Superintendent Richard Keith updated the Fillmore Central School Board on the on-going facility projects during the October 23 board meeting. The wet weather has slowed down the work on the baseball field in Harmony, but progress is still being made. As it won’t be done before the spring season, Superintendent Keith asked and was granted permission by the Lanesboro school district to use their baseball field until Fillmore Central’s is complete. The dirt work on the football field should be finished before winter.
Both the elementary and preschool playgrounds have been substantially completed with only sandbox installation needed at each site. The borders for each one have been delivered to the school, and Dean Solberg has offered to donate the sand to fill them.
The district recently purchased a property across the street from the high school that was up for tax forfeiture sale. All the trees on the lot have been removed, and arrangements are being made to raze the house after the asbestos is removed. The hope is that it will be finished before winter hits.
The school applied for a state safety grant to reconfigure and remodel the high school office, lunchroom, and media center, but did not receive the funding. However, the project does need to be done regardless, and so plans are being made to tackle it during the summer of 2019.
It was noted that the school has spent $10,000 during each of the last two winters on snow removal at both sites. A new pickup was recently purchased that has a snowplow attachment, and the school also owns a skid loader with a regular bucket, a snow bucket, and a rotary broom as well as a small tractor with a snow blower and rotary broom. That equipment will be used by staff to take care of the snow removal this winter. On-call snow removal will also be employed for situations where more help is needed.
Principal Heath Olstad reported that 20 high school juniors chose to take the PSAT test on October 10. That same day, representatives from RCTC and Winona State gave a presentation about their colleges and financial aid to interested seniors and their parents.
On November 9, the staff at both the high school and elementary school locations will be completing ALICE training which prepares them to protect their students and themselves in a variety of active shooter situations.
Thirty-one students are registered for the school readiness program with three of those added within the last month.
Currently, the One Block at a Time Child Care Center has openings for a lead float teacher and toddler room teacher assistance.
A donation in the amount of $385 from the staff at the First Southeast Bank to be used to support the milk break program and another in the amount of $335 from Scheevel & Sons for labor and equipment costs during the installation of the flag pole at the high school football field were accepted by the board with their thanks on behalf of the district.
Resignations from paraprofessional Kim Underbakke and assistant wrestling coach Paul Snell were approved. Brady O’Connor was hired as JV boys basketball, Jason Schwarz as ninth grade girls basketball, Chad Musel as seventh grade boys basketball, Ashley Himli as dance assistant, Vicki Musel as dance volunteer, and Blaise Sass as assistant wrestling coach. A Family Medical Leave was approved for Heidi Brown.
An open enrollment request from a Mabel-Canton student was approved.
The meeting to canvas and certify election results was set for 7 a.m. on November 9 in the elementary meeting room.
The next Fillmore Central School Board meeting will be held on November 27 at 6:30 p.m.
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