Spring Grove School Board members met in the school’s Learning Resource Center on Monday, March 21 from 7:02-8:08 p.m. Board members present included Chairman Aaron Solum, Stephanie Jaster, Rhan Flatin, Aric Elton, and Kelly Rohland. Jenny Stender was absent.
The board approved the consent agenda, including the agenda and the minutes from the February 22 regular board meeting, and the treasurer’s report and approval of bills.
The board acknowledged the $5,000 donation to the school’s music programs and thanked Jim and Karen Gray for the generous donation.
One hundred seventy six pairs of shoes and 875 ½ pounds of clothing in 73 boxes were donated to the Soles4Souls project.
COVID is not stopping this year’s senior trip to Washington, D.C. The school has devised a plan to mitigate the risk to the students. Kids will be tested before boarding the bus in a controlled environment so travelers will not have to wear masks for 20 hours on the bus. Superintendent Rachel Udstuen will be accompanying the students on the trip. She will test them with the reader as they will have to produce a negative COVID test or show a vaccine card to visit attractions and restaurants throughout the week. The group will return home on Friday instead of Saturday. If a student tests positive, the kids might be moved from one hotel room to another. Parents had to sign off on the plan. If a kid tests positive, the adults who had the option to go or the option to stay will get on the bus and wear a mask on the way back. Advisors would have the option of flying home because they must go on the trip. “It is going to be great,” expressed Udstuen.
Assistant Superintendent Gina Meinertz shared Houston County Collaborative (HCC) fully supports and is committed to completing the work outlined in the grant application she wrote through the equity project. The ask is approximately $650,000, and Meinertz will know how much was awarded by mid-April.
The Little Gnome Childcare & Preschool Daycare is experiencing a staffing shortage. Therefore, the school will provide school-age childcare (SAC) in April and May. The school is preparing for it and is comfortable providing a solution for this emergency childcare emergency. Currently, Little Gnome is not asking for summer help with the program. The SAC program will start at the school on Monday, April 4, and run until June 3. Programming is provided by Giants of the Earth Heritage Center and Hiawatha Valley Mental Health three nights a week. The school is currently hiring staff. If you are or know someone who is interested, contact Meinertz at the school.
“We always say that the revised budget always looks worse than it actually is,” Udstuen reminded the board. “Currently, the balance is in the negative, $352,738. As we know, it always settles out in the end.” Tonya Elton, the district accountant, noted that the school had a slight decline in enrollment, so the school’s revenue is down a little bit. Still, there are other revenue sources like grants and other Federal funding sources. Staffing increases are in the budget, as are some of the bigger projects that the school did this year. Expenses include $48,000 for cafeteria furniture; $20,000 for the new stage curtains; $19,000 for the north playground wall; $9,000 to replace a couple of outside doors; $30,000 to restore the grand piano; $20,000 for 100 choir robes; purchased two smart boards for elementary classrooms and 15 additional MacBook Airs; $30,000 for 120 chrome books for grades four, five, and six; and $8,000 for furniture in one elementary classroom. Elton also noted that food service is a deficit because the school has too much money and needs to spend it down. The school is looking at purchasing a walk-in cooler and a warmer. The expenses were paid with funds from the general account, Federal funds, operating capital, and Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) funds. The board unanimously approved the revised budget.
The school gathered information from students and parents regarding marching band over the past several months. Meinertz explained the process and the results, “We asked questions about expectations, required events, and what a marching band should look like. The data is telling us to eliminate marching band for a couple of years. Marching band is our core curriculum and is causing students to quit and miss this experience because of a required marching activity. We would bring it back with a new model when interest is higher and perspectives of what it could look like open with more transformative opportunities.” Meinertz summarized the data, “We found that marching band is pushing kids out of band.” It was strongly emphasized that the students are interested in pep band and participating as a pep band compared to participating in school and community events as a marching band.
The board unanimously approved the 2022-2023 school calendar. Udstuen explained that there are a couple of days of assessment for K-6 during the first week of school, and school is scheduled to start the day after Labor Day. Friday, June 2, 2023, is the last day of school and graduation.
The next regular board meeting of the Spring Grove Public School Board is scheduled for Tuesday, April 18. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the school’s Learning Resource Center. In addition, the school continues to offer board meetings on Google Meet for anyone who would like to attend virtually. For assistance monitoring the meeting, contact the district office at (507) 498-3221 or email rachel.udstuen@springgrove.k12.mn.us.
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