High school principals highlight BAR gains, enrollment growth and space needs

Principals from the district’s three high‑school programs presented results and needs to the ISD 194 board on April 28, showcasing higher graduation outcomes, credit‑recovery activity and early returns from Year 2 of BAR implementation.

Kim Butiam (principal, Lakeville North), Sean Murphy (principal, Lakeville South) and Margaret Gare (principal, alternative programs) described a district effort to align curriculum and introduce common assessments. They credited BAR (a ninth‑grade team model that includes weekly teacher team meetings, iTime lessons and data review) with lower freshman failure rates and stronger attendance and daily engagement indicators.

"Nationally, students who pass all their classes in ninth grade are four times more likely to graduate on time," a principal said during the presentation, noting the district’s freshman failure rates improved after BAR adoption. Administrators said they have dedicated staff‑development time and plan common assessments for unit‑level evaluation.

The presentation included data on credit recovery: staff reported about 245 summer course completions (classes recovered) and roughly 130 academic‑year credit recoveries during the year reported. Principals described summer recovery as an intensive period when more students complete courses.

Principals also flagged staffing and infrastructure needs. Requests included an assistant principal or administrator for alternative programs, additional intervention staff for literacy and math, and a district registrar to manage incoming transcripts. Facilities concerns included aging furniture and crowded cafeterias; technical trade programs (welding, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, engineering) were limited by space and equipment. Principals suggested partnerships with technical colleges and possibly a shared trade hub to expand capacity.

On concurrent enrollment, the district said it is exploring models (University of Minnesota College in the Schools, MnSCU programs) that would allow teachers to be accredited to deliver college‑level, transferable courses on campus; staff aim to present course options for the 2027–28 program of studies.

Board members asked for more disaggregated data on failure rates, credit‑recovery calculations and concrete facility cost estimates before decisions about major capital investments.