By Robert Williams

Editor

Technology Coordinator Gretchen Norby and Student Support Coordinator Jerry Hanson discussed technology and the Local Literacy Plan, respectively, at the Frazee-Vergas School Board meeting Monday, Oct. 13.

Norby discussed what she called the “big buzz word” in cybersecurity. The tech department is combatting issues by continuing staff cybersecurity awareness and phishing simulation training; reviewing and updating network security policies and implementing best practices recommended by the Department of Education’s cybersecurity framework.

“The thought has shifted away from hackers in their basements and wildly trying to get in to make sure they get to an email and see what they can find from there,” Norby said. “They’re just casting a wide net and whatever they pull in they are utilizing and taking advantage of that. Making sure our staff knows that and that they know we are really our front line of defense for that. Making sure we aren’t clicking on links and emails that we don’t know who it’s from and going to sites that are reputable.”

Norby also discussed artificial intelligence and how it can be used as a tool.

“It’s really just a tool in our tool box and that’s what we have to teach kids,” she said. “Are we still going to have kids that are going to try to take advantage of it, yes, we are, but there are also tools out there for our teachers to help identify that.”

Norby continued the discussion on the importance of teaching kids to use AI effectively and finding a balance with the tool.

Regarding hardware used in school, Norby anticipates a transition from Windows-based PCs for staff and move to more affordable yet equally powerful Chromebooks, especially with teachers using more cloud-based applications over built-in software packages.

Students are already using Chromebooks. Students typically get a device beginning   seventh grade and another device beginning the 10th grade year. 

Norby hopes that with Chromebooks the lifecycle can extend to four years with the same machine.

“My goal is we can get four years out of Chromebooks and I think we can do that now with the quality of Chromebooks, as a whole, have gotten a lot better,” she said.

Also coming in the future is a needed server environment upgrade. The current environment is running one machine that houses a 2014 virtual server that is on year seven. 

“We’re going to look to update that and we’re going to have to update our server operating system which are currently running Server 2016; we’re going to move two of those to Server 2025,” Norby said.

The upgrade will improve performance, reliability and security.

Hanson, the Elementary Student Support Coordinator, discussed the local literacy plan and specifically as it relates to the Minnesota Department of Education’s (MDE) Reading to Ensure Academic Development (READ) Act.

“It’s changing how we’re teaching reading,” he said. “What we have to do is, at the end of the year, we have to publish online and it’s on the district’s website what we’ve done and include a summary of our efforts to screen and identify students that are not up to grade level, the number of students, how many students that are screened that might be having dyslexia problems and  also talk about what interventions we are using with the students.”

The goal of READ Act legislation is to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individualized reading goals in order to meet grade level proficiency. The READ Act replaced Read Well by Third Grade (RWBTG) and is in effect as of July 1, 2023.

Minnesota districts and charter schools are required to submit to MDE a local literacy plan annually by June 15. The Minnesota Department of Education posts each district and charter school’s Local Literacy Plan report which includes a summary of the district’s efforts to screen, identify and provide interventions to students who are not reading at grade level and students who demonstrate characteristics of dyslexia. Aggregate data on universal and dyslexia screening in grades K-3 and screening for characteristics of dyslexia in grades 4-12. In addition, the report identifies the reading curricula used for core instruction and interventions, whether the district has adopted an Minnesota Multi-tiered System of Supports (MnMTSS) framework, how the district has used their Literacy Aid funds and the number of educators who have completed the approved literacy professional development.

MnMTSS is a systemic, continuous improvement framework for ensuring positive social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, and academic outcomes for every student. MnMTSS provides access to layered tiers of culturally and linguistically responsive, evidence-based practices and relies on the understanding and belief that every student can learn and thrive. In addition, it engages an anti-bias and socially-just approach to examining policies and practices and ensuring equitable distribution of resources and opportunity.

“All the work that has been done has been pretty effective in how we’re teaching reading, but it’s a lot of intense work and it’s a mindset change for some teachers,” said Hanson.

The 2024-25 reports can be viewed or downloaded from the MDE Data Center, Data Reports and Analytics page under READ Act: Local Literacy Plan Report.

Enrollment

The district received enrollment option applications out of the district to Perham (5), Menahga (1), Detroit Lakes (7), and into the district from Lake Park (1), and Detroit Lakes (1).

Current elementary enrollment: PreK 40, K 37, 1G 66, 2G 56, 3G 66, 4G 62, 5G 59, 6G 62, Total 448

Current high school enrollment: 7G 58, 8G 65, 9G 76, 10G 60, 11G 66, 12G 69, Total 394

Hornet Pride

The following donations were accepted:

• $250 from Frazee Gridiron to the Weight Room Student Activity account

• $30 from Bell Bank for custom cards

Internet use

Clerk Tyler Trieglaff reported concerns of private users accessing the school’s Wi-Fi after hours from outside the buildings. 

“From the law enforcement side, we see it quite often,” he said. “People will be in a car and the car will be next to the library or across the street.”

Trieglaff reported the identity of those accessing the WiFi are known.

Plans are to turn off the WiFi beginning at 9 p.m. 

Parking lots

The back lot by the kitchen has been paved and striped. Across State Highway 87 is pending weather on when it will be paved. Striping expected to happen in the spring. The new softball lot is awaiting one more level of asphalt  and also striped in the spring.

The junior varsity baseball and pickleball lot remains on the schedule for completion of dirt work and a sidewalk. Cement and court surfacing will likely be completed in the spring.

Superintendent Terry Karger spoke of the positive of working with the community club on this project.

“Everything is playing out very nice with them; we’re very positive and in a good place,” Karger said.

Trieglaff reported there are extra funds from the parking lot project that will allow a new sidewalk to be poured from Door No. 3, the entrance to the vocational center, and around the shop to the backside of the parking lot.                                                                                                                                    

Personnel

The board approved the following:

• Hiring Mikayla Ullrich as a Junior High Volleyball Coach

• Hiring Reese Hanson as a High School Speech Advisor

• Hiring Judith Brekken as a Long-Term Sub for SpEd LD

• Hiring Dave Conzemius, Jason Reierson, Marty Thorp, Aaron Paulson, Kari Shipman, Lynn Tappe, Ryan Vigen, Molly Fairbanks and Roger Thorp as Weight Room Supervisors

• Hiring Valerie Turnbull as My Voice is Powerful (MVP) Youth Leader

• Hiring Tina Newling as a Wellness Coordinator

• Reduced a full-time Custodian position to half-time for Angela Polecat

• Hiring Lindsay Cox as a half-time custodian 

School Forest

Bids were received from Hammers LLC ($9,125) and Heston Contracting Inc. ($7,676) for the removal of old cement from under shelter and replacing with crushed concrete at the school Forest. Discussion was held with the Budget and Facilities Committee and recommendation is to proceed with the lower bid, Heston Contracting Inc.