With the high school baseball and softball diamonds undergoing significant upgrades this summer, the possibility of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn middle school teams using them was discussed during the March 20 school board meeting.

"Does it make sense to maximize our facilities in one place? We have more support to maintain them here," said Superintendent Patrick Carlin.

In response to board members' questions regarding transportation and scheduling, Carlin said he did not expect the former to be a major concern, but admitted that scheduling "may be an issue." Adjustments may also have to be made to the baseball infield.

Improvements to the parking lot near the high school diamonds is scheduled to be in progress during the summer seasons. Board President Scott Vollink questioned whether it might be better to wait a year before making any changes.

Carlin suggested that the athletic directors and coaches discuss scheduling and logistics for all teams involved and then make a recommendation to the board.

One concern raised during discussion is the condition of the Miller Park diamonds in Sanborn.

"We've been unhappy with those facilities for years," said Board Member Ryan Haack. "We set a high standard for what we expect for our facilities. If we're going to put money into our facilities here [at the high school], we need to use them."

Haack added the district had asked the City of Sanborn to address issues at the Miller Park fields but in his opinion, "The city has not responded in a positive way."

• MTSS presentation

Elementary Principal Ashley Benz and Instructional Coach Lindsey Maris shared information regarding H-M-S's presentation at the Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) conference. The visual display highlighted the processes used to implement the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum.

The three-year process included professional development to gain understanding of the new curriculum and a focus on addressing the needs of students who do not meet established math standards. Benz said the process also included helping teachers better understand the district's standards.

"Not every teacher understood what each standard meant. Now we are able to have those conversations and understand what they mean," she explained.

When asked what determines success for the process, Benz replied, "For the teachers being comfortable knowing that the standards are being met."

Other schools have since asked H-M-S for more information about its experience with the new curriculum.

"It feels good to be recognized for our hard work," Maris said.