Terri Gottwalt

The meeting agenda includes recognition of students and teacher representatives, the approval of a consent agenda regarding wires, expenses, and personnel, and reports from principals and the superintendent. New district business items cover resolutions for donations, out-of-state travel requests, the appointment of additional spring coaches, contracts for non-union employees, and a 2026-2027 school district calendar change. Miscellaneous items include board member reimbursements and planning for the next regular meeting.

The board meeting agenda included recognitions for visitors, teacher representatives, School Lunch Hero Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, and various student honors. The session covered consent agenda items such as wires, expenses, and personnel; principal reports; and communications including the Superintendent's report. New business items addressed the resolution accepting donations, an education identity and access management board resolution, a memorandum of understanding for STRIVE, substitute pay policy updates, and an out-of-state travel request. The meeting concluded with miscellaneous items regarding reimbursement vouchers and signatures.

This document outlines the strategic goals for Pierz Schools, focusing on improving student achievement and readiness. Key areas include ensuring all children read at grade level, are prepared for kindergarten, and are ready for college and careers. The plan also addresses closing racial and economic achievement gaps, increasing high school graduation rates, and fostering lifelong learning. It emphasizes the alignment of ESEA Title programs with these goals for comprehensive school improvement.

This document outlines the Pierz Public School District's Local Literacy Plan, a requirement of the Minnesota READ Act. The plan's overarching goal is to ensure every student reads at or above grade level, with specific support for multilingual learners and students receiving special education services. Key strategic priorities include training K-4 teachers in structured literacy methods, refining the multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to achieve at least 80% benchmark proficiency in Tier 1 and strengthen Tiers 2 and 3, and ensuring students develop automatic and fluent language knowledge for comprehension. Future initiatives for the 2025-26 school year include staff training on assessment tools, further MTSS refinement, implementing phonics and morphology instruction in grades K-6, adopting knowledge-building resources, and developing structured Tier 2 and 3 interventions.

The regular meeting included the unanimous approval of the agenda and consent agenda items. Consent items involved approving the November 10, 2025 bill batch, posting various long-term paraprofessional substitute positions, accepting the retirement request of a custodian effective January 1, 2026, and approving new custodial employment. A resolution was adopted to formally accept various October donations and grants from several organizations for classroom, music, and athletic programs. The board unanimously approved the proposed 2025-2026 Faculty Seniority List and the 2025-2026 Pierz Education Assistants Seniority List. Ratification of the Bus Driver Contracts for the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 fiscal years was also approved. Furthermore, the board approved a Memorandum Agreement concerning a non-union, non-certified employee group. Changes were approved regarding the Long-Term Disability Policy, effective January 1, 2026, switching providers and adjusting the rate. The first amendment to the lease agreement with Verizon Wireless was approved, as was a change to Policy 441 regarding Substitute Pay, Addendum B. The meeting concluded with adjournment at 7:02 PM.