Hillsboro School District

Annual Report 2023-2024

www.Hillsborok12.com

High School (701)636-4360 Elementary School (701)636-4711

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Table of Contents

Mission & Vision 4

Welcome 5

Staff 6-7

Hillsboro Board of Education 8

School Board Ethics 9-10

High Reliability Schools 11

Strategic Plan 12-16

Fast Facts 17

HPS School Profile 18

Enrollment 19

Academic Offerings/Student Services 20

ND Senior Academic & CTE Scholarships/Extra & Co-Curricular 21

Activity Participation Percentages 22

School & Activity Fees 23-24

Financial Summary 25

Uncollected Taxes 26

Statement of Changes in Fund Balances 27

Mill Levies 28

Mill Levy History 29

Bond Schedules 30-33

Funds

General Fund 34

Revenue Budget 35

Expenditure Budget 36-47

Special Revenue Fund 48

Building Fund 49

Sinking & Interest Fund 50

Hot Lunch Fund 51

Meals Served 52

Activity Fund 53-54

School Calendar for 2024-2025 55

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Message from the Superintendent

I am excited to present our 2023-2024 Annual Report on behalf of the School Board of Education. This report will show our district’s financial situation and educational programs, as well as services that our district provides. Our first detail is something to celebrate. This summer we received word that we have been certified in Level 3 of Marzano’s High Reliability School Framework. Certification in Level 3 means that we showed evidence that Levels 1 and 2 are still solidly in place across the district. Level 3 looks specifically at our school having a Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum. This means that teachers have a curriculum that matches the state standards and is condensed enough that teachers have time to teach it.

This is my first year serving as Superintendent of Hillsboro Public Schools. When I was going through the interview process I mentioned that I wanted our schools to be the best representation of who we are as a community. This is still my goal. When people ask what Hillsboro is like, I hope everyone in the community can proudly say, “Come and see our schools and you will know what we are like.” Our schools are fantastic for students and families. We have supports and challenges in place to help students grow and succeed.

This year, you will see we have a tight budget. It isn’t that the district was negligent or wasteful with the money. We invested in people and students. We saw results from that investment. The question for us now is, “What is a priority for our district and why?” As we navigate the coming year, I appreciate ideas from the community and our staff in finding ways to balance the budget and return us to fiscal health.

On behalf of the School Board, those who work in our schools, and the children we educate, thank you to the community for your continued support of education.

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Jon Dryburgh

Superintendent

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ADMINISTRATION 2023-2024:

Superintendent: Paula Suda

Junior High/HS Principal: Terry Baesler Elementary Principal: Jon Dryburgh�Business Manager: Vicky Grothmann Athletic Director: Dave Nelson

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2024-2025 Hillsboro High School Staff

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2024-2025 Hillsboro Elementary School Staff

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Hillsboro Board of Education

The Board’s primary role is governance, with student achievement and success as the central focus. Its responsibilities are many, including: managing the superintendent; fiscal oversight; setting District plans and goals; providing for program development; the adoption of policies; review and evaluation; and advocating on behalf of students and schools. The Board meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7:30 a.m. in the High School Library.

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School Board Members:

Left to right President Tim Kozojed, Mary Mattson, Kris Brekken, Vice President Brooke Duval, & Carly Theis

2023-2024 School Board Committees

Buildings & Grounds - Kris Brekken & Mary Mattson

Human Resources & Finance - Tim Kozojed & Mary Mattson

Hillsboro Rec. District - Brooke Duval

H509 Dollars for Scholars - Tim Kozojed

Transportation - Kris Brekken & Tim Kozojed

Student Services, Curriculum & Technology - Carly Theis & Brooke Duval

Extra-Curricular - Kris Brekken

Policies - Carly Theis

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2023-2024

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2024-2025

High Reliability Schools

The High Reliability Schools framework was created to guide school leaders as they plan to lead school improvement in the short and long term. The purpose of the framework is not to tell you how to think, but rather what to think about. HRS is a script for schools to follow. It allows school districts to coordinate efforts with the same goal in mind. This framework below allows us to create solid conditions for our teachers, yet still have flexibility in the classroom to be successful.

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The school shows growth in these levels by surveying the students, staff, parents and patrons in the district in order to get baseline information on whether they are meeting certain indicators. In order for schools to measure progress they will need to compile the data and develop the leading and lagging indicators. “Leading indicators show what a school should work on in order to achieve a high reliability level (they provide direction). Lagging indicators are the evidence a school gives to validate its achievement of a high reliability level (they provide proof), particularly in areas where there is general agreement that the school is not doing well.”

Hillsboro School District has been certified in Level 1 – Safe and Collaborative Culture, in Level 2 – Effective Teaching in Every Classroom, and in Level 3 - Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum.

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CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

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Hillsboro Public School is accredited through Cognia, the largest community of education professionals in the world that conducts rigorous, external reviews of Pre-K-12 schools and school systems to ensure that all learners realize their full potential. HPS had its accreditation site visit in 2023 where it was again given the distinction of accreditation by Cognia for another five years.

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In the past, schools have used a variety of initiatives. This is cool, “let’s try it out” approach. Unfortunately, this doesn’t allow for buy-in to the system and by then the school would move on to the next best thing.�� Our HRS framework, mission and vision statements are now posted in every classroom. This allows the students and staff to know the direction the school district is headed.

Strategic Plan

STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1 – SAFE & COLLABORATIVE CULTURE

A safe and collaborative culture addresses the factors considered foundational to the well-being of a school. Namely, do faculty, staff, students, parents, and the community feel that the school is safe and maximizes collaboration for the enhancement of student learning?

Objectives:

• Faculty and staff perceive the school environment as safe and orderly.
• Students, parents, and community perceive the school environment as safe and orderly.
• Teachers are given formal roles in the decision-making process for school initiatives.
• Teachers and staff work collaboratively to address common issues regarding curriculum, assessment, instruction, and academic success of all students.
• Faculty and staff have formal ways to give input regarding optimal operations of the school.
• Parents, students and community members have formal ways to give input regarding optimal operations of the school.
• Success of the school as a whole as well as individuals within the school, is appropriately recognized.
• Management of fiscal, operational, and technological resources directly supports teachers.

Source: Marzano, R. J., Phil Warrick, and Julia A. Simms. A Handbook for High Reliability Schools: The Next Step in School Reform. Marzano Research, 2014.

Measurable Objectives:� 1. Ensure opportunities for positive

relationships with students.�� 2. Create behavior expectations at

each school.

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Progress Monitoring

Stakeholder surveys, professional learning communities, High Reliability School committees, instructional rounds, behavior expectations, celebrate success on social media, staff handbooks, ADA & Homeland Security Assessments, crisis intervention plan and strategic plan revisited.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2 – EFFECTIVE TEACHING IN EVERY CLASSROOM

�Factors that relate to developing and maintaining effective instruction in every classroom. This is a central feature of effective schooling - the quality of teaching in classrooms.

Objectives:

• School leaders communicate a clear instructional vision.
• Support is provided to teachers to continually enhance their skills through reflection and professional growth plans.
• Instructional practices are known and monitored.
• Teachers are provided with clear, ongoing evaluations based on data and are consistent with student achievement data.
• Teachers are provided with professional development that is related to their instructional growth goals.
• Teachers have opportunities to observe and collaborate around effective teaching.

Source: Marzano, R. J., Phil Warrick, and Julia A. Simms. A Handbook for High Reliability Schools: The Next Step in School Reform. Marzano Research, 2014.

Measurable Objectives:�1. Annually in Gr. 3,5, & 8 the average Aimsweb+ reading scores will rank at or above 70%ile nationally as measured by Aimsweb+ %ile ranking.�2. Annually in Gr 3,5, & 8 the average Aimsweb + math score will rank at or above 60%ile nationally as measured by Aimsweb+ %ile ranking.�3. Attain 95%graduation rate for all students annually as measured by the 4-year cohort graduation rate by 2025.

Progress Monitoring

Learning goals posted in classrooms, principal walk-throughs, effective professional development aligned with school mission/vision, need and pertinent to HRS goals, effective teacher PLC’s, guaranteed vocabulary identified throughout K-12 and strategic plan revisited.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3 – GUARANTEED & VIABLE CURRICULUM

� A guaranteed and viable curriculum (DuFour & Marzano, 2011; Marzano, 2003b) focuses on enhancing student learning that is in place. This approach ensures that every student has the opportunity to learn the grade and subject-appropriate content on which they will be assessed.

Objectives:

• Assessments follow the state standards.
• The school curriculum is focused and can be addressed within the school year.
• All students have the opportunity to learn the priority standards that support overarching competencies.
• There are clear and measurable goals focused on critical needs to improve the overall student achievement of the school.
• Data are analyzed, interpreted, and used to regularly monitor progress towards school achievement goals
• When data indicates interventions are needed, school and classroom programs and practices are put into place to support students’ individual achievement goals

Source: Marzano, R. J., Phil Warrick, and Julia A. Simms. A Handbook for High Reliability Schools: The Next Step in School Reform. Marzano Research, 2014.

Progress Monitoring:

Critical concepts being used, assessments match instruction of curriculum, student goal setting, data digs, effective professional development, Reading Grant indicators, digital data wall and stakeholder surveys for curriculum and technology needs.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4 – STANDARDS-REFERENCED REPORTING

� The school’s reporting system identifies specific subject and grade-level topics as well as student achievement in more detail than is possible with overall letter grades alone. The school reports student achievement for specific topics, called measurement topics, within each subject area.�

Objectives:

• Clear and measurable goals are established and focused on critical needs for improving individual student achievement
• Data are analyzed, interpreted, and used regularly to monitor progress towards individual student achievement goals

Source: Marzano, R. J., Phil Warrick, and Julia A. Simms. A Handbook for High Reliability Schools: The Next Step in School Reform. Marzano Research, 2014.

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Progress Monitoring:

Effective professional development to develop standards-referenced reporting and implementation of standards-referenced assessments, teacher and student goal setting, and analyzing data.

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STRATEGIC PRIORITY 5 – LONG RANGE FINANCIAL AND FACILITY PLANNING�

Priority 5 addresses how the District seeks to provide a clear organizational long-range plan to allocate resources adequately. Providing a safe learning environment and meeting the needs for all students and staff of Hillsboro School.

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Objectives:

• Provide adequate resources allocated to ensure all students have the needed support and opportunities to reach their fullest potential.
• Hire highly trained teachers and support personnel and provide high quality professional development
• Maintain aging building facilities. The buildings will require capital maintenance. (A term for the end of life on systems that cannot be fully addressed until they have reached their maximum service.) Growing enrollments will require new learning spaces and that will require funding. Plan for growth and effective learning environments.
• Fiscal stability – the Hillsboro School Board ensures a target minimum of 12% for the General Fund Ending Fund Balance. This allows the District to address financial situations as they arise. This last summer we had a carry-over of 8%.
• Utilize the Human Resources and Finances Committee to monitor the human resource and financial state of the District in order to meet the needs of all students.
• Keep transportation fleet up to date for safety and efficiency.

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Progress Monitoring: Hillsboro School District Long Range Plan, Annual Plan presented to the Hillsboro School Board in the fall, committee meetings, stakeholder feedback, monitor school enrollment changes to drive decision making (Demographic Study), Facility Assessment, acquire VW or State Clean Diesel Grant Program, and monitor fiscal stability of the district.

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2023-2024 FAST FACTS

Hillsboro Public School is the thirty-fifth (35^th) largest school district in North Dakota, serving just over 500 students and their families in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

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SCHOOL BUILDINGS and ENROLLMENT:

· Hillsboro High School (Grades 7-12): 232

· Hillsboro Elementary (Grades K-6): 257

· Spruce Lane Colony School (Grades K-8): 9�TOTAL ENROLLMENT OF SCHOOL DISTRICT = 493 for part of the 23-24 school year.�2024-2025 Average Elementary Class Size: 19

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2023-2024 Average Daily Attendance Rate: 94.5%

Graduation Rate: 93%�Choice Ready: 60-69%

2024-2025 - Out of District students: We currently have 17 students open-enrolling to Hillsboro. Eight of them are from the MayPort CG district and nine are from Central Valley. We currently have nine students open-enrolling out of our district. Seven to Northern Cass and two to MayPort CG.

Future Enrollment: With the increase in the housing inventory and a possible new dairy over the next five years there should be more new students in those areas.

Average ACT Test Score :

· Hillsboro: 20.3

· North Dakota: 19.51

Special Education Services: 14% of our students are on an IEP

Percent of Teachers with Advanced Degrees: 53% of Hillsboro teachers hold a Master’s degree

Board of Education: Hillsboro is governed by a 5-member board. Terms are three (3) years.

Breakfast & Hot lunch: Together our two school buildings serve more than 442 meals daily, and more than 76,800 meals per year

Free or Reduced Lunch: 23% of students

Student Race/Ethnicity Breakdown:

Caucasian: 89% Native American: 3%

African American: 2% Pacific Islander: 0%

Hispanic: 6% Asian: 1%

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Enrollment by Grade Through the Years

Academic Offerings

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ND Senior Academic & C.T.E. Scholarship

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2023-2024 School & Activity Fees

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2024-2025 School & Activity Fees

Financial Summary

In accordance with ND Statutes, the school district maintains deposits at the depository banks designated by the Governing Board. All depositories are members of the Federal Reserve System. In Lieu of a bond, a financial institution may provide a pledge of securities equal to 110% of the deposits not covered by insurance or bonds.

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Uncollected Taxes as of June 30th 2024

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Statement of Changes in Fund Balances as of June 30, 2024

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Hillsboro School District

Mill Levies

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Mill Levy History Past and Future

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DEBT

School Construction Loan - $1,050,000 General Obligation School Building Bonds, Series 2016 Outdoor Sports Complex. From the date of issue until July 1, 2025, the District shall receive interest buy down funds from the State to reduce the interest rate on the Bonds to 2.00%

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Elementary Classrooms & Fitness Center

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Outdoor Sports Complex

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Elementary Classrooms & Fitness Center

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Meals Served 2023-2024

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