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Administrator’s Corner by Jennifer Walsh

Quality instruction does not occur in a vacuum; strong supports are required to ensure optimal student learning conditions. The Office of Finance, Operations and Safety provides many of those support pillars.

Fiscal health is the underpinning for an effective school district. We take great pride in our history of making sound financial decisions supporting our staff and students while maintaining the 12% fund balance district goal. As we wrap up the required annual independent financial audit for 22-23, that goal will again be attained.

As usual, many facility projects were completed this past summer. Another section of the high school roof was replaced, we have a new gym floor at Lakeview, over 100 interactive display boards were installed in classrooms, exterior work at the high school, Southwest Middle School and Lakeview was completed, and flooring in three rooms at Southwest Middle School was replaced.

We are especially excited about the new school safety initiatives. This summer, welcoming and safe entrance renovations were completed at Lakeview, Hawthorne, Sibley, Southwest Middle School, and the high school. Each of these sites now has a “double-entry,” which means that visitors enter a vestibule where a staff person greets them, their identification is screened through a national database, and they are issued a personalized badge before gaining access to the main portion of the school. In partnership with local law enforcement, we have adopted a new Standard Response Protocol or common emergency language. We also rolled out Raptor Alert, a new emergency management tool. Finally, we executed a large-scale reunification training to ensure preparedness in a situation requiring a school evacuation.

The facilities and safety staff are to be commended for the work they do on behalf of our students and staff.

Jennifer Walsh is the director of finance and operations at Albert Lea Area Schools.