We are closely monitoring discussions at the state legislature regarding education. We are fortunate to have advocates at the state level through MSBA, MASA, and MREA, who listen to our needs and provide regular updates and advocacy support. With significant movement and discussion at the federal level, there’s a lot of activity this year.

• State concerns: One major concern is the governor’s budget proposal to eliminate Quality Compensation funding. This would mean a loss of over $700,000 in annual revenue directly tied to teacher pay and incentives. We will continue to advocate for maintaining this funding.

• Special education funding: Special Ed funding and cross subsidies remain critical issues. Our needs are increasing, but funding is not keeping pace.

• Compensatory funding: We are also focused on discussions about compensatory funding. Changes since COVID in how these revenue dollars are calculated significantly impact our budget, and we still need a long-term solution.

• Overall outlook: The general message we’re hearing is that there won’t be much new money available this year, so we expect more discussions on mandates and other ways to support schools.

Park Side School News

Park Side celebrated the 100th day of school on Thursday, Feb 6. This fun day marks the start of the ‘downhill’ run. It’s also a great opportunity for students to practice counting and make learning enjoyable.

Pre-school and kindergarten registration

Registration for pre-school and kindergarten is now open. We will host our annual open house on March 6 from 4-6 p.m. This year, we are combining the two events to make it more convenient for parents with students in both programs.

Southview school event

On Feb. 11, students and staff at Southview enjoyed a visit from Dr. Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and an author of many books. He shared Native American folk stories, which were enjoyed by everyone.

Marshall Middle School updates

It has been a busy few weeks at Marshall Middle School. Our fifth graders, who had social studies in the first semester, are now transitioning to science. Similarly, our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders will switch between science and social studies based on their first semester schedule. These changes help prepare our students for high school.

NWEA winter testing in Reading and Math finished in January. Middle School administrators are now working with staff to analyze the data and use it to guide instruction and intervention for the rest of the year.

High school highlights

At the high school, semester 1 grades are in, showing improvement compared to the semester 1 week 15 grades. Highlights include:

• 12th-grade students had 90% or more passing all their classes.

• All grade levels showed significant improvement compared to the week 15 progress check.

• 12th grade students performed better than the previous two cohorts.

National Merit scholarship finalists

Congratulations to students Jack Gunn, Carter Gehrke, and Ryan Botsford, who were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. All three have now been named Finalists. Congratulations to Jack, Carter, and Ryan.

Marshall orchestra achievements

Last week, the Marshall orchestra students competed in Mankato at the Region Large Group Contest and earned two superior ratings. According to Director Wes Myers, this is the first time any of his orchestras have achieved this feat and only the second time in the school’s history. Congratulations to Mr. Myers and the orchestra students! Additionally, congratulations to MHS ninth grade student Clara Purrington, who was invited to audition and selected to perform in the MN Middle Level All State Orchestra!

ALC guest speakers

Students at the ALC have recently enjoyed a variety of guest speakers, including representatives from Carlson and Stewart, Avera, and Sundance Auto.

CTI student projects

CTI students are actively engaged in learning. The Welding and Fabrication course is working on stick certification and project designs. Soon, the class will be fabricating items such as fire pit rings, signs, and trailers, with the goal of creating a student-run manufacturing business.

In our automotive courses, students are diving into major systems and learning how to diagnose vehicle issues. These courses are designed to simulate the experience of working in a repair shop.

American Indian parent advisory committee

The American Indian Parent Advisory Committee sponsored several student and family registrations for the “It Begins With Us” conference, including the AIPAC committee itself. The two-day conference featured keynote speaker Dr. Anton Treuer, a Native American author and Bemidji State professor, who spoke on Racial Equity and Cultural Humility. His warmth, perspective, data, and insights were greatly appreciated by the audience, especially marginalized populations including Native Americans.

Winter activities success

Our winter activities are having an amazing season. We have six teams participating in state tournaments this year, making it one of the most successful years in school history. Hockey, wrestling, and basketball, math team, and BPA are currently competing, and it’s been exciting to follow all our winter activities. Go Tigers!

CEO Pitch Day

CEO Pitch Day is an exciting event where our CEO students pitch their business ideas to CEO Board Members and Mentors in hopes of receiving approval and funding. This “shark tank” style presentation showcases the students’ hard work and innovative ideas. Each student will debut their business at the CEO Trade Show on April 30th.

Transportation safety funding

In 2021, the Minnesota Legislators allocated money for transportation safety funding. As part of this award, Southwest Coaches received $90,000 to update camera systems, including installing two stop arm cameras on all buses. The goal is to enhance the safety of school children in our community and reduce the number of stop arm violations.