VIRGINIA- The ISD 2142 School Board zipped through its agenda on Tuesday, with little discussion and few questions.
A letter from the district’s American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC) went without discussion, at either the board’s Feb. 14 working session or Tuesday’s meeting.
The AIPAC contends the district is not in compliance with established Indian Education program requirements established by the Minnesota Department of Education, and they provided a list of ten recommendations citing needed areas of improvement.
“We attest that the school board and/or district are not compliant with Minnesota Statutes and that the school board and/or district are not meeting the needs of American Indian students,” the letter, signed by AIPAC Chairperson Hannah Chosa, stated.
The board voted unanimously to receive the letter and has two months in which to make a response.
The list of ten recommendations from the committee is twice as long as the list the committee presented last year with its finding of noncompliance. Unlike last year, no one from AIPAC was present at Tuesday’s meeting to elaborate on any of the recommendations, which for the most part lacked specific examples of violations and instead cited relevant standards that are in noncompliance.
The recommendations include:
• A catch-all statement that the “District is to be in compliance with MN State Statutes pertaining to Indian Education.”
• Full collaboration with AIPAC in writing all aid/grants pertaining to Indigenous Education, approval of Indigenous Education expenditures, and provision in a timely manner of up-to-date budgets, testing data, attendance data, graduation rates, student count data, and other information requested by AIPAC.
• That the board and district officials read and adhere to AIPAC bylaws.
• Reinstatement of the Indian Education Director position.
• Be in compliance with teaching American Indian educational standards in all classrooms.
• Use Indigenous Education funding to supplement curriculum, not to replace curriculum funding from general education sources.
• Use the Self-Assessment Rubric provided with last year’s vote of nonconcurrence and work toward attaining excellence.
• Hold collaborative meetings with AIPAC and the school board at least twice a year.
• District should comply with requests for accurate, specific information regarding the Tribal Nations Education Committee, MDE Office of Indian Education, Bois Forte and Fond du Lac and others in a timely manner.
• The district is to consult with the MDE Office of Indian Education with any questions they may have pertaining to the district’s Indigenous Education program and Minnesota statutes.
In other business, the board:
• Heard a presentation from Teresa de Venecia, Executive Director of Volunteers in Education (VinE) about the group’s efforts to re-establish their tutoring programs at North Woods, Northeast Range, Tower-Soudan, and Cherry by April 10.
• Had a second reading of a bullying prohibition policy.
• Approved the 2023-24 school calendar.
• Revised an agreement for a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor intended for a greenhouse at Northeast Range/Babbitt Elementary School after cost estimates for the project far exceeded the designated funds. $30,000 of the funds will be re-designated for a grow room for the school, and $20,000 will be reallocated to the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability to fulfill the donor’s original intention of a greenhouse.
• Hired Karen Klatt and Sandra Negen as paraprofessionals at Northeast Range.
• Hired Susan Thomas to the Indigenous Support II position at North Woods.
• Hired Michael Weske as full-time custodian at North Woods.
• Hired the following coaches: North Woods head softball, DeeAnn Sandberg, with assistants Becca Bundy and Alli Sandberg; NW head girls golf, Kandi Olson; NW track assistant, Dan Squires; Northeast Range, head baseball, Aaron Donais; NER head girls golf, Ethan Stachovich; NER head softball, Misty Roseth.
• Hired Blake Scofield as part-time North Woods fitness center supervisor.