Board Bulletin

August 22, 2023

Board Approves November Facilities Referendum

At this week’s meeting, the School Board unanimously approved calling an election for this November to seek the public’s approval for a bond referendum that would make improvements to existing school facilities. Since 2017, district leaders, school staff, and community members have been actively reviewing the facility needs of our school buildings. Through this extensive process, the School Board has approved two questions that voters will be asked to consider in November:

Question 1: $105 million

Welcoming, safe and secure schools - constructing 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.
Early Learning - to help meet a critical need for more child care in our community, the referendum proposes increasing the capacity of the new MAPS Center for Learning and constructing a daycare at Eagle Lake Elementary.
West High School - Constructed in 1951, Mankato West is in significant need of upgrades to continue to provide a quality learning environment for our community’s students. Proposed projects in this first phase of remodeling include:

A new secure entrance in front of the building
New flexible academic learning spaces
Removing the current pool (which is currently not usable) and music wing and in their place constructing a new gymnasium/flexible learning space
Relocating the music wing to the current gymnasium, which will be remodeled for that purpose
Constructing a new pool with community access at Dakota Meadows Middle School to replace the West pool.

Question 2: $15 million

Improvements to the stadiums at Mankato East High School and West High School including installation of an artificial turf playing surface, 9-lane track, bleachers, lights, improved entrances, and other site-specific needs such as restrooms at West. These improvements will significantly increase the utilization of these facilities for school co-curricular activities, community groups, and will permit MAPS football, soccer, and lacrosse teams to play their home games there.

A website with further details on the proposed referendum, including estimated property tax impacts and upcoming public information sessions, has been launched here: https://www.isd77.org/vote2023

Future editions of the Board Bulletin will include further details on each of these projects.

The current pool at Mankato West High School, which hasn’t held water for 4 years and is no longer usable. If passed, the proposed referendum would include constructing a new pool with community access at Dakota Meadows Middle School.

Above is an example of a safe and welcoming entrance design for Washington Elementary. For 10 MAPS schools, new school entry systems would result in all guests passing through the main office before gaining access to the rest of the building.

Cell Phone Policy

At this week’s meeting, the School Board received a draft of a new cell phone policy for our district. Over the past several months, our Board has heard from many teachers, parents, and students about the negative impact that excessive cell phone use is having on the academic achievement and mental health of students and overall culture of our schools. The School Board is currently seeking community feedback on this proposed policy, which you can view here: Student Use of Mobile Phones & Other Personal Electronic Devices. Contact information for board members is included at the end of this email.

This policy proposes standardizing a district-wide approach that cell phones and other electronic devices be out of sight and silent during class time. Cell phone use would be prohibited during the school day at the elementary and middle school levels and would be limited to lunch and passing time at the high schools. The policy also spells out consequences for violation, including that a phone may be confiscated by school personnel. Each school building would establish procedures for mobile device usage in accordance with this policy.

Ultimately, a classroom where constant distractions are present is a classroom where learning is not occurring. This policy is designed to focus our students on academics, make our schools safer, improve student mental health, and lessen the burnout of our teachers and staff.

Superintendent Review

One of the most important things a School Board does is review the performance of the superintendent and work with them to set future goals for the district. The School Board recently held a closed session with Superintendent Peterson to evaluate his work in leading MAPS over the past year. Overall, the Board gave Superintendent Peterson high-marks. He is a tremendous asset to MAPS and our community is fortunate to have a leader of his caliber guiding our schools. A key focus of the discussion was how the Board can work with Superintendent Peterson to set more specific, measurable goals for our district in the coming year and routinely report on our progress. Goals discussed by the board include improving academic results for all students; moving our schools to a future-focused model that makes learning more personalized, relevant, and career-connected; improving recruitment and retention of diverse staff; finalizing and implementing the District’s new strategic plan; and managing the facilities referendum process. Additional discussion centered around structuring the goals to be more of a progress oriented process that involves accountability and consistent updating.

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!

School Board Member Liz Ratcliff spoke at the ribbon cutting of the newly completed phase of the District’s new Center for Learning - which now includes more classrooms to support up to 210 preschoolers, indoor play space, a cafeteria, and other amenities to the site. A final phase to complete the C4L is included in the November bond referendum.

School board members participated in the first Referendum Information Committee on August 16. More than 50 community partners participated in the meeting where our facility plans were shared. Valuable input that will shape our referendum and facility plans was received.

School Board members were on hand for the kick off to the New Teacher Workshop as we welcomed over 50 new staff to the MAPS family.

Beyond Diversity: Minnesota State University, Mankato hosted this free two day workshop for all MAPS staff and board members. Liz Ratcliff, Erin Roberts and Kristi Schuck attended with several MAPS teachers and administrators. The workshop centered on content related to Courageous Conversations and Deinstitutionalizing Racism and Eliminating Racial Achievement Disparities.

Recognition at the Board Table

Last school year, the School Board carved out time at each meeting to provide special recognition to students, staff and community members. At the meeting on August 21st, the Board invited leaders from the Greater Mankato Area United Way to share information on the latest partnerships between our two institutions.

Greater Mankato United Way CEO Barb Kaus and Community Impact Director Elizabeth Harstad highlighted the addition of a second mental health navigator position for MAPS schools. Navigators help connect students and families to school and community resources, and act as an important liaison between school support staff and community professionals.