Enrollment at 139; New SRO on Duty
The Meadows Valley School Board held their regular meeting on Tuesday, October 7. The normal meeting date was moved for this month and will be again for the November meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, November 4 at 7:00 p.m. in the school library.
Superintendent and Principal Dee Fredrickson began her report with an enrollment update stating current attendance shows 139 students. This includes 20 preschoolers and is about ten students more than last year.
Fredrickson reported on State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield’s visit, saying they were able to have some in depth conversations with a senior student and show some good investments along with unique community focused projects.
Regarding curriculum, the Superintendent reported that grades K through 3 are incorporating testing with a state directive program called Amira. The AI learning test counts as an initial Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) assessment. The program uses an AI “character” who students listen and respond to and the assessment adapts depending on responses to provide more challenge or add instruction. Board Trustee Barbara Dixon said she didn’t think using these types of AI programs did the kids any favors.
According to the Amira website, this technology has been used in Idaho classrooms since 2017. This is the first time Meadows Valley has incorporated this product. The program uses Science of Reading and AI technology at its base.
Regarding professional development and staffing, Fredrickson reported that Chris Carlisle, the school’s new School Resource Officer (SRO) has been a great addition to the team. She said Carlisle has a focus on preventing bullying and this has been helpful with some recent behavior interventions. The SRO is being included in some staff conversations to ensure he is on board with the school’s focus and goals for students. Fredrickson said she plans to send out information to families on what an SRO is and how Officer Carlisle is interacting with students.
Fredrickson said this year all teachers and staff have a goal to use more discussion and question asking techniques in order to deepen subject discussions and help students “own” and better learn the information.
Vice Principal and Athletic Director Jared “Mr. Mac” McIlvain updated the board on athletics noting the volleyball teams have had a good season. High school played their last home game on Thursday, October 9 and included a “Pink Out” for breast cancer awareness and Senior Night. Three seniors, Jacklyn Steiner, Olivia McFadden, and Xaiya Solis, were honored by their team and families with gifts and cheers.
McIlvain also noted that they had a really good community turnout for recent games thanks to the help of PTO advertising efforts, and it was great to see so many people in the stands.
McIlvain told the board about a recent survey given to staff, parents, and students regarding winter and spring sports. He said an option between basketball and wrestling for winter was surprisingly very positive toward starting a wrestling team. He asked the board for their approval to look further into options and costs. The board was in favor of pursuing further information. The Athletic Director said the main concern would be cost for equipment and uniforms, especially mats, but was hopeful they could find some donations. McIlvain also said there was good interest in golf for Spring.
Fredrickson reported that phase 1-2 of the fire system updates have been completed. She said this includes reprogramming of the monitor to show the correct location if a sensor goes on. She also said they have been pleased with the company they are working with.
Fredrickson gave the board an update on the Superintendents Network meetings she attended that week. She detailed conversations around Special Education funding and ideas around ways to consolidate separate funds for more meaningful projects. She also shared about an online safety training related to phishing scams.
The Board moved to action items, approving the school’s continuous improvement plan for the 2025-26 school year. Fredrickson explained the document is made on a template provided by the state, so there are some school-wide goals currently in place that don’t fit the state’s rubric.
Part of the document reads, “MV is committed to ongoing efforts to meet and exceed established performance targets. We will utilize ISAT interim assessments throughout the year to ensure students receive appropriate tiered interventions as necessary.” The section specifically mentions “walk to interventions” that is used in grades K through 5 and describes using rubric grading to keep goals and grading methods consistent across classrooms. The document highlights early literacy, vocabulary development, family engagement, and special instruction in writing as some of the school’s top goals. The plan was passed unanimously.
Four policies were on the meeting’s agenda for action. Policy 2320 and related form and procedure regarding health, sex education, and human sexuality was tabled after a second reading and discussion with a plan to finalize specific wording before approval. The conversation included affirmation that community feedback would be requested if related topics were to be added to the school’s curriculum. This specific policy will be required by the state, but has been tabled to reword it in a way that is more applicable to Meadows Valley’s current curriculum and policy.
Policy 2340 regarding controversial issues was introduced as a first reading. The board moved to table the policy for now.
Policy 2435 about advanced opportunities references money individual students can use for extra or dual credit classes, exams, and specialized training. The policy was approved unanimously with an update to allow students to use this money to take more than one ISAT test.
Policy 3010 regarding open enrollment was updated. Changes included options for siblings of current students to be prioritized for enrollment.
No further comments were made and the meeting was adjourned
