CAPP Co-Chairs Add Detail to Their Strategic Plans

February 4, 2026

Co-chairs from the nine school districts/charter schools in the 2025-2027 Comprehensive Arts Planning Program (CAPP) cohort met at Perpich Center on February 2, 2026 to continue working on plans for improving their local Arts programming. They left with a framework for their strategic directions and more detailed action steps to reach their goals. Many participants remarked that they appreciated time to talk with other co-chairs. It was reassuring to hear “others are in our same boat.”

Guest presenters this day included Jay Bennett, Associate Director of Board Development at Minnesota School Boards Association, and two members of our own Professional Development and Resource Programs group, Toni Beckler and Max Clark-Vail. Both Toni and Max were building administrators before coming to Perpich Center. The CAPP committees will be presenting their strategic plans to their local school boards in the coming months, and this afforded a welcome opportunity to learn more about the role and responsibilities of school boards and building administrators.

When asked what they feel confident in after the day’s workshop, one CAPP co-chair reflected, “I feel confident in our committee’s ability to find ways to support each other in our different arts areas and how to use district language to effectively showcase our work.” Another shared, “I feel confident with the directions our district has identified through our planning process.”

The CAPP program is facilitated by Kristi Johnson. The cohort is completing Year 1 of 2 this spring. A book study is planned for July and then the cohort will reconvene in person in August.

The application window for the 2027-2029 cohort will open in December 2026. More information about the CAPP program is available here or by emailing Kristi Johnson at kristi.johnson@pcae.k12.mn.us.

The 2025-2027 award recipients for CAPP: Academias La Paz, Alexandria Public Schools, Big Lake Schools, Brainerd Public Schools, International Spanish Language Academy, Inver Grove Heights Schools, Kasson-Mantorville Schools, Little Falls Community Schools, and Waconia Public Schools.

Districts and charter schools were accepted into the 2025-2027 cohort by competitive application. They include:

• Academias La Paz
• Alexandria Public Schools
• Big Lake Public Schools
• Brainerd Public Schools
• International Spanish Language Academy
• Inver Grove Heights Public Schools
• Kasson-Mantorville Public Schools
• Little Falls Community Schools
• Waconia Public Schools