The Natrona County School District is considering working with an outside partner on its work to transform secondary education.

At its general session Monday night, the board heard a secondary systems update from Julia Collier Earl, who is in charge of helping the district transform secondary education.

Collier Earl said an advisory committee may recommend working with an external partner at the board's Nov. 24 meeting after interviewing potential partners the week of Nov. 10.

A separate group of stakeholders will meet on Thursday to begin discussing a "graduate profile," or a picture of what skills and other education a graduate of Natrona County School District should have.

Trustees also honored Tammie Bertelson, the district's director of special education services, for winning the 2008 Special Education Administrator of the Year from the Wyoming Association of Special Education Administrators.

In other business, the board accepted a variety of grants:

* A grant from the Wyoming Department of Education for $23,020 in additional funds to the school district for the Title IIB Math Science Partnership.

* A total of $5,091 from the Sara Suyematsu endowment through the Casper College Foundation for school nurses to attend workshops.

* The Science and Math Teaching Center at the University of Wyoming awarded $500 to the Lego Robotics Club.

* A grant of $14,000 from the BOCES board to fund the Math and Science Conference 2009.

* $49,980 from the Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, for educating parents of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders about alcohol and drugs. Marty Wood, Safe Schools Administrator, will direct the grant in partnership with the Natrona County Prevention Coalition.

* A donation of $15,000 from the Ruth R. Ellbogen Foundation for the district's Gifted and Talented program.

Board members will meet again on Oct. 27. The work session begins at 6 p.m., and the general session begins at 7 p.m.

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com