Ryan Blahosky

The board approved the annual budget featuring deficit spending for the upcoming school year. Key updates included recognition of student achievements in state track and field and golf. The board formally approved its annual membership renewal with the Minnesota State High School League and established filing dates for upcoming school board elections. Additionally, the board reviewed community education and early childhood initiatives, received an update on the teacher apprentice program, conducted first readings for policies regarding expense reimbursement, field trips, and student transportation, and approved a required youth development plan.

This Local Literacy Plan for Willmar Public School District outlines strategies to improve student literacy outcomes from 2025-26 through 2026-27, aiming for all students to read at or above grade level. Key areas include implementing MDE-approved screening tools and evidence-based curricula such as FastBridge, Capti, Wit & Wisdom, UFLI Foundations, and Functional Phonics+Morphology. The plan also details a comprehensive professional development program for educators in structured literacy, the use of a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for interventions, and explicit parent notification and involvement procedures. A specific target is to increase Kindergarten FastBridge letter sounds to 60% by Spring 2027.

The board meeting included the recognition of a state speech champion and the approval of extended field trip requests for the music department and the speech team. The board also adopted a new language access plan to support non-English speaking families and those hard of hearing, along with the adoption of new K-12 math curricula. Additionally, seven board policies were revised and approved due to legal updates. The meeting concluded with a review of the buildings and grounds committee report and an announcement regarding an upcoming work session to discuss indoor air quality projects and future school start times.

The committee meeting covered community health updates, including influenza trends and immunization requirements. Discussions involved staff wellness participation, nutrition department updates such as staffing, Ramadan meal programs, and upcoming menu changes. Student services addressed staffing needs, mental health service demand, and trauma-based training. Additionally, the committee reviewed and planned updates to Policy 533 regarding wellness leadership and community involvement, discussed triennial assessment strategies, and identified resources for healthy school celebrations and fundraisers to be shared with families.

The committee discussed the status of teacher uploaded hours on Proserva, noting that submissions must be precise to be accepted. They outlined requirements for receiving credit in specific category areas, including the need for descriptive explanations and highlighted college transcripts. The committee is currently determining requirements for specific category areas such as Cultural Competency and English Learner instruction. Additionally, they coordinated the bulk upload of professional development hours and planned an upcoming meeting with Proserva to address ongoing operational challenges.