D91 Employee News:

As we focus on our goal of increasing D91's graduation rate, I want to celebrate new ways of making sure students earn the credits they need to successfully finish high school.
For most students, the end of each trimester is filled with celebrations for courses completed and excitement for the start of a new trimester. Students with too many absences face a very different end to their semester as absences translate into a Loss of Credit due to Absences (LCA). Students can make up their absences by attending Saturday School. If absences are not made up, students can be left scrambling. They either have to retake courses or fall short of the credits necessary to graduate.

At Idaho Falls High School, Dean of Students Matt Houser decided to tackle the LCA problem with an innovative approach that has cut the number of credits lost due to absences in half. Yes, in half!

Matt partnered with the College of Eastern Idaho to provide tutoring one afternoon per week to students who needed a little extra help. Students who attend the tutoring sessions can count time with a tutor toward making up time for an absence. Skyline is implementing a similar program.

The program boasts plenty of wins for everyone involved! CEI students and staff share their expertise as they tutor students from Idaho Falls High School. IFHS students get the help they need and make up time for their absences. With class time made up and a better understanding of the subjects, students can earn credit for the course. It’s a win for everyone!

In this new section in the D91 Employee Newsletter, I'll be addressing rumors, sharing facts and figures and providing updates on the district's budget work.

I want to make sure we're answering your questions and listening to your concerns. If you've heard something, and you're not sure whether it's fact or fiction, submit them using this link.

This week, I am going to some School Finance 101 questions like how are schools funded?

What a great question! In the past, schools in Idaho received funding based on the number of students enrolled in school. Starting this year, schools will be funded based on ADA or Average Daily Attendance. So how does that impact school funding? Like most districts in Idaho, the move to funding based on ADA means the district will receive less state funding.

District 91 has always used money from the supplemental levy and our savings account or fund balance to provide better salaries, smaller class sizes, and safe schools. The shift from enrollment-based funding to ADA funding makes it harder to close the gap between the funding provided by the state and what the district spends.

This gap between state funding and expenses is one of the things driving the budget shortfall. Keep watching future editions of the newsletter for more information about school funding in Idaho!

We appreciate all the work our Payroll and HR staff has done over the last few weeks and months to get ready this week's switch of our HR/payroll systems from Skyward to Tyler ERP Pro.

As expected with a big shift like this one, we have experienced a couple of issues. As we work to resolve them, here are some reminders about things to do if you encounter issues:

• Check with your bank and make sure your paycheck was properly processed. (Please be aware that after payroll was run, we became aware of an issue with when funds may be posted to individual employee accounts. Because of a mistake Tyler ERP Pro staff made in the payroll set up, some deposits at some financial institutions are pending until banks/credit unions open on Monday, Jan. 22.)
• Staff should log into the Tyler ERP Pro system and review their personal and payroll information. Staff can access Tyler using the district’s Single Sign On. If you’re logging in for the first time, you will be required to verify your identity.

• If you notice any payroll issues – your paycheck is too much or too little or your deductions don’t seem right – report the issue using the Laserfiche form. (The link is also posted on the district website on the right-hand side of the page under Staff Quick Links.) As you review your payroll, there are two things you should be aware of:
• Federal tax tables have changed for 2024 so deductions and final check amounts may vary slightly from 2023.
• If you are paid more than you should have been, and don’t report it, you will eventually have to reimburse the district for any discrepancies.
• When you’re in Tyler, please review your personal information such as address, contact information, emergency contact, etc. You should be able to update a lot of this information on your own. If there’s something you can’t update, please report the issue using the Laserfiche form.

Then, just a couple of other reminders about the transition from Skyward to Tyler:

• Copies of past paychecks will not be available in Tyler in January. They haven't been transferred yet, but employees can still access that information by logging into Skyward.
• Vacation, sick time and personal leave probably won't be available in Tyler either. That information likely will be transferred when we move over to our new Time Clock Plus timecard system in March. For now, employees will continue to request vacation/sick time using Skyward.

Thank you for being kind to our Payroll & HR staff. We appreciate you showing them compassion because they have been working with courage and conviction throughout this transition. It has been hard. They are tired. They are doing their very best to serve our teachers and staff.

In January, principals will ask certified staff for information regarding next year’s teaching assignments. Teachers will be asked to rank their preferences in grade and/or subject for the upcoming school year, and they must complete that form by Feb. 1. Those rankings and teacher input will be a factor in final decisions about 2024-25 teaching assignments.

• Oct. 10-Feb. 23: ISAT interim Assessments, Optional Benchmark Assessments (To learn more, contact Thomas Kennedy, D91's Director of Intervention & Support. You can reach him at kennthom@sd91.org)
• Jan. 23: Board Work Session, 4 pm, District Office
• Jan. 29-Feb. 23: WIDA Access Testing Window
• Jan. 30: D91 Career Exploration Fair for Juniors & Seniors, Mountain America Center
• Feb 6: Middle School & High School Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Feb. 13: Middle School & high School Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Feb. 14: Drawing for CTEC's Skoolie
• Feb. 15: Board Business Meeting, 5:30 pm, District Office
• Feb. 19: President's Day, No School
• Feb. 27: Board Work Session, 4 pm
• Feb. 29: End of 2nd Trimester

Thanks to all our teachers and administrators who took part in this week's professional development, which took a deep dive into the New Art and Science of Teaching.

This training was a collaborative effort and an investment in our staff aimed at enhancing teaching skills and techniques. Different groups of teachers organized by grade or subject embarked on journeys to delve deeply into specific design areas.

We were so happy that during the PD we were able to explore some of the most important aspects of our instructional model together. Those aspects included:

• An Overview: An overview of NASOT that shed light on the 10 design areas.
• Design Areas: Participating groups were tasked with deeply addressing specific design areas including: Direct Instruction, Practice and Deepening, Application Lessons, Strategies in All Types of Lessons, Student Engagement and Motivating and Inspiring Learners.
• Common Language: To ensure consistency and clarity throughout the training, we focused on the importance of a common language. These resources were instrumental in revisiting and reminding us about the High-Reliability Schools (HRS) concept and how NASOT seamlessly integrates into our work to improve student achievement.
• Understanding NASOT Structure: The training also provided us with valuable insights into the structure of NASOT research. By using the same set of slides, we gained a district-wide understanding of how the NASOT framework is organized. This shared knowledge will enable us to align our teaching strategies cohesively.
• Element Micro Studies: Immersive micro studies allowed teaches and administrators to grasp the process of deeply unpacking the elements of NASOT.

Remember, teachers who successfully completed the NASOT training can purchase one credit for $60 through Northwest Nazarene University. Register for the credit online at pdlearn.nnu.edu. Follow the link, add the course -- EDPD55679 New Art & Science of Teaching Winter Conference -- to your online shopping cart, log in and proceed to check out. Teachers MUST register for the credit by Feb. 1, 2024. (Please note: You will need Google Chrome to Register.)

D91's magnet school – Compass Academy – is now accepting applications for incoming freshman. Compass prides itself on developing innovative creators through project-based and problem-based learning. The priority deadline for D91 students is Feb. 1. The deadline for out-ot-district students is March 1. Learn more about Compass by taking a school-day tour at 1:30 pm on Jan. 26 or 9:30 am on Feb. 12. Evening tours are available from 6 to 7 pm on Jan. 23 or check out the student Expo on Feb. 22 from 5 to 6 pm. Apply today!

Congrats to Lina Budge of Eagle Rock and Ariana Johnson of Idaho Falls High School for creating the winning designs for D91's 2024-25 middle school and high school course catalogs. "The designs impressed our judges and we are excited to use student artwork on the covers of this year's course catalogs, which will be distributed to students in February, said Shelly Smede, D91's executive director of instruction and learning.

JustServe has reached out again this year in hopes that D91 schools will take part in its Valentines for Seniors service campaign. They are asking that our students create valentines that feature a generic message of hope and friendship, which will be delivered to seniors around eastern Idaho.

If your school, art dept., student council, choirs, football team or other student groups would be interested in making valentines or if you need more information, please call Sienna with JustServe at (208) 521-2895. You can also call her to make arrangements to pick up the valentines. Valentines must be ready by Feb. 8.

Last year, JustServe collected and delivered more than 9,500 valentines and they hope to get even more this year. And, hopefully, D91 can help make that happen and spread some love around the community.

With our first snow day behind us, this seemed like a good time to review D91's expectations and policies for weather-related school closures.

• Administrators and non-teaching exempt personnel are expected to report to school, together with the head custodian and at least one secretary insofar as is safely possible. The administrator should assess the building, ensure any students who mistakenly report to school get safely home, and respond to telephone questions. Once these issues have been addressed, personnel who reported to work may choose to return home. If the employees do not work a normal day, they should adjust their work year in a memorandum to the superintendent for the hours or days not worked for the school closure.
• 10, 11, and 12-month Classified employees may report for duty or not report for duty as directed by their immediate supervisor or the superintendent. If employees do not report for duty, they should complete a district leave request form to request the day as personal leave, vacation, or leave without pay.
• Transportation staff, food service staff, paraprofessional aides and librarians and other 9-month classified staff should not report for duty unless otherwise directed by their immediate supervisor or the superintendent. Typically, these groups of employees only work when students are in school. They should complete a leave request form to request the day as personal leave, vacation or leave without pay.
• Teachers, including certified librarians, psychologists, and counselors, are not expected to report for duty unless directed otherwise, such as a remote learning day. Teachers do not need to submit an absence form. In cases of school closures, it is customary for the days to be made up at another time so teachers will typically still fulfill their contract days.