Heather Leas

The strategic plan focuses on equity by helping learners reflect on their learning, utilize their strengths, and advocate for personalized supports. It constructs environments that maximize learning through collaboration and empathy. The plan identifies learner proficiency levels and provides educators with guidance and resources to ensure equity in all educational settings. It also provides learners with clear action steps and opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. The plan creates a systemic approach that helps learners assess their strengths and needs and provides them with the autonomy to pursue proficiency in their interests.

The school board meeting included a presentation on school counseling services, covering the number of counselors across different school levels and the challenges faced due to unfilled positions. The discussion touched on the district's counselor-to-student ratio and the allocation of counselors to elementary schools. A school counselor shared a lesson on emotion management and handling disappointment, incorporating activities to engage students. The board also discussed Staffing requests.

The school board workshop included discussions about various projects, including the completion of Heritage Middle School and Forest High School. A presentation on enrollment projections for 2024 was reviewed, with questions raised about the differences between reside and attend projections, particularly for Cheyenne High School. The board also discussed security upgrades, including sprinkler systems, lockdown doors, and cameras, at various buildings, and the potential funding sources for these upgrades. Additionally, there was a conversation about the renovation of South Elementary and the need for continuous space for elementary schools on the North side.

The school board meeting included a presentation on the Mckin Vento Act and foster care. The presentation covered the definition of the Mckin Vento Act, the role of social workers in identifying students who meet the criteria, and the services provided to homeless families, such as connecting them to community resources and providing school supplies. The discussion also included statistics on the number of homeless students identified over the years, success stories, and the definition and role of the foster care liaison.

The District Beliefs Guidebook for West Fargo Public Schools for the period 2025-2026 outlines the district's mission to educate all learners for tomorrow's world. It emphasizes creating a nurturing, learner-centered environment where learners are empowered to develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The guidebook is structured around key beliefs, including self-efficacy and agency, relationships, guaranteed and viable curriculum, assessment and feedback, goal setting and reflection, and pathways and pacing. It promotes equity by providing resources, supports, and spaces that empower learners to determine appropriate learning pathways and drive their progress within a given timeframe.