Re-elected school board members Diane Wilder, Dustin Tollefsrud, and Traci McKenzie-Livingood recited the oath of office at the January 17 meeting of the Mabel-Canton School Board. The three members will each serve another four-year term.
Chairperson Cristal Adkins led the board and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The board approved the January 17 meeting agenda and the minutes from the December 20 regular school board meeting.
Board members present include Cristal Adkins, Chris Miller, Jason Marquardt, Diane Wilder, Mark Weidemann, Dustin Tollefsrud, and Traci McKenzie-Livingood.
The second order of business was the election of officers. The board unanimously re-elected Chair Adkins, Vice chair Miller, Treasurer Wilder, and Clerk Marquardt.
The board unanimously approved the consent agenda in its entirety. Included was a list of financial matters that must be approved during the first meeting of the year so the school can conduct business, including who is authorized to make a wire transfer for the purpose of reinvestments, issue checks and make electronic funds transfers and wire transfers, invest funds, use facsimiles and bitmap signatures for school board officers on payroll and voucher checks, sign the activity fund checks, and execute and file applications for state and federally funded programs.
The Fillmore County Journal remains the official school newspaper, and Kennedy & Graven is the school’s official law firm. The official depositories are the Minnesota Liquid Asset Fund, Bank of the West, and First Southeast Bank of Canton.
The school board salaries remain the same, chair at $90.00 per meeting, officers at $80.00 per meeting, directors at $70.00 per meeting, and additional meetings not the same night as the regular meeting at $40.00 per meeting.
The approved communication channels are Midwest Radio Family/WIZM, KVIK, KTTC/FOX 47, and Remind 101.
School board meetings will continue to meet on the third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in Mrs. Peter’s science room #50.
Board member Tollefsrud expressed his thanks for donations: Lyle Morley, a stationary bike for the school’s wellness room; Diane Wilder/Collins Aerospace, $1,000 for the volleyball and girls basketball programs; Marsha Tollefson, sewing supplies; Mabel Flowers & Gifts, 24 carnations for Parents Night; and the Area Church Councils, school supplies.
Principal Michelle Weidemann thanked Special Education Paraprofessional Tanya Kidder for her eight years of service to the school and noted the hiring of Jodi Wagner to replace Kidder.
Principal Weidemann noted that juniors and seniors are participating in mock interviews. In addition, area businesses came to the school to conduct the interviews, minimizing the stress for the students participating in their first interviews. Weidemann thanked the participating companies and individuals, LaX Fabricating, POET Bioprocessing, 4-H Advisor, Lexcraft, PlastiCert, and Harvey Enterprises.
Student Representatives, junior Anna Wheat and senior Matthew McClimon reported that five choir students attended the Dorian Vocal Festival at Luther College in Decorah, including both Wheat and McClimon. Wheat was glad she got a chance to attend and stated, “It was really, really fun.” McClimon added, “It was an interesting experience and nice to be around more than five guys in a choir at once.” Wheat was surprised at the quality of high school singers, and McClimon was amazed at the ability of one conductor to direct a group of 900 kids.
The previous week the drama club went to Rushford for a workshop. Students from 16 area schools were represented at the workshop. The drama club has a performance this coming Sunday at 2 p.m. and a competition on January 28 in Caledonia.
The student council is deciding on a spring formal dance, and there will be two dress-up weeks in a row, one for FFA week and one for the dance.
Changes were not made to the current snow days policies. If there are more than six snow days, administration will come back to the board to determine if additional days will be added to the end of the year and if students and teachers must make them up or just the teachers.
In other business, the board:
•Approved keeping the committee assignments the same for 2023;
•Accepted the resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs, staffing, and reasons;
•Accepted the resolution establishing Mabel-Canton School as the combined polling places;
•Approved the revised 2022-23 budget;
•Heard the first reading of Policy 535 – Service Animals in School.
The next school board meeting is February 21 at 6 p.m. in Mrs. Peter’s science room #50. The public is welcome to attend.
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