At the June 20 Lanesboro School Board meeting, Board member Dave Lawstuen announced that the Lanesboro Child Care Center had been mentioned in a national publication from the Bipartisan Policy Center. The May 2019 article, titled “From the Ground Up: Improving Child Care and Early Learning Facilities,” talked about the importance of early childhood learning and quality child care. The Lanesboro school’s child care program is notable as it was the first of its kind in the nation and is still going strong 30 year later.
The construction bills from the preceding month were approved. The 2018-2019 budget was reviewed with some adjustments. The originally adopted revenue came to a total of $5,142,112 and the expenditures to a total of $5,456,805. After adjustments, the revised budget had a total of $5,211,735 in revenue and $5,414,397 in expenditures. The board approved the revisions. They also reviewed and approved the proposed 2019-2020 budget.
Board member Steve Storhoff gave the Finance, Facilities, and Long-Range Planning Committee report. The drawing plans for the facility project should be 100% complete by July 2 at which time they will go to the state for review. Bidding for the project will open on July 25 and will remain open for three weeks before being reviewed by the district. Asbestos abatement in the school as well as in the houses that the district owns will begin on July 2 with both houses scheduled to be demolished by the end of July. The Lanesboro Fire Department will be allowed to conduct training in the 206 Kirkwood Street home before it is demolished. “It’s a very safe, controlled, good opportunity for our fire department to train in a live space,” Superintendent Matt Schultz said. With the asbestos abatement being completed this summer, the facility project can hit the ground running at the end of the 2019-2020 school year with some work potentially being started before the school year finishes.
The Negotiations Committee will meet several more times to finish hammering out the details for the staff contracts. They should have them completed early in the 2019-2020 school year.
Superintendent Schultz congratulated the track squad on their accomplishments at the state tournament. The 4×200 relay team got 7th place and the 4×400 took 3rd. “They did really well,” Board member Steve Snyder noted.
A resignation from high school business instructor Lori Crum was approved by the board. “We’re sad to see her go,” Superintendent Schultz said.
The regular school board meeting schedule for 2019-2020 was approved with no changes from the current schedule. The board will continue to meet on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. with one exception. Because of MEA, the board will meet on Monday, October 14 that month instead.
The board approved Superintendent Schultz’s review and annual goals. “When we interviewed Mr. Schultz (for the job), he said he would give us a weekly update every Friday. He hasn’t missed one,” Snyder pointed out. Superintendent Schultz received high scores on his reviews from all of the board members. “We wanted someone who was the face of the school district, and I think we got that,” Lawstuen said.
The board approved the posting for the milk bids.
The Local Literacy Plan was reviewed by the board. Superintendent Schultz noted how well the teachers from different grades talk to each other about their students to ensure continuity of education. “We’ve seen good growth and communication from grade to grade,”he said.
The elementary and middle/high school student handbooks were approved with no changes.
Superintendent Schultz informed the board that about a fifth of the non-teaching staff at the school have completed the ALICE training so far. The rest will have it finished before the deadline.
The next Lanesboro school board meeting will be held on July 18 at 7 p.m.
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