Reggie Engebritson

VIRGINA — While the framework for ISD 2142’s Friday day care option to support the transition to a four-day school week is solidly in place, two big questions still loom as the program approaches its Sept. 12 start date: Will the district find the staff it needs, and will there be enough students enrolled to justify the effort?
Superintendent Reggie Engebritson and Kim Jordan, director of Indigenous education, provided the school board with thorough updates at Tuesday’s business meeting, and while the operational details are set, Jordan reported that there are few enrollments.
Pre-registration for programs at North Woods, Northeast Range, Cherry, and South Ridge opened in mid-August, while Tower-Soudan students will have the option of attending the Bois Forte Boys and Girls Club-Vermilion for afterschool and Friday care. As of Tuesday, the number of registrants was slim.
“We didn’t know if we were going to have anyone at Cherry,” Jordan said. “We actually have two students at Cherry – we thought we’d get more, but that’s where we’re at. At Northeast Range we have four students. North Woods has five. At South Ridge we knew we would have a large portion, and we have 23 students, but we don’t know if those are all before and after school or if it’s Friday care.”
Jordan anticipates those numbers will grow after next week’s open houses at the schools and during the first week of attendance in September, but if numbers remain low, the future of the Friday program at some locations could be in doubt.
“We have to make the decision how many students (we need) to run with the program,” Jordan said. “Right now, we’re going to run with the program with two, but we have to decide … is it feasible to continue the program with two kids? We’re going to look at that later.”
But also as of Tuesday, no one had been hired at Cherry to care for their students, and the employee hired for North Woods won’t be available to start the year, Jordan said.
“Cherry’s a little worrisome because we don’t have anyone that applied in the Cherry area,” Jordan said. “At North Woods, we only have one person, and they can’t start until October, so that might be an issue.”
Jordan reported that the Friday program is now fully integrated with before- and after-school care, providing a consistent registration process and a single handbook for families. Parents can register through the district’s SmartCare system for a $20 fee per student, capped at $80 per family. Daily rates are set at $30 for full-day care and $20 for half days of up to five hours, and parents will need to schedule and pay in advance. Jordan said the program will also include lunch and snacks through the state’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, which recently confirmed eligibility for all district sites.
Engebritson said the Friday child care option will add enrichment opportunities built around seasonal themes. Activities like robotics, once restricted to Saturday sessions, will now have more flexible scheduling. Staff will continue refining the structure based on academic and social needs.
Varsity and JV sports practices can take place on Fridays but are limited to two hours and cannot start before 8 a.m., Engebritson said.
The Friday care program officially begins Sept. 12, giving staff some breathing room during the opening week of school. Coordinators at each building are reaching out to families who may wish to enroll.
Looking at the bigger picture, Engebritson said the district’s four-day week transition is designed with flexibility in mind, both for families and for the district’s own operations. Support staff will not see their hours cut, she said, noting that paraprofessionals will work from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., custodians will maintain both morning and evening shifts on school days, and while bus drivers lose a day of routes, some options will be available running on Fridays for students needing special education services.
Class schedules are also being adjusted to fit the shorter week. Elementary students will receive additional time for math and reading each day, while high school periods will mirror the district’s former Flex Wednesdays, providing a familiar rhythm for teachers and students alike.
Engebritson to retire
In perhaps the biggest development at the meeting, Engebritson announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
“This will be my last year,” she told the board. “I’m in my third year of my contract and I will retire at the end of this year. I’m so grateful for the opportunity. It’ll be eight years in January that I’ve been the superintendent here.”
Through a cooperative agreement that includes a portion of her salary, Engebritson has also served as the superintendent for Mt. Iron-Buhl. She indicated that this would give the board the opportunity to consider whether to continue that arrangement. The district has until Jan. 1 to notify Mt. Iron-Buhl if they intend to drop out of the agreement.
In other business, the board:
• Approved contracts for teachers, principals, and paraprofessionals. Each group agreed to pay raises of 1.5 percent, below the amount that would represent a cost-of-living adjustment, and Engebritson thanked them all for their cooperative approach to negotiations at a time when the district is facing a budget deficit. The board approved a similar increase for district office staff.
• Hired Sophia Horvat and Blake Scofield as a full-time special education teachers at North Woods.
• Hired Valerie Hernandez as a part-time Title I teacher at Tower-Soudan.
• Hired Sara Debruzzi as a part-time Title I teacher at Northeast Range.
• Hired Morgan Zollinger as a full-time Site I secretary at NER.
• Hired Brielle Hujanen as a paraprofessional at T-S.
• Hired Tim Johnson as a full-time custodian at NER.
• Hired Mya Buffetta as assistant cross-country coach at NW.
• Hired Hanna Sandberg and Marissa LaPatke as assistant volleyball coaches at NW.
• Approved the retirement request of NW special education teacher David Trandahl.
• Accepted the resignation of NW preschool teaching assistant Jamie Kultala.
• Placed teacher Rachael Thom on special assignment as part-time dean at NER.
• Approved a partial leave of absence for NW preschool teacher Becky Chopp.