School Board Discusses Legislative Priorities, Student Incentives, and Upcoming Schedule

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The latest school board meeting highlighted key legislative movements in Pierre, an upcoming “Cracker Barrel” Session for the public, and a call for a formal review of the district’s grading policy.

Legislative Updates: Free Meals and Building Projects

Superintendent Dr. Jeff Danielsen reports centered heavily on the ongoing legislative Session. A key issue is House Bill 1082, which aims to eliminate the cost barrier for students eligible for reduced-price meals. Under this bill, the state would cover the difference for these students, effectively making meals free for anyone who meets the current reduced-price or free-income guidelines. While the bill passed the House Education Committee, it now sits with the House Appropriations Committee due to a projected $600,000 cost.

The board also expressed strong support for House Bill 1202, a funding request for a proposed building at the Lake Area Trade Center. Additionally, officials are monitoring House Bill 1017, a school discipline bill currently undergoing revisions to make it more “passable”.

Moulton Calls for Grading Policy Reform

During board reports, school board member Jean Moulton requested that the review of Grading Policy IKA be moved up the priority list. Moulton shared concerns raised by several elementary teachers that the current report card system for grades 1–4 lacks incentives for high achievement.

The current system only utilizes “proficient” and “approaching proficient” markers, leaving out a fourth column for categories such as “advanced” or “superior”. “Proficient on a grading scale... could be considered proficient [even with a low score],” Moulton noted, adding that teachers are concerned students are not working to their full potential without higher benchmarks to strive for. She requested that her comments be formally entered into the meeting minutes.

Calendar Alerts and “Snow Day” Status

Parents and students should prepare for an adjusted schedule this week:

·        Thursday, Feb 12: Early dismissal at 12:30 p.m. for parent-teacher conferences (held from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.).

·        Friday, Feb 13 & Monday, Feb 16: No school.

Despite various winter weather events, the district remains at zero snow days used for the year. Staff reported for an in-service day during a previous school closure on the 23rd, allowing the day to count toward the calendar.

Public Engagement

Citizens interested in discussing these or other legislative issues are encouraged to attend a Cracker Barrel meeting this Saturday, Feb 14, at 8:00 a.m. The event will be held at the Codington County Fairgrounds extension building in the livestock ring. It will also be live-streamed on Northeast Radio SD’s Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.