Shawn Brandt

The meeting commenced with a spotlight on success from Eagle View Elementary, highlighting their 'I Love to Read Month' activities, including a successful readathon fundraiser that totaled nearly 125,000 minutes read, leading to incentives such as pies in the face and a visit from a science wizard performer. Other reading month activities included buddy room reading, guest readers from local high school athletes, coaches, and the police department, and a visit from Minnesota author John Koy. Students' spelling bee winners from third through fifth grade were also recognized. The open forum included a statement from a parent expressing significant concerns regarding the appropriateness of curriculum content, citing specific examples of graphic material and questioning the district's policy (606 Section 4C) for defining age-appropriate materials. Board committee reports covered the Special Education Advisory Council meeting, noting a panel discussion on transitioning from high school, and updates from the Legislative Committee regarding the convening of the Minnesota legislature and plans for attending Day at the Capitol events. The Early Childhood committee reported that preschool enrollment is filling quickly, noted upcoming events like a father-daughter dance and a free night at the Children's Museum, and mentioned staff conference meals. The Finance and Facilities joint powers committee briefly mentioned the budget presentation scheduled for the evening.

The meeting featured a Spotlight on Success presentation by the principal and fifth-grade students from Falcon Ridge concerning their recent JA BizTown field trip, detailing experiences related to business finances, real-world skills, and academic applications. The board also addressed the Open Forum, where parents raised serious concerns regarding questionable and sexually explicit content within college-level Spanish 3 and CIS Literature courses being required or offered to high school students, including graphic descriptions from the assigned texts. A request was made to formally add the curriculum content review to the next work session agenda for discussion after the administration reviews the information.

The meeting addressed a resolution regarding the election canvassing. The board congratulated the voters of the New Prague School District for the turnout and outcome of the election, which supported maintaining current programs. The board also acknowledged the administration and volunteers for their work in informing the public about the levy referendum. The board then approved the agenda and discussed the special election held on November 4th, 2025, focusing on the approval of new referendum revenue authorization. The results of the vote were shared, indicating the approval of the ballot question, and the clerk was instructed to notify the commissioner of education of the election results.

This document outlines the Total Special Education System Plan for New Prague Area Schools: ISD 721, ensuring compliance with state and federal special education requirements. Key areas include detailed child study procedures for identification and evaluation of students with disabilities from birth to 21, comprehensive methods for delivering special education services across various settings, and an administration and management framework. The plan also covers due process assurances for parents, interagency agreements, and the establishment of a Special Education Advisory Council to promote parental involvement, all aimed at providing appropriate and individualized educational programs.

The meeting included discussions and actions on various topics, such as approving the agenda, recognizing Margaret Galen Sullivan's retirement, and addressing personnel and district staff changes. The board also acknowledged Tom Hudspeth for the Tom Keating award and highlighted the success of the daddy-daughter dance and chronic disease self-management program. Additionally, the board discussed the student art show, summer kids company registrations, and Ryan Wet's state championship in archery. They approved the hiring of a Dean equity person, an Indian education compliance resolution, and a resolution for the non-renewal of a teaching contract. Furthermore, they approved a memorandum of understanding for the out-of-school time supervisor and accepted the new Pretty Area Education Foundation grant for various school projects. Finally, they moved to a closed session for negotiations.