At the June 9, 2021, Chatfield School Board meeting, these board members were present: Josh Thompson, Katie Priebe, Jill Harstad, Tom Keefe, and Lanny Isensee, as well as Principals Shane McBroom, Randy Paulson, Superintendent Ed Harris, Trista O’Connor, business manager and LuAnn Klevan, Community Education Director. Board member Matt McMahon was absent.
During their reports all three administrators expressed how grateful they were to staff and parents for their support, perseverance and cooperation for the last 14 months with the COVID-19 situations they had to endure. Principal Paulson, giving his last report as the high school administrator, thanking everyone for their support for the last 26 years that he has been principal. He will be recognized at the Summer MASSP (Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals) for his retirement and also for being the Southeast (MASSP) Principal of the Year.
Shane McBroom thanked Mr. and Mrs. Forbes, representing the American Legion, for the program they presented to the fourth grade and for helping the fourth graders place flags on veterans graves for Memorial Day. The Masonic Lodge once again supported the Bikes for Books program and students will be given bikes when available. He thanked Mitch and Brayonna Berry for the $2,500 grant they donated through the Americas Farmers Grow Communities sponsored by the Bayer Fund. It will be used for programs in the elementary.
Superintendent Harris said summer cleaning has been started and the staff is working to transition items out of the storage containers. He recommended to the board that they start a review of the district’s Strategic Plan. This will include a two year study in the high school about what learning measures they have in place. This will be done through the Southeast Service Cooperative and will have cohorts with other schools.
Community Education Director LuAnn Klevan addressed the board and recommended salary increases for the preschool teachers. The district would cover approximately $25,000 of the increase, which would come out of the general fund. She stated that the district has accepted $24,000 in funds from the state of Minnesota for summer in-person preschool. The funds must be used to provide a minimum of 100 hours of instruction, serving at least three at-risk children – special education, scholarship families, and students who have not attended preschool this past year. If there is room, other children may also attend. Community education will be offering pre-kindergarten to kindergarten programming for the kindergarteners in summer Valleyland. It will also offer a two-part program that includes a morning class for 18 days in July and August, and an eight day K-Prep class. Children may be enrolled in one class or both.
Under consent items, the May 5, 2021, meeting minutes were approved along with the 2021-2022 membership in MSHSL. The following fall grade seven JV/assistant 2021 coaches were approved: Jenny Bradt for cross country, Kelsey Lueck, Dan Narveson and April McBroom for volleyball, and Josh Berhow, Tom Bance, Adam Hurley, Kirk Affeldt, Tom Moody and Zach Slowiak for football. The Fillmore County Journal was designated as the official newspaper and three entities were designated as official depositories. Ratwick, Rozak, Maloney and Bartel were approved as official legal counsel and the board meetings were set for the second Wednesday of each month, except for May 2022, which will be the first Wednesday.
The fall 2021 fundraisers were approved: the class of 2022 (Huey’s pizza sales and duck races), Dance (Bingo), and the class of 2023 (50/50 concession and school spirit sales).
New hires approved were Nancy Earnhardt, business education, Daneka Romport, high school special education, Kaitlyn Kerr and Tanya Nelson, intermediate elementary; Connie Walker, Krista Schild and Brooke Boelter as summer academic camp paras and Kristie Kayfes and Sue Peterson as ESY (extended school year) paras. Jeremy McBroom was approved as the new varsity boys basketball coach. Approval was given for the posting for an elementary teacher, the resignation of Shelly Harden, and the boys basketball golf fund raiser.
Under action items, the 2022 fiscal budget was approved, along with the resolution to establish dates for filing affidavits of candidacy for a one year term. Also approved was the Coach, Advisor, Volunteer Code of Ethics agreement that must be signed by each person involved in an activity. The School Perceptions Community Survey that helps provide a preview of how the community will respond to a continuation of a levy that will expire was approved. Approval of the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds and Safe Learning plan was approved. The teacher contracts for 2021-2023 that would increase salaries by 2% each year of the contract, a modest health insurance increase and increased contribution to a 403b was approved. The board also approved a COVID-19 graduation provision and a vacation day request for the business manager. Tabled for further discussion and information was a softball concession/storage shed, which will be funded by the softball community that has and will donate funds for the building.
The next meeting will be on July 14, 2021, at 7 p.m. in the high school Forum room.
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