District staff and program leads updated the board on gifted-and-talented identification, enrichment programs and multilingual-learner supports.

Jen Bruns, who introduced herself to the board as the district GT coordinator, said the district currently has 219 identified gifted students — roughly 10% of the student population — and that compliance with state GEM review requirements has improved since her arrival. "We have over 200 identified gifted and talented students in our district," Bruns said.

The district described universal screening for GT in grades 2 and 6 and an advanced learning plan (ALP) process that is revisited annually to align course choice, internships and college-level opportunities to student strengths.

On multilingual learners, the board heard results from a Summit K12 pilot at Singing Hills Elementary in which 6 of 9 pilot students moved from LEP/MEP status to fully English proficient; the district expanded Summit K12 this year and introduced a high-school, co-taught English-credit class with a Spanish-speaking teacher.

Staff acknowledged challenges at the high-school level where older newcomers arrive with less English proficiency and where bilingual staffing is harder to secure. The district said it is recruiting bilingual teachers and pairing experienced ELL staff with Spanish-speaking teachers to improve supports.

The presentation listed enrichment activities including STEM clubs, STEAM camps and discovery days. Staff said teachers and committees are developing professional-learning series for GT instruction and extension opportunities for older students.

Next steps: staff said they will continue universal screening and expand ALPs and enrichment opportunities while pursuing bilingual recruitment for middle and elementary grades.