Melissa Lou Braak

The meeting featured a segment on good news, specifically highlighting community service learning projects undertaken by schools before the holiday break, such as collecting winter gear and canned food. The PPPAM family was recognized for their efforts in creating the 'Roadrunner Sharing Shelf' at Robert Frost Challenge Center, which provides complete meal kits to students. A public comment session addressed concerns regarding the district's discipline policy, stemming from a student's suspension related to handling a toy gun, and the subsequent impact on extracurricular participation. The board then moved to approve the agenda and the consent agenda items (A through D). The Superintendent's reports included an update on the English Language Learner (EL) program, detailing federal guidelines, WEDA access testing data, and proficiency goals. The report also discussed the positive outcomes of a two-year co-planning and co-teaching pilot program, showing greater scaled score growth for EL students in co-taught classes, leading to the decision to roll out co-planning and co-teaching as the primary instructional model for EL programs over the next three years. Additionally, a shift was noted where kindergarten newcomers now begin at their center-based or HAC schools.

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance. Key discussions included a celebratory announcement regarding the 100 nominees and five finalists for the 2026 Dr. John W. Harris Sou Falls Teacher of the Year Award, with details about the ceremony and prize sponsors. The board also received an update on the communitywide Everybody Reads initiative, detailing this year's goal of reading 500,000 books, partnerships with organizations like Reach Literacy and the South Dakota Historical Society, and the theme "Tales on the Trails." A detailed report was provided on the early childhood programming, emphasizing that South Dakota is one of six states without state-funded pre-K and outlining the services offered for children from birth to age five, including screening processes, high-quality integrated learning experiences, and the various special education pathways (birth to three, three to five, and the RISE classroom model). The administration also managed agenda approvals and consent items, adhering to a schedule to attend the Teacher of the Year celebration.

The work session focused on a review of the security assessment conducted by the South Dakota School Safety Center across all district facilities, including elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as central services and the Instructional Planning Center (IPC). The assessment covered seven key categories: security and emergency management, security force, entry control, fencing and gates, parking and barriers, building envelope, and video surveillance. Strengths identified included comprehensive plans, strong relationships with police departments, secured single points of entry, established behavioral threat assessment teams, mass notification capabilities, and visitor management systems. Areas recommended for improvement included expanding the use of panic buttons (including wearable devices), considering full perimeter fencing (as current fencing mainly covers athletic facilities), increasing the diligence in requiring and displaying student IDs, implementing vehicle access barriers (ballards) near playgrounds and buildings, and enhancing screening for after-school events. For administrative buildings, the assessment highlighted commendable actions regarding fencing and locked gates for storage areas, but recommended implementing panic buttons and ensuring first responders tour the facility layout. For the IPC, recommendations included designating an alternate site for business continuity and establishing a dedicated safety team.

The work session featured an update on technology infrastructure projects led by the IT infrastructure manager. Key topics included the status of the district network backbone, which involved replacing 2,200 access points and nearly 400 switches over the summer, enhancing security by segmenting traffic into different lanes for students, staff, and security systems, and implementing Marvis AI for network monitoring. Significant system and core platform achievements included rolling out multifactor authentication for 4,400 staff accounts, migrating to the K12 domain to avoid purchasing new equipment, and implementing a mobile device management (MDM) tool for patching devices regardless of location. Data center infrastructure upgrades involved hardware replacement and implementing immutable backup solutions, which reduced restoration time significantly. Furthermore, a new Voiceover IP phone system was rolled out, bringing enhanced 911 compliance (Carrie's Law and the Ray Baum Act) and cost savings via Microsoft Teams integration. Future strategic planning involved improving security controls, enhancing printing capabilities, finalizing MDM integration gaps, and addressing old fiber optic cabling. The latter part of the session covered a legislative update, including opposition to House Bill 1143 regarding self-administration of nasal glucagon by students and opposition to House Bill 1168 concerning property tax credits for educational expenses.

The meeting began with a Good News Report focusing on service learning projects undertaken by staff at George McGovern Middle School (GMMS), aimed at strengthening culture, fostering teamwork, and serving the community through partnerships with organizations like Banquet West, Live Inspired 365, and St. Francis House. Staff shared that these efforts help build empathy and connect with students and families outside of the classroom. The board then addressed administrative items, including the approval of minutes from previous meetings on October 27, 2025, and November 5, 2025, and the approval of the agenda, which involved tabling item number 10 regarding a sub-lease agreement for Southeast Technical College. A major segment involved the presentation of the academic report for the 2024-2025 school year, highlighting record on-time graduation rates at 89%, exceeding the state level, and an ACT score of 22.5. The report indicated upward trends in student growth in ELA and math for students below proficiency, although proficiency rates on state assessments showed mixed results by grade level. Priority focus areas include improving attendance, closing achievement gaps on state assessments, leveraging an attendance grant, and implementing new initiatives like an ELA literacy grant with six coaches and developing capstone courses.