School Board Update

Each month the school board is presented with non-action and action items for their consideration. A few noteworthy items that were approved at this month's meeting are included here.

Items Approved by the Board

• Employment between C-I Schools and School Board Clerk Mark Solberg
• Policies in Final Action

By: Dr. Nate Rudolph

Preparations for the 2026-27 school year continue across Cambridge-Isanti Schools, and I want to recognize the tremendous amount of work taking place throughout our district. August is one of the busiest operational months of the year as employees across every department work behind the scenes to prepare our schools, systems, and services for students and families.

This summer has also brought significant organizational and systems changes. In addition to preparing for the start of the school year, employees have been implementing a new student information system, transitioning to new employee hiring and absence management systems, launching new communication tools, onboarding new leaders, and refining organizational structures and processes. These changes have required an extraordinary amount of planning, training, collaboration, and problem-solving, with leadership teams spending countless hours in planning sessions, workshops, and implementation meetings.

Next week, we will welcome our newest employees during New Teacher Workshop Week, followed by our districtwide Back-to-School Workshop Week. These two weeks represent the culmination of months of preparation as our staff comes together to learn, collaborate, and ensure we are ready to provide an outstanding experience for students and families.

Thank you to every employee for your professionalism, flexibility, and ongoing commitment throughout the summer. The work taking place behind the scenes today is laying the foundation for a successful 2026-27 school year.

“in partnership with our community, is to EDUCATE, EMPOWER and INSPIRE - EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY to achieve their full potential.”

By: Shawn Kirkeide

Onboarding and Mandatory Trainings

The Human Resources team is actively onboarding new employees and preparing for another successful school year. We recently completed substitute staff training on August 6 and are finalizing preparations for the New Teacher Workshop, including the district bus tour for new teachers. This tour has received outstanding feedback over the past few years and will once again be led by Mark Solberg, who shares his extensive knowledge of the district’s history and the Cambridge-Isanti community.

In addition, we are hosting our second annual New Instructional Assistant Training in partnership with the Special Education Department to better prepare new instructional assistants for their roles. The HR team is also finalizing the required back-to-school training modules for all staff, including training on Red Rover, the district’s new absence management and timekeeping system.

Finance

The Finance Department is completing FY2026 year-end closing activities, including account reconciliations, federal grant reporting and reimbursement requests, and preparation for the annual financial audit. Preliminary financial results continue to indicate that the district ended the fiscal year in a strong financial position, with final results to be presented following completion of the audit.

With FY2027 now underway, the department is transitioning to monitoring actual revenues, expenditures, staffing, and enrollment compared with budget assumptions. Looking ahead, September will begin the annual property tax levy certification process. Additional information will be provided to the School Board next month regarding how the levy is calculated, the district's role in the process, and the anticipated impact on local property taxes.

Building & Grounds

Buildings and Grounds continues to make progress on summer facility projects in preparation for the start of the school year. The new curb project at Cambridge Middle School is complete, and new rooftop units at IPS and CPIS have been installed and are ready for the start of school. The high school bleacher project has been delayed approximately two weeks due to installer issues. Installation is expected to begin early next week, with the goal of completing the project before school is in session.

Transportation

The Transportation Department continues preparations for the 2026–27 school year following successful support of July Targeted Services transportation. Summer work has focused on fleet maintenance and cleaning, routing for new and incoming kindergarten students, driver recruitment and training, and continued implementation of Red Rover and Qmlativ. New buses are arriving on schedule, and in some cases ahead of schedule, representing a significant improvement over previous procurement cycles.

Transportation safety performance also remains strong, with 10 fewer accidents than the previous school year and no major accidents reported. The primary staffing challenge continues to be maintaining a sufficient pool of qualified drivers, particularly as use of available leave programs has increased. Recruitment, hiring, and training efforts will continue in preparation for the start of the school year.

Food Service

The Food Service Department is preparing for the start of the 2026-27 school year, with a significant focus on implementing new district systems. Staff have been working to ensure student information, point-of-sale systems, and special diet and allergy information are accurately transitioned and ready for the first day of school. The department is also preparing employees for the new timeclock system and will welcome Head Cooks back for their first meeting on August 13. These efforts will help ensure food service operations are ready for a smooth start to the school year.

Technology

The Technology Department continues preparations for the start of the school year, including classroom setup and significant work related to the Qmlativ migration. Staff are reconnecting integrations between Qmlativ and systems including Clever, Schoology, Google, and other district applications to ensure systems are ready for staff and students.The district also received approval for its E-Rate applications supporting the second phase of the network upgrade and internet services through Midco. Combined with the E-Rate approval received last month, these projects will save the district approximately $209,000.

By: Christina Thayer Anderson

Here to Help & Every Meal: Connecting Students and Families with Resources

We are grateful for the generosity of our community, which helps ensure students and families have access to resources when needs arise. Last year, thousands of learners benefited from donated school supplies, winter gear, personal hygiene items, medical supplies, household essentials, and other supports. Through our partnership with Every Meal, families also received food bags for weekends and school breaks.

Our Volunteer Coordinators help connect families with these resources, reduce barriers, and respond to individual needs in partnership with staff, volunteers, and community organizations. This work supports our commitment to welcoming and inclusive schools, strong family and community partnerships, and ensuring every learner has the resources and support they need to grow, belong, and succeed.

For more information, to request support, or to learn how to donate or volunteer, please visit our webpage here.

Community Education Kickoff: Fall Opportunities Are Here

Community Education is preparing for another year of learning, connection, and opportunity across our community. Registration is open for fall enrichment and recreation programs, ECFE classes, Preschool, and Adventure Center, with opportunities serving learners from early childhood through adulthood.

As we begin the 2026–27 school year, our team continues to focus on creating welcoming and accessible opportunities, strengthening connections with families and community members, and making it easier for residents to find and engage in programs that meet their needs. This work directly supports our Strategic Plan through strong family and community partnerships, inclusive environments, and expanded access to learning and engagement opportunities beyond the school day, and for all ages.

Our fall Community Education brochure is arriving in homes this week and provides one convenient way for families and community members to explore upcoming opportunities. Program information and registration are also available online. If you do not receive a brochure and would like one mailed to you, please call 763-689-6189.

The District Instructional Leadership Team (DILT) kicked off the 2026–27 school year by building on the significant work accomplished last year and focusing on how that work moves more intentionally into our schools, PLCs, and classrooms. A major emphasis was strengthening alignment between our Strategic Plan, district-wide measurable objectives, school Continuous Improvement Plans, PLC goals, and individual growth plans. Helping staff see these not as separate initiatives, but as connected parts of one shared vision for student success is critical in moving this work forward to everyday practices.

DILT members also worked alongside their Building Instructional Leadership Teams (BILTs) to examine district-wide measurable objectives, connect those priorities to existing building work, and begin developing their 2026–27 Continuous Improvement Plans. The goal is to create a clearer pathway from district priorities → building goals → PLC work → classroom practice, with meaningful measures for monitoring progress throughout the year.

By: Rachel Kasper

We wrapped up our 2026 Summer Extended School Year (ESY) session with another wonderful summer of learning, exploration, and fun! Students participated in a variety of hands-on, themed learning experiences that blended academics with meaningful activities. Throughout the session, students explored ocean life, experimented like scientists, discovered nature and camping, explored space and gravity, became dinosaur detectives, learned about weather and the water cycle, and put their creativity and problem-solving skills to work through engineering and STEM challenges. It was wonderful to see our students engaged, curious, and excited to learn together throughout the summer!