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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for New Richmond School District. We found 8 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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$21,600 for ‘i-Ready’ EdTech Training
The check summary under Item 4.D lists a $21,600 payment to Curriculum Associates for ‘i-Ready – Professional Learning.’ i-Ready is a student-facing software that increases screen time, often replacing direct instruction from a teacher, with no guarantee of academic improvement.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board of Education (see the Official Agenda link for contact info) before the vote on Item 4.D: ‘Before approving $21,600 for i-Ready training, please publish the independent, non-vendor-supplied evidence that this program improves academic outcomes, and disclose how much daily screen time it adds for students.’
💰 Impact: $21,600
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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$2,625 for Controversial ‘CPM’ Math Materials
The credit card statement in the monthly bills (Item 4.D) shows a $2,625 purchase for ‘Digital CPM teacher materials.’ CPM (College Preparatory Mathematics) is a controversial, non-traditional math curriculum that often de-emphasizes direct instruction and standard algorithms, which can leave students unprepared for higher-level math.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ANSWERS: Contact the Board of Education (see the Official Agenda link for contact info): ‘Item 4.D contains a $2,625 purchase for CPM math materials. Has the district provided parents with independent data showing CPM is superior to traditional math instruction? This curriculum purchase should not be hidden in the bills.’
💰 Impact: $2,625
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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Board to Vote on 7.46% Tax Levy Increase
Under Item 7.D, the board is voting to set the 2026-2027 tax levy at over $29.4 million, a 7.46% increase from the previous year. Parents and taxpayers deserve a full accounting of why this increase is necessary and where the additional money is being spent.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Contact the Board of Education (see the Official Agenda link for contact info) regarding Item 7.D: ‘Before you vote to increase our taxes by 7.46%, please provide a detailed breakdown of the new spending that requires this increase. We demand fiscal responsibility.’
💰 Impact: $29.4M
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Restricting Public Comment to Residents Only
The district’s Open Forum guidelines under Item 3.A state that only residents, parents/guardians, or staff may speak at meetings. This policy can be used to prevent non-resident taxpayers or other concerned citizens from addressing the board on important issues affecting the community’s children.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND A VOICE: Contact the Board of Education (see the Official Agenda link for contact info): ‘Policy should not exclude taxpayers or other concerned citizens from public comment. Revise the Open Forum guidelines in Item 3.A to allow all members of the public to speak.’
💰 Impact: Silencing Outside Voices
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Funding for ‘PBIS’ Behavior Program Staff
Hidden in the Consent Agenda (Item 4.B) are payments totaling over $3,400 for ‘PBIS Lead’ and ‘PBIS Team Member’ positions. PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) is a behavior management system that is often a vehicle for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and extensive data collection on student behavior.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Board of Education (see the Official Agenda link for contact info): ‘Pull Item 4.B from the Consent Agenda for a separate vote. Parents deserve to know what the PBIS program entails, what data is collected on students, and how they can opt their children out.’
💰 Impact: $3,450
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item 6.A is a ‘Student Growth Report,’ but the report itself was not included in the provided documents. These reports can sometimes include non-academic metrics like SEL or behavior data, and parents need to know what the district is measuring as ‘growth.’
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file ‘School Board Growth Report 26_27.pdf’ attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains non-academic student tracking.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Student Metrics
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| ALERT (LEVEL 3) |
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Purchase of ‘Responsive Classroom’ SEL Materials
The monthly bills (Item 4.D) include a $72.23 purchase for ‘RC Workbook purchases.’ Responsive Classroom is a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) program that focuses on social engineering in the classroom rather than core academics.
Recommended Action Plan
Monitor: This is a small purchase, but confirms the district is spending money on SEL materials. Track for larger contracts with this or similar vendors in the future.
💰 Impact: $72.23
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✅ Wins to Defend
Good moves worth showing up to support so they stick.
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| Win (LEVEL 6) |
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District Approves Advanced College Courses for Students
The board is approving applications for students to take advanced courses like Calculus III and Certified Nursing Assistant training through the Early College Credit Program. This expands academic opportunities for students who have exhausted the high school’s offerings and prioritizes academic achievement.
How to Lock It In
SECURE THE WIN: Show up or email the Board (see the Official Agenda link for contact info) to thank them for approving Item 5.A. Publicly supporting these advanced academic programs makes it harder for them to be cut in the future.
✅ Why It Matters: Academic Excellence
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