Schools Superintendent Joshua Garrett presented a 45-page report on the district’s performance during a school board meeting on Jan. 19, highlighting the strengths of the schools and the areas where the district needs to modernize its approach to education.

To gather his data, Garrett used several methods including student surveys and interviews with faculty. He also hosted two community conversation events in November and December to provide the public a chance to contribute to the report.

“This evaluation is something that I think every new superintendent should do when they get to a new district,” Garrett said in a Jan. 20 interview.

The findings showed that the district is currently stable and enjoys a high level of trust from the community. Students generally feel safe and supported by their teachers at all grade levels. However, the report also noted that the current school structure is becoming outdated and may not be meeting the modern needs of students.

Garrett explained that while younger students are engaged, interest in school often drops as students get older. He said many high school students feel their classes are more about following rules than finding a purpose. Some graduates even reported feeling unprepared for the difficult writing and independent study required in college.

The superintendent suggested that the district should look for ways to customize learning.

He believes that moving toward hands-on projects and real-world lessons would help keep students interested in their education.

One solution which will be tested this spring is a pilot program for an online Spanish class. The course uses live video conferencing through a company called Proximity Learning to provide instruction that is not available locally.

“Proximity Learning offers a wide variety of classes that we can’t offer here, and they are classes that our students can really benefit from as far as preparing for college,” Garrett said.

He noted that several students currently use home learning programs outside of the district. By offering more online options, the district could better supervise the quality of education those students receive.

The report also addressed financial and geographic challenges facing the schools. Declining enrollment and rising costs have made it difficult to fund new programs.

Additionally, the report said the long travel times required for sports and activities can cause students to miss important classroom hours.

School enrollment is down about 20% from pre-COVID numbers, and the district has had to pull money out of reserves the past several years to balance its budget.

Garrett told the board that these issues are not caused by poor management. Instead, they are the result of an old system that was built for a different time. He urged the board to make intentional changes now rather than waiting for problems to worsen.

School Board President John DeRuyter expressed interest in the findings and asked for more details on schedule changes and advanced placement classes. He suggested the board hold a work session to discuss these topics before its next regular meeting scheduled for Feb. 16.

“We will need to have a work session on this as soon as possible,” DeRuyter said.

The superintendent emphasized that the goal of the report is to ensure every student has the best possible future. He believes the district has a strong foundation but needs to evolve to meet new demands.

“Everything about this, at the end of the day, is about what is best for the students,” Garrett said. “The district is doing well, but it could be doing better in some areas. That’s what we all want.”