School year start, financial donation, levy vote meetings on school board agenda

An update on the start of the school year, a financial donation from the Dodge Center Foundation and dates for public meetings on the upcoming levy vote were all on the agenda at Monday night’s Triton Board of Education meeting.

Triton principals all reported how the first days of school went with all agreeing the year is off to a good start.

Superintendent Brett Joyce reported that as of the first day of school there were 1,189 students registered for pre-kindergarten through grade 12. That is an increase from the 1,165 on the first day of the 2015-2016 school year, he said.

“We did get some new students from the closing of the charter school,” Joyce said, and some from people moving in.”

He added that more students have been enrolled since the first day of classes and the totals are now in 1,190+ range.

Elementary Principal Nancy Stucky said the elementary school was “off and running.”

Additional students resulted in adding a fifth kindergarten class, she said, and the process of implementing school-wide Title I services was under way.

She also announced that after the Minnesota Department of Education reviewed results from the latest round of proficiency tests last spring Triton Elementary was now designated a “Reward School” an upgrade from “Continuous Improvement” status because of the improved student achievement scores.

Middle School Principal Luke Lutterman told the board opening days at the Middle School has also been “absolutely fantastic.”

The open house before the first day of school was an opportunity, he said, for parents and students to meet teachers and for students to find their classrooms and lockers.

The transition to Infinite Campus is under way, he said, and the next phase is to improve communication with parents. The new parent portal system is being finalized and will be online in the next three or four weeks.

High School Principal Craig Schlichting agreed that technology has been a big part of the effort this year and overall there has been a good transition to Infinite Campus. The district continues to use Schoology and is currently working on making sure it is compatible with Infinite Campus.

 The Dodge Center Foundation presented the district with a check for $9,800 for purchase of two welding simulators for the district at the meeting

The welding simulators can be hooked up to a computer, Agriscience Instructor Robert Ickler told the board.

“Welding is kind of a big deal in this town,” Ickler said, and with the new simulator the plan is to have each Middle School student use the simulator to understand welding.

It’s “very high tech stuff,” Ickler said, costing $4,900 each. The donation from the Dodge Center Foundation bought two of the simulators and the district purchased a third.

Ickler also introduced Martha Moenning, a Triton ninth-grader, who will be participating in the Creed Speaking contest at the national FFA convention in October.

Moenning, he said, earned her trip to the national convention by placing first in both the regional and state competition.

The Triton FFA attends the national convention every other year and because this is an in between year, Moenning will be the only Triton student attending this year’s event. Her mother will be attending the convention with her this year, Ickler said, and there are also several Triton graduates who will attend to receive their American Farmer degrees.

Board members also discussed the upcoming levy referendum and considered dates for holding public informational sessions in Claremont, Dodge Center and West Concord.

Joyce told board members that no community meetings can be conducted before Oct. 9 because of state law.

“I think it’s a good idea to present in all three communities,” he said. 

He recommended that presentations be on three different days to allow residents flexibility in attending.

He expected the formal presentation to last about a half hour with an additional half hour set aside for a question and answer session.

Exact dates and times will be announced later.

He also said the district will be sending mailings to 2,880 people living in Dodge County along with some district residents in Steele and Goodhue Counties.

The district also approved a five-year advance payment on the Triton portion of the facility fee rental for the Kasson-Mantorville/Triton gymnastics program from KM Community Education. The advance payment will help with the purchase of equipment for the program for the two school districts that is housed in the Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School. The cooperative program between the two districts has been renting space in Byron for practices and meets.

The $12,500 payment would cover Triton’s participation in the high school program over the