Winter Weather hit our listening area this weekend. Please check your destination BEFORE you take off. A full listing of closures and late starts are available on KDOM’s Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KDOMWindom
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Meetings Today include:
- Mountain Lake Public School Board will meet tonight at 5:30pm at the school in room 101.
- Mountain Lake City Council meets tonight, at 5:45pm in the Mountain Lake City Hall.
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Murray County Board of Commissioners will be meeting Tuesday March 17th at 8:30am in the Murray County Government Center. If you would like to listen in by calling or view the meeting via zoom you can find the information on the Murray County Homepage.
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Jackson County Board of Commissioners and the Drainage Authority will meet on Tuesday March 17th at 9am at the Jackson County Court House Commissioners Board Room
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The Cottonwood County Board of Commissioners will be meeting Tuesday March 17th at 9:00am at the Cottonwood County Courthouse in the Commissioners Room.
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Red Rock Central School Board will be meeting on Tuesday, March 17th at 5:00pm in the Red Rock Central School District Media Center.
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The St James City Council will be meeting on Tuesday March 17th at 5:30pm in St. James City Hall Council Chambers. Meetings can be viewed live or anytime on the City of St James’s YouTube Channel.
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The Windom City Council will be meeting on Tuesday March 17th at 6:30 pm at Windom City Hall in the City Council Chambers. Meetings can be viewed live or anytime on the City of Windom’s YouTube Channel.
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Windom Area Schools will be updating its social studies curriculum for middle and high school students beginning next fall. During a recent appearance on Kaleidoscope, Windom Area School Superintendent Jamie Frank explained that the update follows the curriculum review cycle established by the Minnesota Department of Education. Frank said the state reviews academic standards on a 10-year rotating cycle. Once new standards are adopted, school districts have about two years to select curriculum that aligns with those requirements. Frank stated the state sets the standards, but districts have local control over the curriculum used to teach and assess those standards. The newly approved social studies curriculum will cost about $107,000 and includes updated materials such as maps, globes and classroom resources for middle and high school teachers. Frank noted that updating curriculum is an expected part of the district’s annual budget planning, with about $100,000 typically set aside each year for new materials. Teachers will receive the new resources over the next few months and will spend time during the summer reviewing the materials and preparing lessons. The updated curriculum will officially be implemented the fall of 2026. Frank also discussed student enrollment trends within the district. Currently, Windom Area Schools averages about 85 students per grade level. Some grades are larger, however, with next year’s ninth grade expected to have 96 students and the 10th grade projected at 105. At the same time, the current second grade class moving into third grade next year has just 67 students. Because of that smaller number, the district plans to reduce the number of third grade classroom sections from four to three next year. That change will bring class sizes to about 22 students per section. The teaching position that previously covered the fourth section will instead be shifted to the high school to provide additional support for the larger classes there. Frank says these kinds of adjustments are common as “We’re constantly watching class sizes and enrollment,”. Frank went on to say, they want to be responsible with spending, but also want to make sure students are getting the support they need. Overall, Frank said enrollment numbers in the district have gradually increased during her 11 years with Windom Area Schools, with average classroom sizes growing from the upper-teens to the low 20s in many grades today.