Board of Education Recap | January 13, 2025

Access Board Meetings Online: Community members can stay informed by watching every board meeting on our YouTube channel, MCPASD TV. In the recap below, we have provided timestamps for the various sections of the meeting. These will help you follow along and jump directly to the parts of the video that interest you the most.


8:16 - Superintendent's Report

The Board of Education meeting began with the superintendent's report by Dr. Dana Monogue. She started by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and reminded families and staff that this is the last full week of school this month. Please note that there is no school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and no school on January 27, 2025, for professional development.

For detailed information, you can find the district calendars on our website:

District Calendars


9:11 - Special Education Report

Director of Special Education Cindy Malcheski and her team of coordinators presented a comprehensive overview of the district's special education services. MCPASD currently serves more than 800 students with disabilities, maintaining a lower percentage (11.8%) compared to the state average (15.3%). The department employs 84.8 special education teachers and 116.3 paraprofessionals, with carefully managed caseload guidelines ranging from 7-9 students at the elementary level to 11-13 at the high school level.

A recent external evaluation by WestEd during the 2023-24 school year highlighted the district's robust resources and high-quality staff while identifying areas for growth. In response, the department has implemented several new initiatives, including an Intensive Support Specialist role and ParaByte, a professional development platform for paraprofessionals. Most students receive support within their regular classrooms through co-teaching or in-class assistance, reflecting the district's commitment to inclusive education.

Looking ahead, the department plans to focus on developing a clearer district-wide vision for inclusive education, implementing a new Special Education Procedural Manual, and enhancing co-teaching practices. The department will also concentrate on professional development, particularly in universal design for learning principles, while exploring ways to better serve students with complex needs through an expanded continuum of services.


41:49 - Open Enrollment - Policy and Enrollment Review

Each year, the District participates in an open enrollment period that begins in February and concludes in April. Every January , the Board of Education must review the open enrollment policy and approve the number of open enrollment seats in both regular and special education before the period begins. 

Last year, the Board approved 255 open enrollment seats, marking the first time in years that such a large number was made available. Of those, 118 seats were filled, resulting in a 45% fill rate. Open enrollment has become a critical tool for the District to maintain optimal class sizes in light of a decline in resident enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For the 2025-2026 school year, Assistant Superintendent Jerrud Rossing has proposed 181 open enrollment seats for regular education in grades 4K through sixth grade. The Board of Education will vote at their January 27th meeting on the final recommendation .

In special education, the District has no available spaces across all programs, including Cross-Categorical, Speech and Language, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and the 18-21 Transition Program.

There is one proposed policy update to assist in managing open enrollment. 

  • Giving preference to siblings of current students 


1:08:33 - Second Reading of Policy I-C.5

At the Board meeting on December 16, 2024, the draft of Board Policy I-C.5 was reviewed, and the first reading was approved. The Board also approved the second reading with amendments, including changes to capitalization suggestions. The policy outlines guidelines for board members' behavior, emphasizing ethical, professional, and responsible actions to support effective governance.


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