LPOSD has a new Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Becky Meyer. Two of her main priorities for the 2022-23 school year are to increase communication with all community stakeholders and to develop a 5-Year Strategic Plan. "We want to ensure that people in the community feel involved and create avenues for people to have their voices heard," Meyer says.

Dr. Meyer has served over 20 years in Lake Pend Oreille School District with experience as a school counselor, building administrator, and assistant superintendent. She spent the last six years as Superintendent in the Lakeland Jt. School District and is excited to be back home in our "special community - small enough to know people by name, diverse enough to enjoy a wide variety of perspectives, and strong enough to always do what is right for kids." She is the first female Superintendent of LPOSD and is ready to hit the ground running.

Welcome home, Dr. Meyer!

Dear Parents/Guardians and Patrons,

Thank you for such a warm welcome back to the Lake Pend Oreille School District. My first month on the job has been filled with new learning, along with reacquainting myself with the tried and true outstanding practices the District has always been known for. In the spirit of transparency and open communication, I have shared an overview of my Transition Plan of Action below. I look forward to hearing from more of you as we gather your input through surveys and at our Community Input Forums coming in September. I hope your family is enjoying summer together in the most beautiful place on earth! Thanks again for welcoming me back home, bwm

Dr. Becky Weller Meyer, Superintendent

• Build a strong working relationship with the Board, administrators, staff, parents, and community members.

• Gather input from all stakeholders through formal and informal methods to:

• become more familiar with the people, programs, and community culture and

• utilize input to formulate the first iteration of a new LPOSD Strategic Plan.

• Create and engage stakeholders in a District Safety Task Force.

• Conduct a thorough review of multiple measures of student performance data to assess unfinished learning and provide instructional support, as identified.

• Develop and follow a comprehensive and collaborative communication strategy.

Our District Safety Task Force (DSTF) continues to meet weekly. We have reviewed the Safety Assessments at each school and are currently drafting our priority recommendations for the following areas:

- Immediate (before school starts)

- Short-Term (during the 2022-23 school year)

- Mid-Range (within 3 years)

- Long-Term (3-5 years)

- Ongoing

Parent and patron input is important as we finalize the priorities - please use this link to answer our School Safety and Security questions. Results, along with the DSTF recommendations, will be shared with the Board of Trustees at the August 9, 2022 meeting (details below) and then posted on our website. Thank you for your input.

The District Office is made up of individuals with diverse skillsets and expertise, who play a pivotal role in helping students thrive--often behind the scenes. Several individuals retired last year after decades of service, so there are many new faces to the Triangle Drive office. Please see contact information included below, and feel free to reach out anytime. We are here to serve you and support our students and staff!

Panhandle Alliance for Education (PAFE) gathered lakeside for their annual summer gala on Saturday, July 23rd--this time, with a new goal in mind. The organization focused this year's efforts on fundraising for a new CTE Program (Career Technical Education, formerly called Voc-ED) in LPOSD: The Residential Carpentry Program. PAFE worked with LPOSD to reinstate the Residential Carpentry Program after a high demand for its return from students and industry partners. A teacher has been hired, and the program will begin with courses available at SHS in the 2022-23 School Year. LPOSD and PAFE are working cohesively to further expand Career Technical opportunities in 2023 and beyond.

Hosting an event of this scale requires full efforts from PAFE's leadership and volunteers, as well as donors who come willing to support local students with their resources. Lake Pend Oreille School District is incredibly grateful for PAFE's continuous investment in our schools and students. If you'd like to know more about this incredible organization, feel free to visit their website.

LPOSD would like your feedback regarding Spectator Conduct and Sportsmanship for Athletic and Co-Curricular Events. The district's policy has proposed revisions on the topic. You can read both the original language as well as the revision in the links below. Then, please take this survey to share your valuable feedback.

This fall families will be required to submit an application for free and reduced-price school meals for the first time since 2020.

The change comes with Congress’ passing of the $3 billion "Keep Kids Fed Act," which reinstates a requirement (suspended during the pandemic) that economically disadvantaged families who fall above the federal poverty line pay a reduced price for school meals. During the pandemic, the full price of meals was covered for all students, and no application was required.

All families will be required to fill out a lunch form as part of registration this year. Please complete the LPOSD online application here.

Kristin Hawkins recently became LPOSD's first Community Relations Liaison. The position has been graciously funded by our community's education foundation, Panhandle Alliance for Education (PAFE).

Kristin spent her early career as a Social Studies teacher at Sandpoint High School where she found zest in her work teaching teenagers. After her family moved to Cincinnati, OH she began her Master's in Educational Leadership at Xavier University. Her favorite professor strongly encouraged Kristin to consider a role in Educational Community Relations; she even arranged an opportunity for Kristin to job shadow in a nearby district. As fate would have it, Kristin would move back to Sandpoint and return to LPOSD, eventually accepting the very same role her professor urged Kristin to pursue years prior.

What is a "Community Relations Liaison" you ask? The purpose of the role is to enhance communication between the school district and all stakeholders. Kristin has the honor of sharing teaching & learning news and highlights from across the district, as well as responding to inquiries from community members and media. She greatly looks forward to serving this district she has grown to love and respect, as well as engaging more with the greater LPOSD community. Thank you PAFE for your continued generosity to our community!

The Lake Pend Oreille School District serves almost 3900 students in 11 schools and the Homeschool Academy. We are a community of learners in north Idaho; many of our schools serve rural populations surrounding the beautiful Lake Pend Oreille. Our district's vision is for high quality instruction and high levels of learning for EVERY child, EVERY day, in EVERY classroom and environment.

Community Relations Liaison (Author) Contact: kristin.hawkins@lposd.org
Website: https://www.lposd.org/
Location: 901 Triangle Drive, Ponderay, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 263-2184
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lposd.schools/

Instagram: LPOSD Schools (@lposd84) • Instagram photos and videos