The Devils Lake School Board held a regular meeting on Monday, Feb. 24. Here are some highlights from the meeting.
Superintendent Ned Clooten talked about chronic absenteeism and attendance. “This is something that we’ve been working on, something we didn’t see a whole lot of change over the course of the ‘23 to ‘24 school year. I’m excited to give you a mid-year report,” he said. The state defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10% of school, whether excused or unexcused absence from school. The report stated the school district was 10 points higher than the state on average which is significantly higher for chronic absenteeism. For 2022-2023 the rate went down to 26% and stayed level for last year. The goal was for 24%. The report states that the chronic absenteeism rate district-wide for January at the end of the semester was 19%. Clooten says they are on track to meet their goal for 2025 by the end of the school year.
Kristel Peterson, DLPS administrative assistant, was awarded Classified Employee of the 2nd Quarter. She was described as “compassionate and approachable, creating a welcoming environment for both staff and students… Kristel not only excels in her responsibilities but also enhances the overall efficiency of our district.”
Clooten said “For a new superintendent, for someone learning the ropes, she sometimes has to smooth over mistakes. She sometimes has to treat me as though I am a veteran, which I’m not.”
Peterson said, “I’m very honored and appreciate this recognition.”
Clooten after the meeting talked about the ag building and its progress. Clooten said the roof is complete. He added that as soon as the ground thaws, “they’ll pour that slab on the inside, and then we got a lot of windows in place, and then it’s all systems go… I think people will be able to drive by and notice a lot of changes in the near future.”
