BROOKFIELD — With the end of the 2010s already in the rearview mirror, Superintendent Toby Gibson was nostalgic as he reflected on the past six years.

Gibson presented Brookfield school officials with a “State of the District” presentation during a pre-meeting work session Wednesday, explaining that with things, such as selling the district’s old football field or purchasing Tiffany’s Banquet Center happening throughout the school year, it began to make one wonder if they were “moving the needle.”

The PowerPoint detailed the district’s accomplishments over the past six years, dating back to August 2019, focusing on four categories that ranged from leadership and strategic initiatives to grants and donations, as well as upcoming initiatives for the district.

Among those categories, which included overseeing and finalizing the mitigation and legal settlement of the middle school’s shale issue and partnerships to provide dental checkups and free eye screening and glasses for K-12 students, was the expansion of Chromebook access to students.

“I think we had maybe five carts of Chromebooks prior to COVID-19. And that was all three hallways, and you fought over them,” Gibson said. “And you had to hope that the Wi-Fi worked or that they were charged, or your whole lesson just went.”

Gibson said they are now 1:1 for Chromebooks in grades three through 12, adding they were nearing the ratio in second grade, and the children don’t take them home.

Gibson noted improvements to the district’s math and English and Language Arts programs, saying it was previously a “hodgepodge” of whatever teachers had when they got hired.

He said the district was aligned with the state’s 2023 Science of Reading initiative, interdisciplinary evidence that explains why some students struggle with reading and writing, and the benefits of instruction of fields such as phonics, fluency and writing to become strong readers.

Gibson said the district was “ahead of the game” with the initiative, which made adapting a lot easier.

Gibson said the district accumulated approximately $5.1 million in grants over the past five-and-a-half years and $400,000 in donations.

Out of the grants listed in his PowerPoint, a $1.4 million CTE Equipment Grant stood out, closely followed by Innovative Workforce Incentive Program Grants labeled one and two, for $1.2 million.

Board member Ronda Bonekovic said she liked seeing their accomplishments listed, as it laid out where their money was going.

“We talk about it, but seeing everything listed, and especially the money we’re bringing in, when people say, ‘Well, why are you spending money on a grant writer?’ Well, there you go,” Bonekovic said.

Board member Jerry Necastro said the presentation showed that the board, Gibson and Treasurer Jordan Weber have been “stewards” of taxpayers’ money.

“It shows right there what we’ve spent money on to move our school forward and hopefully, as we move forward and ask for different things,” Necastro said. “The taxpayers of Brookfield, they’ll understand we’re not just blowing smoke.”

Necastro said he hoped for their continued support, especially with the state and federal government pulling funds from the district.