise unable to access services. To schedule an immunization appointment at Isanti County Public Health or for more information, call 763-689-1711 or email ICPH@co.isanti.mn.us.