Superintendent Matt Schultz recommended that the Lanesboro School Board close the online school that the district currently offers. Last year, only one student was enrolled in the program, and this year, enrollment is sitting at zero.
“To continue it as a viable option, we would need to get it staffed,” Schultz pointed out as an alternative to closing. His thought was that the staff would have to be responsible for recruiting students for the online school. However, he didn’t feel that it was worth it to keep the program open as there has been very little interest in it.
“We have a lot of strengths in other areas,” Board Member Dave Lawstuen remarked, adding that he felt the district should focus on those strengths instead.
The board voted unanimously to shut down the online school.
The walk-in fridge in the school’s kitchen is in need of a new door. Schultz priced out new doors at over $5,000. He also looked into other options such as purchasing two stand-alone units to replace the walk-in fridge. He felt that the stand-along refrigerators would be a better purchase for the school as they would be able to be moved to different locations in the kitchen instead of having a fixed spot. One of the units could be unplugged during the summer months since only one would be needed during that time, saving the school on energy costs.
The square footage for the two stand alone units was comparable to the walk-in unit so no space would be lost.
The board agreed that the purchase would be beneficial and better suit the school’s needs. Superintendent Schultz will continue to research options and update the board later.
Resignations from Patty Wigg and Kim Charlebois were accepted by the board.
The winter coaches’ contracts were approved. The district is still searching for junior high girls coaches.
Superintendent Schultz is currently working on building a strategic planning committee composed of school staff, parents of students, and other community members. “I think it’s a pretty good cross-section of the community,” he remarked.
So far, approximately 20 individuals have agreed to serve on the committee, and Schultz is still looking for five to six more to join.
Schultz invited the board members to attend any or all of the three meetings that the committee will hold.
The strategic planning committee meetings will be open to the public and held on November 3 from 5:30-8 p.m., November 14 from 6-8 p.m., and November 22 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. A community forum will take place at the November 14 meeting. “The more voices we get, the better representation we can get of the community,” Schultz pointed out.
Schultz is also organizing a number of other committees to review the district’s policies and strategies. The World’s Best Workforce committee and the Curriculum committee will combine into one single committee next year. The Health and Safety committee and the Wellness committee will do the same.
The Lanesboro district would like to expand its community education program. Anyone interested in teaching a class is encouraged to call the school at (507) 467-2229.
The Truth in Taxation meeting will be held at the December 15 school board meeting. The next meeting will be held on November 17.