Chairman Aaron Solum called the April 15 meeting of the Spring Grove School Board to order at 7:01 p.m. Eighteen minutes later the meeting was adjourned with board members eager to get outside and enjoy the warm spring weather.
Board members present included Chairman Solum, Kelly Rohland, Aric Elton, and Rhan Flatin. Absent were Stephanie Jaster and Angie Solie.
Staff members in attendance included Superintendent Rachel Udstuen, Assistant Superintendent Gina Meinertz, and District Accountant Tanya Elton. Student Representative Taylor Reinhardt was also present.
The consent agenda was approved as written including approval of the agenda and the minutes from the March 18 regular board meeting, authorization was given to the district’s accountant to pay the bills, and Lexi Thorson was hired as the junior varsity/assistant varsity volleyball coach. It was noted that the school did not receive any donations in April.
There were no guests present wishing to address the board.
On behalf of the student council, Student Representative Taylor Reinhardt informed the board that on April 2, students enjoyed a trip to the theater to watch “Here Comes the Boom” as part of their third-quarter reward. She reminded the board that prom is scheduled for May 4, featuring the coronation and grand march at 8 p.m. in the gym, followed by the dance at the Fest Building. On April 16, the Minnesota Department of Transportation from Rochester will visit the school to conduct the “bridge in a bag” activity, along with presenting a STEM/career presentation to seventh and eighth graders. The NHS banquet is set for April 24 at 6 p.m. at the Fest Building, where five current members and 15 new members will be recognized, with Al Lochner as the guest speaker. Additionally, there was a successful student-led meeting, Student Centered Networking, on April 4, which involved community members discussing student wellness. The event was well received.
During the meeting, Meinertz provided updates on various partnerships. These included collaborations with Kingsland and Houston MNVA, as well as WSU University, and Spring Grove Communications. Furthermore, Meinertz mentioned initiatives such as Leadership Coaching and the Read Act.
Superintendent Rachel Udstuen announced that the school received the deed to the motel lot. Additionally, she shared the results of a survey conducted among the parents of the juniors to gauge their preferences for the graduation ceremony in 2025. As per the survey findings, the 2025 graduation will be held on Friday, May 23 at 7 p.m.
Solum stated that HVED intends to close on the building this week, noting, “It finally is going to happen.”
Accountant Elton distributed a handout to the board members for their review of the financial figures. According to the 2023-24 Revised Revenue/Expenditure Budget, the school started the year with a balance of $312,285 in the undesignated general fund. Revenue is $4,872,989, while expenditures amount to $4,878,313, resulting in an end-of-the-year balance of $306,961. Rohland made a motion to accept the revised budget, which was seconded by councilman Elton. The motion passed.
The next regular meeting of the Spring Grove Public School Board is Monday, May 20, 2024, at 7 p.m. in the school’s Learning Resource Center. The meeting is open to the public. 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.