One notable issue addressed was the ongoing challenge of school funding, particularly the shortfall in special education funding. The board highlighted that the basic general education revenue formula in Minnesota has not kept pace with inflation since fiscal year 2003. Despite a 2% increase for fiscal year 2025, which translates to $142 over the previous year’s allowance, the funding gaps remain substantial. The per-pupil formula allowance stands at $7,281 but would need to rise to $8,645 to match inflation rates since 2003, a significant increase of 18.7%.

Special education funding continues to be a concern, with a reported underfunding of $713 million at the state level for fiscal year 2022. Even with projected increases in cross-subsidy aid by fiscal year 2027, the shortfall is expected to be around $435 million. The district’s current special education cross-subsidy is approximately $24 million. To bridge these gaps, the district may need to cut regular program budgets or increase referendum revenue, actions that many districts have already taken.

The meeting also addressed various categories of property taxes, including locally approved operating referendums, capital project levies, and debt service programming. It was noted that changes in tax levies do not always correlate with changes in the budget, as these are based on state-determined formulas and voter-approved referendums. Some tax levy increases can be revenue neutral if offset by reductions in state aid, complicating the financial landscape for the district.

The board received preliminary levy reports and conducted a tax levy workshop to review numerous figures. Plans are in place to approve the preliminary levy at an upcoming meeting, with the final levy approval scheduled for December, coinciding with a truth and taxation hearing.

The board then moved to discuss the strategic plan priorities for the school year. Superintendent Julie Neelson introduced the ongoing work on the strategic plan, now in its second year. The plan focuses on five key areas: student experience, mastery of learning and expectations, student pathways and supports, operations staffing and finance, and engagement and partnerships. Neelson emphasized the district’s mission to educate students for success, which includes academic achievement and the development of problem-solving skills, independence, and teamwork.

Significant projects within the student experience category were highlighted, including program evaluations and support for new to country students and families. An orientation session for Spanish-speaking families saw strong turnout. The district is also implementing statewide literacy training, with licensed educators undergoing training to enhance their skills in literacy instruction. An elementary literacy screener is being introduced to identify areas for improvement among students.

The meeting also covered the district’s multilingual enrollment processes, detailing improvements made to the initial experience for families new to the country or learning English. A flowchart outlining responsibilities from the first family interaction to the point of scheduling was introduced. Additionally, the district is developing a K-12 framework for student pathways and supports, with an emphasis on creating leadership teams to implement this framework across schools.

In another segment, the topic of transportation was addressed by Abby Baker, the Executive Director of Human Resources. Baker acknowledged the efforts of bus drivers and office staff in implementing RFID cards to improve the transportation system. She highlighted that bus drivers underwent training over the summer to adapt to the new system. The district has saved 32 routes over a three-year period, currently operating 80 morning routes and 87 afternoon routes. During the first week of school, there were no reports of missing or unaccounted-for students, attributed to the diligent efforts of the bus drivers and the new RFID system.

Concerns were raised by some parents regarding longer bus routes this year, particularly for middle school students. The new routing software will assist in monitoring load counts and making necessary adjustments to routes.

The meeting also included discussions about the response rates for summer targeted services, highlighting that 1,500 invitations were sent out, resulting in 800 student enrollments. The board discussed the importance of community involvement in the strategic plan and the need to measure results effectively. The ongoing community survey process was reviewed, with the next survey scheduled for November or December 2025 to gather ongoing feedback and evaluate public sentiment and performance indicators.

Finally, the board discussed intradistrict transfers (IDT) and open enrollment policies, presented by the assistant superintendent. The IDT process allows families residing within the district to request enrollment at schools outside their designated boundaries, with applications prioritized based on specific criteria such as space availability and the presence of siblings already enrolled in the school. Open enrollment policies allow non-resident families to apply for admission to South Washington County Schools, with careful management of available spaces to avoid overcrowding.