Board Bulletin

September 19, 2023

Safe & Secure Schools

As we’ve started the school year, the safety and security of our schools is on our community’s mind. The School Board understands these concerns and would like to share several updates.

SRO Update

On September 9, the Board released a statement urging lawmakers to address concerns in a new state statute that would get SROs back to school here in Mankato. A special session appears unlikely, meaning the earliest a legislative fix will occur is during the 2024 legislative session which begins in February. Meanwhile, Superintendent Peterson and his team have indicated that we are making progress in crafting an interim agreement with the City of Mankato that would result in reestablishing law enforcement services at our MAPS high schools.

Mankato East Update

Following our Monday School Board meeting, the Board held a closed work session to receive a briefing from administration on the progress of the investigation following the fighting incident at Mankato East. This session was held in a closed format so that non-public student data could be discussed. Without question, the actions of the students involved are serious, and are being treated as such. The student conduct policy is being followed and the district is now in the process of administering disciplinary action. The School Board is confident that these accountability measures, including referral of criminal charges, are consistent with the severity of these actions. This incident also highlighted the importance of having SROs in our schools.

Facilities Referendum

One of the core components of the proposed facilities referendum for November includes upgrades to several buildings to create more welcoming, safe and secure schools. Should the public approve the referendum, the district would construct secure entrances that require all visitors to pass through the office before gaining entrance to the school (similar to the entrances at Prairie Winds Middle School, Eagle Lake Elementary, Rosa Parks Elementary, and Mankato East High School) at 10 school buildings that currently do not have those style entrances including:

Bridges Community School
Washington Elementary
Roosevelt Elementary
Hoover Elementary
Franklin Elementary
Jefferson Elementary
Kennedy Elementary
Monroe Elementary
Dakota Meadows Middle School
Mankato West High School

You can learn more about November’s referendum here: https://www.isd77.org/vote2023

Remember, as this is a special election, voting locations may be different. Find your polling place here https://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/ and mark your calendar to get out and vote on November 7th - or you can vote early via absentee ballot or in-person at the Historic Blue Earth County Courthouse beginning this Friday, September 22.

A rendering of the proposed new secure entrance and flexible academic learning space at Mankato West High School.

An example of a safe and welcoming entrance at Kennedy Elementary School. A similar style entrance would be constructed at seven other elementary schools should the referendum pass.

Standard Response Protocol

For the last year, school district leadership has been working with a national school safety organization to improve our training and communication in the event of an emergency. One of the components of this effort to improve school safety is the adoption of the “Standard Response Protocol” (SRP). SRP provides consistent, clear, shared language and actions among all students, staff, and first responders. SRP is a simplified crisis response that helps staff, students, parents, and first responders quickly and adequately respond to situations. It is based on an all-hazards approach that uses a clear common language while allowing for flexibility in protocol. The SRP has five actions: 1) Hold; 2) Secure; 3) Lockdown; 4) Evacuate; 5) Shelter. Parents and caregivers can learn more about each of these actions and what they mean here.

Hope Squad

Thanks to support from the Greater Mankato Area United Way, this fall our district is fortunate to be instituting Hope Squads at Prairie Winds Middle School, Dakota Meadows Middle School, East High School and West High School. Hope Squad is a powerful peer-to-peer suicide prevention program that empowers students to make a positive impact on the lives of their peers.

District staff recently participated in Hope Squad advisor training.

Back to School Report

The School Board at its meeting this week heard the back to school report from district staff. There are many new and exciting district initiatives that are being rolled out this year - from implementation of universal free school meals, to new “grow your own” pathways to recruit and train the next generation of MAPS teachers, to continued growth of our early childhood services, to continued efforts to improve the academic proficiency and mental health of our students. In addition, the Board received an update on student enrollment. As we start the year, enrollment in MAPS is trending up slightly from the end of last school year - though this number will continue to fluctuate as we approach the official reporting of district enrollment to the state in October. But this is an encouraging sign for our district.

Approval of Agreement With Mankato Teachers Association

Every two years, the school district negotiates a new master agreement with our teachers union - the Mankato Teachers Association (MTA). The district and MTA held productive discussions over the summer on a new contract and at our Monday meeting, the School Board approved the new Master Agreement following a strong approval vote by MTA. The most important component of any education system is the quality of our staff who work with our students each day. MAPS is fortunate to have a high-quality team of teachers committed to the success of each student. Through this new contract, the Board was proud to invest in wage and benefit increases for our teachers that will help continue to position MAPS as a destination of choice for the best teachers in the state. If you haven’t lately, please thank your teacher for their great work!

Preliminary Property Tax Certification

Each year, the School Board must set the amount of property taxes the district intends to collect. The property taxes we pay comprises about 20% of our district’s overall budget. For this coming year, the School Board approved a preliminary property tax levy that will actually be less than this year’s amount - a decline of a little over 1%. Our school district continues to place high value in being good stewards of your tax dollars. In fact, the amount of property taxes that MAPS collects per student (ADM in the graphic below) is less than the state average and many of our peer school districts in Southern Minnesota.

Mankato East Classroom Materials

The Board is aware of the community concerns raised last week alleging the use of inappropriate material in a classroom at Mankato East High School. The school district is currently investigating this situation. Our district administration is committed to getting to the bottom of this situation and appropriate action will be taken.

Facilities Referendum Community Information Meeting

Please mark your calendars! The district will hold three informational meetings on the proposed November facilities referendum - two in person and one virtual. The public is invited and encouraged to attend to learn more about how this vote will support future-focused facilities.

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Mankato West High School Auditorium

1351 South Riverfront Drive, Mankato, MN 56001

Thursday, October 5, 2023

12:00-1:00 p.m. - Virtual

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89694288048

Thursday, October 26, 2023

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Mankato East High School Auditorium

2600 Hoffman Road, Mankato, MN 56001

School Board Member School Assignments

Each year, School Board members are assigned to a couple of schools in our district to focus our efforts at attending school events and connecting with school families from our assigned schools. Below are the Board member assignments for this year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the assigned Board member to let us know about happenings at your school!

Board Recognition

At our Monday meeting, the School Board recognized the contributions of the Mankato Area Foundation in supporting summer activities for students transitioning from elementary school to middle school. This often can be a tough transition, and our Board is grateful for the partnership of our district staff and the Mankato Area Foundation for launching this new program to support students and prepare them for success.

The School Board also recognized our Monthly MAPS Staff Spotlight. The Board was honored to recognize West High School social studies teacher Mike Sipe. Mr. Sipe has dedicated 33 years of his professional career to the West High School Community. Said Principal Sherri Blasing “While Mr. Sipe has many strengths, his ability to motivate, inspire, and impact students and colleagues may be his strongest area…students are the center of the learning, and students are being challenged with critical thinking strategies.” Congratulations Mr. Sipe and thank you for all you do to make MAPS great!

Out and About

Our School Board members have been busy “out and about” among our school community. Here are some snapshots of what we’ve been up to!

The School Board attended the back to school all-staff kickoff at Wheeler Park - pictured here are Board members Kari Pratt and Patrick Baker along with district communications coordinator Mel Helling.

zoom_out_map

School Board Chair Shannon Sinning and Vice-Chair Kristi Schuck addressed MAPS staff at the back to school all-staff kickoff at Wheeler Park.

School Board members participated in a work session with Al Lawrence to learn more about MAPS’ relationship with the Mahkato Wacipi Powwow. All 6th graders continue to visit the Pow Pow in person to learn more about the indigenous culture and history of our region. Additional discussion centered around DEI leadership in our District. Our board is committed to ensuring we focus on our District's core commitments in our work as we endeavor to be accountable for results, intentionally equitable, visibly inclusive, actively anti-racist and committed to excellence.

School Board Chair Shannon Sinning and assistant to the Superintendent/Board Becky Bailey attended the dedication ceremony for the new playground at Jefferson Elementary, which received a generous donation from Jefferson parent and alumni Kyle Baynes.