Brainerd Public Schools Packet Summary — August 10, 2026
Meeting Overview
Brainerd Public Schools (Independent School District #181) has a Regular Board Meeting scheduled for August 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Washington Educational Service Building. The packet includes a Superintendent’s Report, agenda items, consent calendar materials, presentations, action items, informational reports, and upcoming district dates.
Key Items on the Agenda
Superintendent’s Report and Strategic Alignment
The Superintendent’s Report connects agenda topics to Project True North, the operating framework for the Board-adopted 2023–28 Strategic Plan. The packet describes current work across four strategic goals:
- Student Achievement: Literacy framework professional development, K–12 math review work, district test-result preparation, and a K–8 Chromebook-to-carts transition with Forestview.
- Safety: Completion of NIMS/ICS protocols, evaluation of visitor check-in and badging options, Policy 903F updates, safety position descriptions, and administrative training related to new state statutes.
- Fiscal Stability: Substitute-rate analysis, 2026–28 Child Care employment provisions, operating levy planning, levy certification, and audit preparation.
- Wellbeing: Independent review and fall-readiness work, planned mental health training, staff learning initiatives, and culture/belonging surveys.
The packet identifies a September True North kickoff as the next phase milestone, with a first District Progress Dashboard baseline and “What I Heard” entry findings synthesis planned for the Board later in the fall.
Consent Calendar Items
The packet lists several items for consideration on the consent calendar. Administration recommends approval of the listed items.
Items include:
- Staff changes and leaves.
- Ratification of bills.
- A memorandum of understanding involving Cortney Cardini and Katie Erickson.
- Completed substitute-rate schedule.
- Athletic training contract.
- Second revision of the 2026–27 school calendar.
- Girls swimming and diving cooperative agreement with Pequot Lakes.
- Boys cross country cooperative agreement with Lake Region.
- Addendum to Policy 903F.
Substitute Rate Schedule
The packet presents a completed substitute-rate analysis. Proposed changes include:
- Short-call teacher substitute rate: $20.67 per hour.
- Principal substitute rate: $40 per hour.
- Corresponding adjustments for cook, educational-assistant, nurse, and secretary substitutes.
Long-term substitute rates remain pending ratification of the master agreement.
2026–27 School Calendar Revision
The packet proposes amendments to the previously adopted 2026–27 school calendar. The changes include:
- Reducing in-service days by two to align with the tentative teacher master agreement.
- Restoring the “Christmas Holiday” and “Easter Holiday” labels within Winter Break.
Presentations
Paul Bunyan Education Cooperative Partnership
The agenda includes a presentation from Paul Bunyan Education Cooperative Director Jennifer Johnson regarding the district’s special-education partnership through PBEC. The packet notes that the PBEC/BPS collaboration met August 3 and that the cooperative’s lease agreement is advancing.
Lions Quest Program
The packet includes a presentation on Lions Quest, a social-emotional learning program from Lions Clubs representatives Brian Sheehan and Denise Laudenbach. The presentation is connected to the district’s wellbeing goal and student-support work.
Policy and Governance Items
Policy 809 — Naming School Buildings or Facilities
The Board is scheduled to consider the first reading of Policy 809, which would replace former Policy 560. The packet notes that counsel review is complete and that, because this is a first reading, adoption does not occur at this stage.
MSBA Policy 206 — Public Presentation During Board Meetings
The Board is scheduled to consider the second reading of MSBA Policy 206 for adoption. The packet describes the policy as establishing content- and viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner standards for public expression during Board meetings while protecting privacy and due-process rights.
The packet notes that the policy language clarifies that criticism of the district, Board, Superintendent, or district operations is not prohibited.
Financial and Community Items
2026–28 Child Care Employment Provisions
The Board is scheduled to consider approval of 2026–28 Child Care employment provisions. The packet describes these provisions as a separately funded early-childhood wage scale for staff serving children ages three to five.
Recommended changes include:
- Consistent job titles.
- A 40-hour definition of full-time status for scheduling flexibility.
- Break and lunch periods defined under state law.
- Updated insurance contribution amounts.
- A 2027–28 district contribution increase capped at 3%.
- Across-the-board increases of 2% in 2026–27 and 2% in 2027–28.
The packet states that administration recommends approval.
November 3 Operating Levy
The packet includes information about the proposed November 3 operating levy question. The district’s role is described as providing factual information about the ballot question rather than advocating for or against it.
The packet identifies the proposed operating levy as:
- $5 million per year for ten years.
- Revenue first available in 2027–28.
- Estimated impact of about $11 per month on a $375,000 home.
The packet also notes preparation of referendum information materials, including a district referendum webpage and a Fall Community Education guide.
Safety and Student Support Topics
Independent Review and Fall Readiness
The packet describes an independent review of bullying policies and practices conducted by James K. Martin of Martin Law Firm PLLC. The packet states that findings are scheduled for release to the public August 11, with completion targeted for October 1.
Related fall-readiness work includes:
- Postvention training with Northern Pines scheduled for August 26.
- Mental Health First Aid planned for workshop week.
- Crisis-planning work included in the August 5 All-Admin session.
Safety Infrastructure and Visitor Management
The packet discusses evaluation of an emergency-management platform (Raptor). Follow-up materials from a vendor demonstration are included as part of the review process.
Open questions identified in the packet include:
- Confirmed site count.
- Recurring per-site cost.
- Funding source and eligibility.
- Contract availability.
- Alignment with future anonymous threat-reporting requirements.
- Coverage of reunification and before- and after-school activities.
Technology and Device Direction
The packet describes a staffwide study of Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation and a planned device direction connected to student mental health, attention, and instructional time.
The proposed direction described in the packet includes:
- No personal devices for students in grades K–8 during the school day.
- No personal devices during instructional time in grades 9–12.
- No school-issued devices going home for K–8 students, paired with family guidance on healthy screen use.
- School-issued devices may go home for grades 9–12 students with principal approval.
The packet states that finalized policy language will return to the Board through the reading process.
Business Services and Enrollment
The packet includes a Business Services report and NonResident/Resident Enrollment Report.
Reported enrollment figures include:
- Districtwide enrollment baseline: 5,800 students.
- General education K–12 enrollment: 5,415 students.
- Preschool enrollment: 280 students.
The packet also highlights enrollment trends, including a kindergarten class of 329 students compared with a senior class of 550 students and Forestview grade-level section sizes as part of long-range planning considerations.
What to Watch at the Meeting
Key items scheduled for consideration or discussion include:
- Consent calendar recommendations.
- Policy 809 first reading.
- MSBA Policy 206 second reading.
- 2026–28 Child Care employment provisions.
- November 3 operating levy preparations.
- Independent review and fall-readiness updates.
- Project True North planning and governance work.
- Safety infrastructure evaluation and student device direction.
Upcoming Dates
- August 11, 2026 — Independent review released to the public.
- August 26, 2026 — Postvention training with Northern Pines.
- September 8, 2026 — First day of school for grades 1–12.
- September 10, 2026 — First day of school for kindergarten.
- September 21, 2026 — Regular Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
- September 30, 2026 — Statutory deadline to certify the proposed property tax levy.
- October 1, 2026 — Independent review completion target.
- November 3, 2026 — General election with operating-levy question and school board election.
