Board members Amy Jeffers, Lanny Isensee, Scott Backer, Katie Priebe, Matt McMahon and Rick Lowrey were in attendance for the June 3, 2020, meeting. The meeting was held on a Zoom conferencing platform. Also present were Superintendent Ed Harris, Principals Shane McBroom and Randy Paulson, Lorri Lowrey, Administrative Assistant and Trista O’Connor, Business Manager.
Under board reports Katie Priebe reported that the Wellness Committee had met and Matt McMahon reported that the principal negotiations had gone well and are on the action agenda for later in the meeting.
Shane McBroom, Elementary Principal, recognized Julie Boyum for her years of teaching and wished her well on her retirement. He shared with the board the plan for next year’s staffing for fifth and sixth grade, which will move from six sections to five sections. He has sent out a letter explaining the change to parents. The goal of the plan is to minimize the amount of time students are in larger classes of about 30. During the day students will be in a combination of three and two sections. The Walk-A-thon and the Time for Kids/magazine fundraiser were not held this year because of the school closure.
High School Principal Randy Paulson congratulated the middle school team of Lee Becker, Trish Doyle, Jay Harstad and Stephan Wasmundt on receiving the Star of Innovation Silver Award given by the Minnesota Association of Secondary Principals for the development and support of an exemplary and innovative education program, which has demonstrated clear leadership, creativity and imagination while bringing about positive school change. Paulson thanked all the people involved in the graduation ceremony for their time and effort in making a great and memorable graduation. He stated, “Just because something has to be different does not mean that it cannot be great.” The Senior Scholarship Program, Academic Program and the Middle School Achievement Awards Program were all held this year in a virtual format. He thanked all the teachers for a great job finishing the most unusual year ever and the paras who far exceeded his expectation as they filled their schedules every day with Zoom meeting and finding other ways to engage and help students.
Superintendent Harris thanked all the students, staff, and parents, as did both principals, for the success of distant learning. It was an amazing effort. He congratulated all the staff who reached service milestones this year: Kelly Reineke and Brian Baum for 30 years of service, Kirsten Johnston and Janet Bren for 20 years of service, and Josh Berhow, Heather Hopp, Angie Stephas and Christine Voeltz for 10 years of service. Harris reminded the board of the June 24 school board retreat where they will go over their self-evaluations, discuss district goals for 2020-2021 and work on financial planning. He reported that the new shed building is progressing well with all the footings and block work completed and the wall and trusses will be going up soon.
Under the consent agenda the following items were approved: meeting minutes for May 4, 2020; authorization for the board treasurer to approve end of year bills; designated Trista O’Connor as a designee to wire transfers, excess funds and bond payments; designated the Fillmore County Journal as the official newspaper; designated office district depositories for fiscal year 2021; and designated Ratwick, Rozak, Maloney and Bartel as official legal counsel for school year 2020-2021. Volleyball coaches approved for this fall were new hires, Molly Thomas, varsity volleyball coach and Kelsey Gwidt, junior varsity volleyball coach along with Katie Ellringer and April McBroom. Approval to post the ninth grade volleyball position was given. Cross country coach Jenny Bradt and dance line coach Demery Little were approved. Football coaches for grades seven through junior varsity approved for 2020 were Tom Bance, Josh Berhow, Adam Hurley, Kirk Affeldt, and Zach Slowiak. Winter varsity coaches approved for 2020-2021 were Brian Baum, girls basketball, and Jeff DeBuhr, boys basketball. Varsity coaches approved for spring 2021 were Paul Wagner, golf, Brian Baum, baseball, Jerry Chase, softball, and Jeff Debuhr, track and field. Dan Narveson was approved as a new hire for the middle school science teacher position. The following were approved for summer Valleyland: Sue Tangen, Helen Lange, Jenny Dahly, Kelsey Mehus, Haley Bracket, Karen Budahn, Britney Fretland, Macy Pederson, Nathaniel Fox, Katie Ihrke, Ann Warren, Ann Borgen, Ben Fretland, Abbi Gillespie, Logan Thompson, Mckenzie Rowland and Sarah Hopp (substitute). One item on the consent agenda: approval of the wrestling coach, Travis Bartels, was moved to action items.
Under action items Lanny Isensee read the MSHSL membership resolution and the resolution dates for filing affidavits of candidacy for general election. The filing dates are July 28 through August 11. Terms for board members Katie Priebe and Amy Jeffers are up this year. The fiscal year 2021 budgets were approved and business manager Trista O’Connor explained some of the changes. Also approved was the change in the meeting dates for board meetings. They will now be held on the second Wednesday of each month, except for the November meeting, which will be held on Thursday, November 12 because Veterans Day is on November 11. The principals’ contracts were approved, along with the TDE (Teacher Development and Evaluation) letter of agreement. The Mill Creek dugout project done in partnership with the city of Chatfield and the Chatfield Baseball Association was approved. The SELCO Library System agreement and the food service rate increases of 10 cents for students and adults also was approved. A motion was made to approve the wrestling coach, Travis Bartels, for the 2020-2021 season. The vote was four against, one for and one abstention-(McMahon- yes; Backer, Isensee, Jeffers, Lowrey-no; and Priebe abstained.) The board then voted to post the position for a wrestling coach for the 2020-2021 wrestling season.
The next meeting will be July 8 at 7 p.m. in the high school Forum room.
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