During the April 18 Lanesboro School Board meeting, thanks were extended to the family of Helen Benson who donated an Automatic External Defibrillator or AED device to the Lanesboro Public School. The AED will be kept at the football field. Athletic Director Bret Klaehn had originally contacted the City of Lanesboro and Ambulance Director Deane Benson to find out how to obtain an AED for the field. A week after it was decided to purchase a device, Benson informed Klaehn that one would be donated in honor of Benson’s mother, Helen. “We’re very appreciative of that,” Klaehn said. “It’s a huge benefit to our school and to our kids to be able to have that down there.” Board member Steve Snyder recommended installing a plaque honoring the donation near the AED, which Klaehn said he had been considering doing.
Klaehn reported that his first year as athletic director has gone well. “This being my first year, it has been an enjoyable and eye-opening experience,” he said. He reported strong numbers of students participating in the fall and winter sports programs this year, with the spring sports season looking to be the same. There has been renewed interest in a cheerleading program, which hasn’t been available at the school for some years so he is looking into bringing that back. Klaehn would like to see more students and staff involved in the Strength and Agility program this year. Emily Snyder and Connor Ruen each received a Triple A award, which stands for Academics, Art, and Athletics.
The construction project bills from March were approved by the board. Board member Steve Storhoff reported that the Finance, Facilities, and Long-Range Planning Committee is looking into three different companies as options for purchasing new classroom furniture. The construction drawings are getting closer to being complete so the work will be going out for bid soon. Superintendent Matt Schultz said that bids have been received for both houses owned by the district. The plan is to have the houses moved by July 15 so the facilities project can begin. The asbestos abatement work has gone out for bid and should also be completed by mid-July.
Superintendent Schultz had the opportunity to talk with local legislators in Washington D.C. several weeks ago. He noted that a big focus was the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. “Minnesota is at the forefront of holding up our obligations for not just some of our students, but all of them,” he said. Superintendent Schultz also attended a Destination Medical Center meeting in the Lanesboro city council chambers to discuss how everyone can work together. It is anticipated that in the next 10 years, more people will move to Rochester than what its infrastructure can hold so Destination Medical Center is working together with local communities to assuage the problem.
A FMLA leave of absence was approved for Nicole Kirchner. The second readings of board policies 701 regarding the establishment and adoption of the school district budget, 701.1 regarding the modification of the school district budget, and 702 regarding accounting were reviewed and approved.
Thanks were extended to POET Biorefinery for a $3,000 STEM grant which allowed a Little Learning Lab to be added to the Lanesboro Child Care Center. “We’re stimulating the brains of our youngest learners,” Superintendent Schultz said. The school was also awarded the same grant from POET last year and used it to purchase new library books.
The next Lanesboro school board meeting will be held on May 16 at 7 p.m.
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