MDSD FEBRUARY BOARD BRIEF
February 12, 2024
1. HRS (High Reliability Schools) Summit Report
A group of MDSD staff had the opportunity to attend the most recent HRS Summit in San Antonio, Texas. Lisa Pingrey emphasized the importance of collaboration and learning from the summit, indicating that it affirmed the value of their current work and provided ideas to continue improving. Phil Warrick's Q&A session further enriched their understanding. Brakae Boothe shared this sentiment, highlighting the immense value gained from the event. Mike Kraemer appreciated the wealth of information to enhance teaching, particularly focusing on developing curriculum to address diverse learner needs. Jennifer Stone found the summit to be a great team bonding experience and highlighted the effectiveness of strategies like reteaching and pre-teaching. Lisa Hunt shared her excitement and how everything clicked for her at this conference. The overarching takeaway emphasized by Lisa was that the HRS process is a measurement process, it is not an intervention to come in and fix something. It is a continuous cycle. Valerie Berg emphasized the importance of investing in staff development, noting its positive impact on school culture. Kylie Duran, viewing the summit through an instructional coach lens, aimed to bridge the gap between herself and teaching staff, recognizing HRS as a framework for school success and measurement.
2. Board Committee Assignments
The board committee assignments have been approved and will soon be available online. The district committees include the Calendar Committee, Professional Development Committee, Technology Committee, Wellness Committee, Safety Committee, Budget Committee, Policy Committee, Negotiations Committee, and Staff Housing Committee.
3. Clearwater Financial Update
The community survey is complete and will be sent out February 13. The FAQ section and community information will be ready for the website during the week of February 12.
The deadline for the data gathering and preparation work for a possible bond/levy is as follows:
- The survey goes out on February 13. Data is collected and reviewed for a March 18, 2024 special board meeting. This will give Hawley Troxell (bond counsel) ample time to take care of any bond/levy language that is decided on by the board for a submission to the county on March 22, 2024.
4. Sale of Land
The sale of land at TBD Mission St., McCall, ID 83638, closed on February 9, 2024. All proceeds will go towards staff housing.
5. Calendar Update
We're thrilled to announce that the schedule for the 2024-2025 school year has been officially approved! All members of the committee submitted calendars with the top three being chosen. From the top three the submitted calendar was overwhelmingly picked as it reflected the needs from the community survey and administration most closely. The 24-25 calendar includes 4 additional days for instructional staff collaborative time. The extra workdays still provide the district with enough days to be able to easily navigate any snow days or other issues with the seat time requirements. The 24-25 calendar is somewhat of a hybrid by creating ten 4-day weeks. The calendar also allows administration to manage the style and methodology of their parent teacher conferences.
The calendar committee will be gathering data and researching the pros and cons of the four-day school week to present to the community and board this fall.
6. Board Meeting Calendar Update
A special board meeting has been added and will be held on Monday, March 18, 2024, at 6:00pm. This meeting will be held to analyze the insights gathered from the community survey and make informed decisions regarding potential bond and/or levy actions.
The board meeting on Monday, June 10, 2024, has been moved to Monday, June 3, 2024.
7. Driver’s Education Program Cost Increase
Following a fiscal review, the Driver’s Education Team has recognized the necessity of adjusting the student cost. The last time prices were adjusted was back in 2019. At present, the cost stands at $305 per student, but it will be updated to $350 per student moving forward.
8. Policy Updates
A huge round of applause to our policy conversion team for their dedication in transforming additional outdated policies into ISBA policy! Your hard work is truly making a difference, and we deeply value your commitment to ensuring our policies remain current. Thank you for your invaluable contribution!