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The regular board business meeting was held Monday, September 12 at the District Office.
Excellence with Equity Update
The Excellence with Equity team introduced the School Board to two new Equity Specialists in our district this year, Sean McMoore and Gospel Kordah. Sean will be working in West Junior High while supporting students at Sweeney Elementary and Jackson Elementary. Gospel Kordah will be working with students at East Junior High and Eagle Creek Elementary. "This year we have expanded our programming to include early childhood through 12th grade," said Ray Betton, Excellence with Equity Supervisor. "Sean and Gospel will add to our already talented team and we will collaboratively work to support students at every level throughout the district."
The Excellence with Equity team works to meet the needs of all our students while building the capacity for our staff to help meet the needs of students from many different backgrounds. They are also working engage the community through events like community barbeques. "We have found our barbeques to be successful all around - for our staff, students and parents," said Betton. "Its been a great way for us to connect with families."
The team presented its 3-year plan and how they plan to measure their success. "We are going to be working on our program's expansion this year while continuing to engage our community," said Julie Menden, Director of Special Services. "Our goal is to make our work meaningful and data driven. Our outcomes will be measurable."
Visit the Excellence with Equity website for more information on the team.
Recent Test Results and Testing Update
Data Assessment and Testing Administrator, Dave Orlowsky, detailed recent test results including the MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) results from last spring. To learn more about the testing results, click here for the district's press release from this summer.
Orlowsky also previewed the new federal legislation around school and district performance, ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act). ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act and the waiver Minnesota had for NCLB. 2016-17 is a transition year as the Minnesota Department of Education develops and implements its plan to meet the requirements of this new legislation. Learn more about the ESSA by clicking here.
Also new this year will be how our students test. Thanks to a successful technology levy, our students and teachers will be able to utilize new platforms for testing. "Instead of using just the computer lab for weeks and weeks, the expansion in platforms allows for greater flexibility for our teachers," said Orlowsky. "Teachers are able to test when it fits for their students and in their classrooms. They are able to pause when they feel necessary. Its been quite good and our teachers are happy. We would like to thank our community for their investment in our technology and our Technology Department for their work in ensuring successful testing."
Construction Update
Assistant Superintendent Dr. John Bezek updated the School Board on the construction projects in the district.
High School Construction
The early site construction is nearly completed at Shakopee High School. The drop-off and pick-up loop was completed a few weeks ago along with the paving of the parking lots. On the West side of the building (the Activities Entrance) construction has begun. "We want to thank our community, our students, parents and guardians and our staff for their patience and cooperation the first few weeks of school with the parking situation," said John Bezek, Assistant Superintendent. "Right now we are working to add more parking and get more parking permits to students on the wait list. Next year, with the completion of the West side of the building, there will be additional parking."
Vaughan Field
Vaughan Field is getting its final projects completed. Crews will continue to work on track striping, fencing, irrigation, sod and seeding, and parking lot work. "We are thankful to our community who showed up for our Grand Opening Celebration," said Bezek. "We felt like it was a huge success and showed great community pride."
South Site
At a future meeting, the School Board will discuss the development of district-owned land at the intersection of County Roads 78 and 79 called the South Site. The development of this land for playing fields and outdoor spaces was included in the May 5, 2015 referendum. "The land will be developed just as promised in the referendum, but the district is talking with potential investors, to develop the site even further," said Superintendent Dr. Rod Thompson. "The School Board will talk about those potential partnerships in the near future."
Academies of Shakopee | Academy Industry Membership
 The School Board also approved the list of people that will make up the Academy Industry Councils. Academy Industry Councils are industry-specific groups that share information on workforce demand projections, as well as the needs and opportunities within that industry. Their advice will guide Shakopee High School and the potential post-secondary partners in the creation of the Academies of Shakopee. The Academy Industry Councils are made up of business leaders from each Academy. The list was compiled by the Ford Next Generation Learning/Academies of Shakopee Steering Committee. "We hope this list will be a starting point for the Academy Industry Councils," said Superintendent Dr. Rod Thompson. "We will continue to add professionals to the process so we can have a wide range of talents, insights and backgrounds at the table." The Academy Industry Councils will begin meeting in October. To learn more about the Academies of Shakopee click here to visit the website.
Easing the Enrollment Crunch
The School Board also approved the hiring of additional teachers. A new Kindergarten class was added at Jackson Elementary and a 4th grade class was added at Eagle Creek Elementary to help ease the enrollment crunch in those buildings and class sizes. "This School Board has always been focused on our students," said Board Chair Reggie Bowerman. "And when it comes to class size and students, we will always make the choice to invest. It's important."
Preliminary Levy
Finance Director Mike Burlager presented the preliminary levy for payable 2017. The School Board certified the maximum amount, but will not finalize the levy until December. "There are a lot of moving parts and some are not all in our control," said Burlager. "The number can continue to change until late September." Historically, the School Board has certified the maximum in September and then reviews the levy again in December. The Truth in Taxation meeting is Monday, December 12th at 6:00 p.m. at the District Office.
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Upcoming Meetings and Important Dates
Monday, September 26, 2016
School Board Learning Session
5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Academies of Shakopee Ford NGL Steering Committee Meeting
8:00 a.m.
Monday, October 10, 2016
School Board Business Meeting
6:00 p.m.
Monday, November 14, 2016
School Board Business Meeting
6:00 p.m.
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