On Monday January 5, the Board met with the community for the Referendum Open House, where the Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs were showcased through demonstrations from the students. Speaker Luke Greiner, labor economist from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development presented to the community on regional workforce trends, education requirements for careers, and how Osakis Public School students job interests match the jobs offered in our region.
Greiner used survey data obtained from Osakis Public School 10th, 11th, and 12th graders as compared to State and regional level data. Some of Luke's commentary:
8% of students were interested in Advanced Manufacturing, compared to that making up 19% of the jobs in Douglas/Todd County
4% were interested in Education, compared to that category making up 8% of the employment in Douglas County
Students were most interested in careers in Health Care - which is the leading job opportunity in the region.
Luke provided information showing the educational requirements of jobs and discussed the importance of high school education and skills because it is the "last stop" for many students:
74% of jobs require a vocational certificate or less
25% of jobs require an Associate's Degree (2-year community/tech college) or higher
Greiner commented that the trends are showing less students are going to 4-year colleges, more are going straight to the job market - reinforcing the need for good skill building in high school curriculum that is related to area employers' demands.
Finally, Greiner commented that Osakis students are showing more interest in staying close to home after high school - adding to the importance of matching them with skills to the area jobs.
Luke Greiner's presentation can be found here.
The Board Members than discussed the February 10 Referendum plan with the Community in attendance, specifically the Career and Technical Education elements that will allow the School District to address the trends in Greiner's data by adding more electives that build skills, more space to add industry-specific equipment, and more opportunities for students to meet area employers through partnerships that bring those businesses in to the school.
On January 6, the Osakis School Board met for its Organizational Meeting, where the Board designates its officers and roles for 2026. A summary of those designations can be found here.
The School Board will next meet on Wednesday, January 21st at 5:30pm for its first Regular Meeting in 2026.