Development News for Stillwater, Minnesota

Q Comp Program Report Highlights Professional Development and Coaching Successes

The board received a report on the district's Q Comp program, an alternative teacher professional pay system designed to recruit and retain educators and improve student achievement. The program has four state-directed components and is funded through state and local sources. Key aspects include job-embedded professional development, teacher evaluation, and instructional coaching. The program's focus for the current year has been aligning professional development with a new evaluation rubric, emphasizing tier-one instruction, instructional design, data-informed assessment, and culturally responsive practices. Data is collected to monitor program effectiveness and support educator and student growth. The district is in its second year of a centralized coaching model and has collaborated with Forest Lake School District on curriculum development. The Q Comp program is seen as essential for sustaining coaching staff, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), mentors, and instructional coaches. There is awareness of potential state-level budget headwinds that could impact Q Comp funding in the future.

Board Approves One-Year Flexibility for Teaching Assistant Staffing Model

The board granted a one-year flexibility for the teaching assistant staffing model for the upcoming school year. This flexibility allows staff to work through adjustments to the model. The decision will be reported to the public, and the flexibility will conclude when the hiring process for the following year begins, unless a public decision is made to extend it. The board also confirmed that updates will be provided either via email or during board meetings.

Stillwater Approves $60,434 Share of 916 Intermediate School District's LTFM Budget

The board approved the 916 Intermediate School District's Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) budget for the upcoming year. Stillwater's portion of this budget is $60,434. This funding is a pass-through mechanism where the 916 district levies funds from its 13 member school districts for facility projects. Each member district's board must approve their share, after which the 916 district proceeds with their projects. Stillwater is the fourth largest member district, contributing 10% of the total allocation. The allocation was vetted and approved by representatives from the 13 member districts at the 916 board meeting.

Preliminary FY2027 Budget Shows Balanced Operations Amidst Inflationary Pressures

The board reviewed the preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes an estimated revenue of $156.8 million and a projected ending fund balance of $6.1 million in the general fund. Key factors influencing the budget include inflation, enrollment projections, contractual settlements, legislative changes, and one-time funding sources. The budget proposal aims for a balanced budget without using the restricted fund balance for curriculum this year, unlike the previous year. Adjustments have been made for property taxes, state aids, federal grants, and other miscellaneous revenues, with significant changes noted in the Other Post-Employment Benefit (OPEB) levy and Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) pay-off funding. Expenditure adjustments account for inflation, salary increases, benefits, purchase services, supplies, materials, and equipment. The board also discussed the projected fund balance for food service and community service funds, which are showing positive growth, and the utilization of remaining school building bonds and LTFM bonds.