The following report was presented to the Copper River School District Board at their regular February meeting.
On January 26, 2026, nine of eleven Curriculum Committee members met to complete the first round of the Social Studies Curriculum Review. The committee, representing students, staff, an administrator, and parents, received training on the review process and conducted Review #1 using district procedures and a committee-approved rubric aligned with Alaska State Standards.
Review #2 is scheduled to begin on February 12, 2026, and will evaluate additional curricula using the same process.
Sandy, Sheryl, and I met to discuss the projected costs for occupational and physical therapy services. Currently, the district’s OT cost is $32,000 and the PT cost is $26,000. For the upcoming school year, OT costs may increase to $73,000 and PT costs to $59,000, for a combined total of $132,000. However, we anticipate the total could rise to approximately $150,000 due to increased competition among districts.
The district will go out for bids early to secure specialists as soon as possible. While the district’s current physical therapist has expressed interest in remaining and has already provided a quote for next year, we have communicated that the formal bidding process must be completed before any decisions are made.
Kirk Howard shared that the learning space project is on hold at this time, as he and Colleen are working to secure another grant to fund it.
During the ASA Legislative Meeting on Friday, January 16, 2026, one topic of discussion was SB 248: Correspondence Study Program Student Assessment Participation. This bill relates to student assessment participation requirements for correspondence study programs and would require a district’s correspondence program to maintain an assessment participation rate equal to or higher than the district’s overall rate. If a correspondence program fails to meet this requirement, the commissioner would be required to withhold state aid payments until the program comes into compliance.
On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Gulkana hosted a Coffee/Tea with the Superintendent, which was attended by five participants. The meeting was meaningful and productive, with thoughtful discussion on a range of topics, including Career and Technical Education (ARCTIC), support for students with special education needs, earthquake and other emergency drills, preventive measures, vaping, positive changes within the school, migrant education, the personal finance class, and student identity building.
On Wednesday, January 21, Angela Verimillion, Frances Jackson, Brit Peek, and I met to discuss developing a partnership to offer high school courses focused on medical assistant certification. The program would require either developing or purchasing a curriculum and aligns with SOA Goal 3: Strengthen Workforce Development.
The current plan is to use this year for program planning, with a target launch in Fall 2027. CRSD would need to seek approval for technical curriculum certification. The program would be open to junior and senior high school students, and the intent is to hire a teacher who could lead the program while also teaching science or other courses. I also suggested surveying students to gauge interest in a medical-focused program.
On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the first Drop-Sit-and-Paint Night was held and was well attended. Twelve families participated, with a total of thirty-seven attendees, not including myself and Misty, who facilitated and led the painting activities. The event provided a relaxed and engaging opportunity for families to spend time together while participating in a creative activity.
During the Drop-Sit-and-Paint Night, participants completed a district survey designed to gather input from parents, guardians, and community members to inform future planning and grant decisions. The survey focused on programs and services that support student learning, well-being, career readiness, and safe learning environments.
Twelve participants were asked to rank nine categories from highest priority (one) to lowest priority (nine). The top three selected, in order, were: School counseling services, work-based learning, and facilities and infrastructure. (Editor’s note: Complete survey results are available in the Superintendent Report section of the agenda for the February 3 school board meeting.)
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