During a short regular meeting Monday, August 28, before heading out for tours of West Elementary, High, and Home School buildings, the Mid-Prairie Board of Education sought to comply with new legislation enacted earlier this year and approved new district legal counsel.

In May 2023, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a new requirement that students must receive written permission from their parents before taking a survey at school that will influence instruction.  

For the past two years, teachers at East and West Elementary schools have been using Teacher-Child Interaction Training – Universal (TCIT-U), a professional development program designed to strengthen teacher-child relationship skills.  Part of the program is the Deveraux Student Strengths Assessment—Mini (DESSA-Mini), a set of eight questions completed by a teacher that screens social and emotional competencies.  The survey is used to measure the impact of the program, not measure individual student progress; the data is de-identified and the individual surveys destroyed.

The board was made aware of the program and the new protocol that requires parental consent.

The board approved letters of engagement with Ahlers & Cooney PLC, who will serve as new legal counsel for the district generally and specifically regarding the 2023-2024 general obligation bond.  

“They’ve been hugely beneficial and very accessible,” Superintendent Brian Stone remarked.

Finally, the board set a public hearing for September 25 at 6:45 p.m. for continuation to the instructional support levy.  

“The current instructional support plan that we have will expire at the end of this fiscal year,” Business Manager Jeff Swartzentruber explained.  “This is set up to help us with an additional 10% going into the general fund” which primarily is used to fund additional staff of 8-10 teachers.  

This first public hearing regards the district’s intent to continue the instructional support levy.  A second public hearing would follow it, followed by a board resolution to move forward with the levy.  The public would then have 28 days to gather signatures that would bring a referendum before voters.  Because this process will not happen in time for the November 7 election, a special election would be called in March 2024.  

The Mid-Prairie Board of Education will next meet on Monday, September 11 at 6:15 p.m. in the Central Office Community Room.