School Board Update
July 2021
Meeting Overview
Items Approved by the Board
- FY 23 Long-Term Facilities Maintenance Ten-Year Plan
- Professional Services Contract with Nexus Solutions
- ISD 911 and City of Isanti Mutual Aid Agreement
- Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Cambridge for the School Resource Officer Program
- Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Isanti for the School Resource Officer Program
- Designation of Identified Official with Authority for the MDE External User Access Recertification System
- Resource Training & Solutions Membership for 2021-22
- Policy 202 - School Board Officers
- Policy 214 - Out of State Travel by School Board Members
- Policy 301.2 - Position Descriptions
- Policy 303 - Superintendent Selection
- Policy 304 - Superintendent Contract, Duties, and Evaluation
- Policy 701.2 - Purchasing
Superintendent's Report - Dr. Rudolph
It is hard to believe that we are over halfway through the summer already! Time certainly does move fast. At the District Office, we have been busy planning for the fall. We are excited to have students back in person this fall and are planning for students to attend 5 days/week and without a mask mandate (other than on public transportation per the federal mandate). We will also be able to offer C-I Online Programming (K-12) for any family that is not comfortable with returning to in-person learning.
We are also enjoying serving students and families this summer through summer school, Community Education classes, camps, credit recovery, Extended School Year programming, youth activities, Early Childhood programming, etc. After a summer of pandemic, it feels so great to be able to work with students and families throughout the summer!
Our Community Task Force continues to meet and help us plan for the future. We are looking forward to their final recommendations to the School Board next month and are extremely thankful for their service and guidance over the past six months.
Administration Report Highlights
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES & HUMAN RESOURCES
by: Shawn Kirkeide
Changes with staff
Jessica Faust, who was our Human Resource Onboarding Specialist and Communication Associate accepted a job with the Regional Library. Jessica has done an outstanding job in her role for the past 6 years. She will truly be missed but we are very excited about this opportunity for her.
This past week we conducted interviews for this open position and have recommended for hire to the board Jill Puffer. Jill is currently the Principal Administrative Assistant at Cambridge-Isanti High School. We are very excited to have Jill transition to the ESC within the next couple of weeks. With this hire, it also causes a ripple effect through the district, so we are working with the high school staff to post for their opening.
Training
Last week we had the opportunity to provide training in policies and workmans comp with the district custodians. Director Travis Evenson and Jens Erickson from IEP had a wonderful day planned for the custodians. They even had the hands-on opportunity to extinguish a fire with a fire extinguisher. This was a great day and we are grateful that we got this opportunity to work with such a great group of employees.
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we will also provide training for administrative assistants, new teachers, bus drivers, IA’s, and food service staff.
FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
by: Christopher Kampa, CFA
Finance
We are monitoring enrollment closely as we are excited to get back to normalcy for the upcoming school year. The audit process is in full swing as we reconcile last year’s financials. Every year we are required to submit a 10-year LTFM plan to MDE in July. This is on the board agenda for approval this month. We are still in the process of finalizing long-term facility plans and will likely submit for approval a revised 10-year plan later this year.
Transportation
We are providing transportation for summer services and finalizing plans on the switch to a two-tiered system for the fall. We have been active in trying to hire new drivers.
Food Service
The Food Service department is getting ready for fall by planning menus and updating/maintaining equipment. As of July 1, the new applications for Free and Reduced Meals are available for this school year! We are happy to assist families in-person at the Education Services Center or they can be found online on our enrollment page, food service page, and our Family Access platform. We will also be mailing applications and instructions to all households via mail next week, as we have done in the past.
We are asking families to fill out an application even though meals are being provided at no cost! The number of free and reduced students greatly influences the amount of funding the district receives in several areas, as well as the fact that an approved application can provide discounts on athletic fees, Community Education programs, SAT testing, and many more! Please contact the Food Service Department at (763)689-6210 if we can help in any way.
Building & Grounds
Custodial and grounds crews are halfway through the deep summer clean. They are busy waxing floors, shampooing carpets, fine-tuning mechanical equipment, and maintaining the grounds. Crews are also filling potholes in our parking lots with a cold application that provide a short-term fix before we can mill-and-overlay in the future.
Construction is very light this summer. The only active project is the replacement of the walk-in freezer and cooler at Isanti Middle School. The contractor has started the demolition and will install it the week of July 19. The project should be completed by the first week of August.
Our custodial group went through the yearly health and safety training on July 8. Our custodians received training on new safety measures and departmental procedures. The training was well attended and we look forward to a safe and productive year.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION
by: Aviva Hillenbrand
Adult Basic Education
Our ABE graduation is on Thursday, July 29 at 7:30pm at Cambridge Middle School. We have at least 8 people graduating this year.
Adventure Center
We were recently awarded $19,650 in aid from MDE to support our school-age care program. While we have about 80 kids per day attending, registration has not yet rebounded to pre-COVID levels. We did not budget for this support and are excited to have received the news!
Early Childhood Family Education
Think Early Childhood programs only happen during the school year? Think again. In the month of July we are offering ECFE in the park at both Bluebird Park in Isanti and at City Park in Cambridge. Both programs have been a huge success attracting over 60 children and 30 parents for each.
Additionally, our August Gearing Up for Kindergarten program (for which we have received $18,800 in funds from MDE) is nearly full with 55 students registered. These students will prepare for Kindergarten with a focus on classroom and social/emotional skills.
Enrichment & Recreation
To date, we have had a 23% increase in registrations for programs this summer as compared to the summer of 2019. People are eager to get out of their homes, connect with the community, and learn something new.
The fall brochure will be in homes the week of August 9. Look for our exciting new and familiar offerings in the brochure or online at c-ischools.ce.eleyo.com.
TEACHING & LEARNING
by: Dr. Brenda Damiani
The Department of Teaching and Learning is preparing for the start of the 2021-22 school year. Content Teams will be meeting throughout the summer as part of the Continuous Improvement Process. High School teachers will be participating in professional learning regarding best practices for online learning as we continue to refine our courses for online learning. Elementary principals and coaches and the Department of Teaching and Learning are participating in the University of MN CAREI MTSS training in order to refine our systems of supports for all students.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
by: Julie Williams
Special Education
Extended School Year
Extended School Year started Monday, July 12. School districts are required to address extended school year (ESY) services according to Minnesota Rule 3525.0755. On an annual basis, the IEP team must discuss and make a determination if the student is entitled to ESY based on one of the following: a significant regression, to maintain self-sufficiency or unique needs of the student. ESY is then held during the summer months so that we can support skills as outlined in the student’s IEP.
ESY is taking place at Cambridge Intermediate/Primary School and Woodland Campus and is serving PreK-Transition age students. We have seen an increase in attendance this year with 109 students registered to attend! We know summer can get busy for our families and are flexible with attendance as we want students to attend as much as they can, while still enjoying time with their families.
Along with following the learning goals discussed in each student’s plan, we have added additional fun activities for the students to look forward to. This helps our students practice their social skills in a variety of environments. We look forward to water days, park days, nature walks, a petting zoo, and even a talent show!
Although ESY is a great time for students, it requires additional work and flexibility from staff as they get to know new students and have a group of students with many unique needs in one classroom. Given this, the staff that works ESY is amazing! They always go above and beyond to support all our students!
Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) Training
We are excited to continue providing Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) training for our staff during the 2021-2022 school year! Due to COVID-19, training was paused last year. As restrictions have eased, we have started training again in July. Staff are able to pick training dates that fit their schedule. Staff who design and use behavioral interventions will complete training in the use of positive approaches, de-escalation techniques as well as restrictive procedures.
Maintenance of Effort (MOE) for Special Education Programs
We were notified by the Minnesota Department of Education that C-I schools maintained effort for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2020 for special education programs. The term Maintenance of Effort, often shortened to MOE, refers to the requirement placed upon many federally funded grant programs, that a recipient demonstrates the level of local funding for a particular program remains constant from year to year. The intent behind the MOE requirement is to help ensure that districts are expending at least a certain level of non-federal funds for the education of students with disabilities.
Results of MDE - Indicator Data Collection (IDC) Record Review
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each state to develop a state performance plan (SPP) and provide an annual performance report (APR). The APR evaluates each state’s efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA. Cambridge-Isanti Public School District 0911-01 was selected to review a sample of Part C and Part B records to measure compliance with the requirements of IDEA in one or more APR performance indicators. The results of Cambridge-Isanti Public School District’s 2020-21 IDC record review, as reported
by the district and verified by MDE, demonstrated compliance. Staff should be recognized for their hard work and attention to detail related to due process paperwork!
Contact Us
Email: dist-communications@c-ischools.org
Website: c-ischools.org
Location: 625 Main Street North, Cambridge, MN, USA
Phone: 763-689-6188