microphones. >> All right, we will call the open forum work session to order. Julie, has anyone signed up to speak for open forum? >> No one has signed up. All right. Thank you. We'll move on then to Nicole Edwards, district registered nurse.
>> Yes. Good evening. Um I am here to present. >> Thank you. Give my health services um annual indicator report here this evening to you guys. So just pull my
slide up so you all can see it. All right. So I'll start off by how does health services connect to our strategic directions. School health services plays an integral role in the health of students by addressing social determinants of health. Provides
essential care and helps to maintain the health and well-being of children which assists in facilitating optimal development and in increasing support for academic success. So what are school health services?
School health services are the health care supports provided to students during the school day so they can be safe, healthy, and ready to learn. Health services include uh nurses do health screenings, vision and hearing
screenings annually, medication management, administering meds throughout the days, um records and tracking. Um keeping track of student health records and immunizations. Uh we do have state required immunizations.
Uh individualized health plans. We do collaborative planning with families, staff, teachers, and providers. Uh disease prevention, monitor and prevent spread of diseases. Health education. Um nurses educate um
to students and on prevention efforts. Um provide chronic care such as maning managing asthma, diabetes, and seizures. Uh and first aid and emergency services. The impact student um the impact health
services has on students. Um providing safe participation in school per for medically complex students, improved attendance and reduce early dismissals, faster emergency response across buildings, better management of mental health and chronic illness, and strong
collaboration with families and health care providers. So we currently have 11 health service positions. We have six registered nurses, four LPNs, and one registered
licensed school nurse. Uh, at the Grand Rapids High School, we have Caitlyn Rutder. The middle school, Donna Kurt, Quest, Katie Hansen, as um, early childhood special education, Jenny Berkeland, Big Fork Schools, Kimberly Powell, Cohasset Elementary, we have
Angela Webb and Paula Winker. Winker, they're both halftime nurses. East Elementary, Leansaw. West Elementary, Tracy Lesman. And we do provide contract services to St. Joel School. Their nurse is Kathy Ericson and then me serving as
the LSN. Total students impacted by the health department as of April 10th is 3,865. The population breakdown includes homeschool population ALC, Itascan Education Center, Early Childhood
Programs, St. Joe's Lighthouse Christian Academy, Quest Transition Program, and Grava, which is the virtual academy program. So, managing the daily health needs of students. Um, so I broke it down by
school. So, the number of health office visits as of April 21st, Big Fork Elementary serving 259 students. Big Fork Secondary 180. Grand Rapids High School 7,681
health office visits. The middle school 6,913. Cohassid Elementary 3,787. East Elementary 8,526. and West Elementary 3,51
with a total health office visits combined of 30,847. Um, as I mentioned earlier, um, nurses managed chronic health conditions, um, common conditions tracked, asthma totaling 37.9%,
allergies, uh, that includes food, medications, um, 35.6% 6% diabetes 12.4% and seizure disorders 14.1%. Health screenings and referrals. So we do vision and hearing screenings on all
grades at the elementary levels uh seventh grade and then 9th grade and students on an IEP an individualized education plan. um vision screenings we completed this year total 2019.
Um of those 216 were referred to eye care providers. Um and then to to note the Lions Club does come in annually and assist us with those vision screenings which is great. I don't think we could do it without them. So thank you to the
Lions Club. Um we also provide hearing screenings. Um total this year was 262 screenings performed and of those 181 were referred for followup to our school aiologist or their primary care
provider. And how are health services funded? Uh nursing expenses are coded general fund and special education fund depending on their task. So costs are allocated based on the complete monthly time.
Our program successes this year include inter interdisiplinary collaboration. Nurses assist one another with duties and work closely with counselors, teachers, paras to ensure student health and safety. uh community collaboration
partnerships such as with the Lions Club, Itasca County, they come in and provide immunization clinics during the fall for influenza uh campus north. Uh we have worked with them. Um their nursing students have come in to do a
little job shadowing experience with our nurses as well as assist us with completing those hearing screenings. Um, and then Grand It Taska, uh, we do contract with them to one of their physicians for medical purposes,
um, and to help enforce strategic community directions and breakthroughs. Identifying root causes for frequent visits and decreasing them helps keep students in class, making significant program success, and teamwork. Effective student
care depends on teamwork across nurses, school staff, families, and community providers. Um, and it helps to ensure that no students fall through the cracks. Key challenges, um, broad scope of
student health needs. So, increase in students requiring support for chronic disease management. That's district-wide. uh staffing challenges such as lack of substitute nurses and a primary contributing factor seems to be
non-competitive compensation compared to other health care settings. Uh mental health, we see we're seeing a notable increase in mental health needs of the student population, anxiety, depression, uh and significant responsibilities. So
nurses don't nurses provide just more than the basic first aid. Um it involves complex triaging and efficient time management um and the emotional toll. So managing a broad range of broad range of student
issues is mentally and emotionally taxing. So our focus for the future staffing and coverage hopes to strengthen substitute coverage to ensure consistent care support across the schools. Um competitive retention
um try to help improve improve substitution retention through competitive pay um and partnerships. Continue building strong school family healthcare partnerships in our community and within and care team coordination.
Continue building solid interdisiplinary collaboration within the schools. And just something to be aware about coming down the pike. um beginning next school year um we have a new requirement
to meet and that goes um into place like I said for next year but it's the SER which stands for cardiac emergency response plan. Every school is going to be responsible for having a cardiac emergency response plan in place. Um
this was recently passed into legislation this past year. Um, and you may ask what that is, and it's a written document that establishes specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in a specific setting
such as a school. Uh, the mandatory requirements for that include establishing a cardiac emergency response team. We currently are um offering CPR classes across all schools.
We have three classes being offered this month. Um, we are required that at least five staff members or 10% of overall staff should be certified and AED trained at each school. So, we are
trying to plan and prepare as best we can for that. Um, provide AED placement on school grounds. All of our schools already do have AED placement. Um and then our activities office does as well for coaches to check
out AEDs um and ensure routine maintenance of AEDs. Um we currently do that on a monthly basis. All nurses at the schools are required to do routine uh maintenance of their AEDs and we do
have a monthly tracking log for those. And then we will need to coordinate with local emergency medical service providers what our plan is going to be and conduct annual cardiac emergency response drills at each of the schools and then annual school board review and
evaluation. In summary, ISD 318 school nurses are a tiny but mighty team with an impactful mission keeping students healthy, safe, and ready to learn every single day. Um, I know I've said it before and I'll say it again. Um, I feel our school district
is uh very lucky to have the nurses we have working for us and it's a privilege to work alongside them. And then to conclude to um this week is National Nurses Week and Wednesday is
National School Nurse Day. So uh if you do see one of our nurses, please give them a welldeserved shout out and then time for questions. So I will try to any answer any questions
that come my way. >> All right, any questions? Mr. Chair, uh Nicole, thank you. Uh great report. Um I note that uh there are a number of students a high proportion of students from East Elementary
>> uh seems to be considerably higher than other schools. >> Right. >> Any thoughts on that? >> Um we do seem to have a higher population of chronic illnesses at that school this year. Um and what I mean by
that is asthma, diabetic, seizure students. >> Okay. So that all plays a role in those numbers on an annual basis. But yes, it's a very busy school. Yeah. >> Thank you.
>> Any other questions? Um, back at one of the earlier slides, there was 30,000 some impacts by the Department of Health and homeschooling, private schooling, like there was is that place someplace we take care of or
is that just they touch it within our district? So, health services is involved with um homeschooling in the sense that we do health um evaluation assessments to students who are on an IEP.
Um and that's something Jenny Berkeland covers. >> And so there was a couple other privateies on there. Do we serve them as well in that same capacity or is that similar to St. Joe's where they pay us for some of those services? >> Um more a contract with St. Joe's. I
don't believe we have a standing contract with the Lighthouse Christian Academy necessarily. Um, we have assisted them in the past with advice in completing vision and hearing screenings, letting them borrow our our audiometers.
Um, >> so more to that extent. >> I I was just curious because it seems like some of our private schools were paying for stuff and some of them weren't. So I was just >> Yeah, sure. >> where that was and why. >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Any other questions? >> Anybody else? >> I I guess I had one quick one. Um, you mentioned the lines assist in in some of the the uh vision screenings there. Um, do they do that in every building at all
our facilities? Then >> Yes. Yep. Yeah. They have a spot screener which is an amazing little machine that uh reads a student's vision within seconds and lets them know what's going on. So
what's that student's vision? Um it's convenient for non-verbal kids um because if they can't read the eye chart or kids that don't know their alphabet and letters yet. So it's pretty great.
Yeah. >> All right. Thank you, Nicole. >> All right. Thank you, guys. >> Happy National Week. >> Yes. If you see, >> good job. >> All right. Well, we'll take a break and we'll plan
to come back in at 6:30. Sometimes you drive it and it was it was task force and There were a chance to say
Julie. >> All right. I'll call this meeting of the Garner School Board to order. Please stand for the pledge. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under
God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right, the first item on the agenda is the approval of the agenda. Do I have a motion? >> So moved, Ashley. >> Moved by Ashley. >> Second, David. Second by David. Any discussion
hearing? None. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> The agenda is approved. The next item on the agenda is a principal report from the Big Fork schools. Mr. Kendoster. Good evening.
Every day in a school during the school year is busy, but spring brings on like a new level of busy. And so I just wanted to share a few things with you that we've got going um in Big Fork uh this spring. Um we're starting a new
month, our last month of the school year, but in April um of course we kicked off MCA testing and and those assessments in in Big Fork. We kicked that season off, if you will, with uh with an assembly. Uh I talked with all
of our um students, all of our students that are of age to take the MCAs. And then um our high school staff treated our high school students to pancake breakfasts before the math MCAs and again uh before the reading MCAs. Uh we
still are running some makeup tests and of course testing for science as well. Um so that in itself brings some busyness but um along with that there are a lot of kind of annual year-end things that are really positive ways to round out the
year. Uh a couple weeks ago we had our National Honor Society uh ceremony. We were able to induct five new people. That's only for juniors and seniors. We were able to induct five new members um into the National Honor Society in Big Fork. And that was just a really it's
always a really nice evening to be able to salute some students for their hard work. Um last Wednesday we had our band and choir concert. It was definitely nice to hear them um play. Uh the Edge Center was I you know did a rough headcount. I would say it was a little
over half full. Um so a very nice crowd for you know for our up andcoming band program band and choir program. and it was, you know, it's it's neat to listen to the evolution of of the improvement there, uh, with both of those groups.
Uh, our elementary concert will be, uh, 1:30 on May 12th. If any of you are around, it'd be great to have you have you there as well. Um, this Wednesday evening, we'll have another really nice event, and that's what we call our
senior reception. Um this is a night where we really encourage all of our seniors to attend. Uh we generally get very good attendance from our seniors. Uh we salute each of them in some way, shape or form. Um announcing um who they
are, what they plan to do after uh graduation, whether it be uh university, college, workforce, whatever it might be. Uh recognizing them in that way. Uh that's also the night that we recognize all of our scholarship winners and our our Big Fork students have been quite
successful in securing scholarships in past years and I would anticipate the same kind of success this year and it's just a very positive night and again you get to really reward some people and and acknowledge some some of our older students for some really hard work.
>> Ken, can you say that date one more time for your scholarship night? >> Uh the scholarship night is um two nights from now. It's Wednesday night, so what's that? The 6th, so that's short notice. Um, we also do have uh our STEM
symposium on May 28th that starts in the afternoon and goes just after school a little bit. But um that's our science fair night that has evolved a little bit into more of a STEM symposium where our math and science teachers work together to make sure that there are components
of of both math and science woven into those projects. We also have um spring sports underway and with the weather we've been having it's been you know all springs are difficult to get those scheduled events in. When I came in, I heard somebody
talking about a junior I track meet and um I saw snowflakes in the air on the way in too. So, um it's chilly out there, but we're getting them in. One of the things that um that I did want to note tonight and share with you because it definitely made a difference
when it was shared with me is right now we've got we've got golf track and we've got golf and track going on. Those are annual sports, but we've also got junior high baseball going on for the first time in Big Fork. And um I had a parent from that I know
personally, but it was from an opposing team that they played last week um reach out to me and just share how impressed she was with our Big Fork baseball team. Um, I haven't even had a chance to talk to the coach about it yet or even say
anything to the players, but I did get a chance to talk to our activities director about it today. But, um, this parent reached out and just said, you know, um, got a chance to watch my son play against Big Fork tonight. Um, her
son's team won, but she said, I was so impressed with how well-mannered and um, the sportsmanship and the positivity coming from your Big Fork kids. Um, probably shouldn't be this out loud, but she said, "I kind of kind of thought I kind of found myself secretly cheering
for them at times just because of how they were keeping each other up and they were staying positive and was just really impressed with their sportsmanship." Um, for me, I mean, for principal, for superintendent, for board members, we we get wrapped up a lot of times in the problem solving things of
when things aren't going so well. It was really nice to get unsolicited feedback about how well things um were going as well. And so I just, you know, it's our first year with baseball. Really excited about that. It's it's a it's an exciting opportunity to to offer for our students
and they've obviously been rising to the occasion. So very very proud of that and wanted to share that with you so you could feel some of that pride as well. And then lastly, before I ask for questions, um it's teacher appreciation week. Um, like Nicole talked about our nurses. Um, we've got a great nursing
team. We've got great teaching teams in all of our buildings. Um, hats go off to them every day and um, I just want to acknowledge them while I have the podium. But, uh, so thanks to all of them. But any questions for me?
>> Questions? >> What time is your scholarship? Um, >> 7 o'clock. >> Thank you. >> I'll be in the front row taking pictures. Um, I guess one kind of question because I I know the spring the spring uh
extracurricular activities are really ramped up there this year. It seemed like I if I remember we had a lot of lot more golf participants this year also. >> High high golf numbers. Yes. >> Yeah. Just high numbers overall. Can you I I I know earlier in the year talking
um a little bit with with uh with what we were seeing down here in in high school and uh one of the one of the principles commented to me that the disciplinary um incidents they've had in school had
reduced significantly with the success successful seasons. Right. They could see that carry into the classroom. Are can you correlate can you see any of that right now by chance or I I mean it's kind of asking a lot right there. >> No I it's a great question. Can I tell
you exactly the number of our office referrals right now? Um no I can't. Um can I can I tell you though that I feel less behind than I normally am on those? Um yeah I'm not as behind on those. And I would also say so I would I to answer
your question Tom I would say yes. I do think there's a correlation and and I would say that not just based on numbers, but there's a certain amount that you just have to take kind of from the vibe, right? Um and I think um while there's always things that can be better
and there's always things you work on to fix, um you always strive for for more improvement and for you know, we have a we have a very active um positive behavior team. Kids are getting drawn for Howl tickets every Friday from our by our counselor and they're coming down for a picture. And we've got a lot of
really good things going on. You still you still have things you need to work on and fix. But the vibe overall, I would say, has been very good. And if that's leading to greater numbers in extracurriculars, fantastic. If the greater number and extracurriculars are
leading to less numbers in those office referrals or those behavioral incidences, I'll take that, too. But I think the two definitely correlate. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> Thanks, Ken. >> Thank you. Have a great evening.
>> You as well. >> All right. The next item on the agenda is to approve the minutes of the April 20th, 26th schoolboard meeting. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. Ashley. >> Moved by Ashley. >> Second, David. >> Second by David. Any discussion? Hearing
none. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> The minutes of the April 20th schoolboard meeting are approved. The next item is to approve the following retirement. And in Casey's absence, I'll recognize that uh teacher
Eric Sama um is retiring after 15 years of service. And her recommendation is approval. I have a motion. So moved with thanks and appreciation. >> Moved by David. >> Second by Mark.
>> Second by Mark. Any discussion? >> Also note uh of thanks to Eric for his 15 years. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> Retirement is approved. Next item is to approve the consent
agenda. Have a motion to approve. >> So moved. >> Moved by Melissa. Second by Mark. All those in favor? >> I >> I oppose. Consent agenda is approved. The next item is the financial report from Alex
Kaser. Alex. >> Just information only. Okay. Uh do I have a motion to approve the financial report? >> So moved. >> Moved by Ashley. Second. >> Second by Melissa. >> Second by Melissa. Any discussion?
>> Thank you. Thanks, Alex. All those in favor? >> I >> I opposed. Financial report is approved. Uh the next item is to approve the revised operational plan. Mr. Superintendent.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh you had a chance to look at this last meeting. Again, this was developed to uh started four years ago when we uh with community feedback. We synthesized that into our strategic directions, developed
an operational plan, uh worked that plan, revised, this was revised last in November of 2024. Um the strategy team has been setting goals in keeping with this operational plan
and we made some revisions uh in this one in front of you. Um yeah and then since uh working through that have put goals together to um towards the achievement of these
objectives. So I would recommend approval and entertain any questions. >> Motion to approve by Mark. >> Motion to approve by Mark. Second. >> Second Melissa. >> Second by Melissa. Any discussion?
Thank you for leading this, Matt. >> Yeah, one of the things we talked about at the strategy team level is, you know, the I've been part of many plans like this and uh a lot of times they end up as coffee coasters or dust gathering
things. And we have evidence to support that the plan we had last time we uh achieved and made improvements on. We have evidence and data to support that. And I'm confident again because this is something that is the first thing on
every strategy team agenda is to look at how we're doing on goals. And I think we have an even better system moving forward for measuring our goals and I'll bring those to you after we review those uh Wednesday this week. So I'll bring those goals to you too to take a look
at. Matt, I just wanted to call out the fact that as I read through the objectives, um what I appreciate about our plan here is that there's a healthy balance of um specific objectives that we're looking
to do balanced with um more broad direction because I think what's important is that we don't pigeon hole ourselves into too many specific things, but also give ourselves the latitude to adjust um and have a plan that you you know, um, brings the district forward.
So, I just appreciate the balance as a one strategy practitioner to another. >> Any other discussion? >> I I guess I had one question. Um, some of the objectives were highlighted
a little different color and some were not. Is that just >> I don't know why that is. I was just making a note here. I'm like, I got to talk to Julie and we got to remember to am I supposed to be looking at something different on this. >> Yeah, I I think originally, Tom, um I
think originally they were highlighted if there were there was if there were going to be some language changes or revisions. Um so I think the ones that that are that weren't highlighted were carryover
from last time. Um but that's not even so I Yeah, I'm not sure. >> Okay. No, there's no I didn't know if there was something special on that or not. >> No, I No, there's no significance to that. >> Matt, if you'd like, perhaps I can show
you how to um format those on a non-M. >> Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that'd be super helpful, Dave. Thank you. >> Anytime. Just >> Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. Uh all those in favor of approving the operational plan, say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed.
>> The revised operational plan is approved. The next item is to accept a second reading and approve the following policies 410, 503, 515, 530, 615,
701, and 721. Mr. Superintendent, >> thank you, Mr. Chair. Again, this is second reading, so action on these is requested tonight. Uh, our policy review committee has gone through these and recommends them for approval as well. Uh
410 made some changes in language uh reflective of new Minnesota laws uh on paid leave. Um the student attendance re revised habitual truent definition. Again that's reflective of some statutory change
protection and privacy of pupil records. um that was really about immunization and again I think I mentioned last time people like Nicole come in step into the policy review committee to provide some guidance and feedback if it's relevant
to their particular area. So she would have weighed in on 5:15 and 5:30. um 6:15, Justin Sunquist, for instance, would have weighed in on any changes that we saw there to revise a policy
that is affecting students on IEPs. In this case, alternative MCAs, those have changed. And so, this policy reflects that adjustment. and then six and seven or 701 and 721 there. Uh, Alex weighed in on those. Uh,
as the business official and um recommended that we move forward with the policies as you see in the in the packet, I'd recommend approval of these. >> Move to approve the policies as presented. >> Perfect. Thank you. Second.
>> Second by Mark. >> Second by Mark. Any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor of the approval say I. >> I. >> I. Opposed. >> Those seven policies as presented in the agenda are approved. Thank you. The next
item is to receive an update from the Big Fork School Advisory Committee. Kayla. >> Good evening. Thank you, Chair Cohen. Thank you everyone for having me. Um, my name is Kayla Scriber and I am chairing the Big Fork School Advisory Committee
this year. Excuse me, I'm getting over yet another cold and my voice is going. So, I'm going to do the best I can. Um but um I just wanted to remind the board that uh this year we did a we went through a strategic
planning process when this um committee was established and this year we're focused on the strategic priority of the student experience um the big fork school student experience and so we've had a lot of conversations and work around that. Um we've been talking in
our meetings and um also in the forward committee meetings about how to improve this so that it is more that our students are having the same experience that other schools students are having in the area um with access to those
classes and sports and extracurriculars schools like Grand Rapids and um Northolome and Nashwaki Waten. So, we've been having a lot of conversations about that and some really good work on um how can we do a better job of resource
sharing um uh our our schoolboard representatives that have been joining us and Matt have been very helpful and Ken in um thinking of creative ideas and ways we can resource share with um curriculum. You know, we've talked about
things like advanced classes and specialized coaches and the different sports that are available on the other side of the district that just aren't to Big Fork and thinking again how we can, you know, we've been asking this question for years and years and years since I was in grade school and high
school. Um, how can we make things more equitable? I really enjoyed reading the operational plan that was just improved and was excited to see that the first priority is around the strategic direction is around equitable access. Um because that has been the focus of the
this committee. Um how can we have equitable access to education and everything that schools can offer for Big Fork students like students have in the rest of the district. And so we're talking again about more ways we can do
that. Um, and I think there's more momentum and hopefully some concrete action soon on some of those things. Um, we're hoping that this gets reflected in the work of the forward committee that you'll hear more about next month in
June. We had two advisory committee representatives take part in that part in that work drive to Grand Rapids for all of those meetings. Um and um it was a lot it was time and energy and we were very grateful to participate because
every conversation we had around a table with um the rest of the folks that were doing forward um they were learning things about Big Fork. They had no idea. They had no idea that um our school looks the way that it does. And so it was a very important sharing opportunity
for us and just um I think education and advocacy um because it was very clear that um that the big fork just has a lot of work to do yet on um what's happening in our
building and um continuing to um advocate for more for our students for equitable access for our students like I've already talked about. Um the last thing I'll mention is that we have a lot of momentum also around uh a
communication strategy, a communications plan. Uh we've learned in our work this year that communication is very fragmented as it goes out. Um different messaging to different people. We have a really tight community in Big Fork. You might know that. And um a lot of really
cool stuff that happens with the community and we just need to do a better job be more strategic about how we're sharing that. making sure that um our uh champions in the community know about events like Ken mentioned, our concerts and our um uh ceremonies and
you know the ways we're celebrating all of our successes. So um we're excited to um have some support on that starting next month and get going on a communications plan and try to consolidate and streamline some of that. Um I was also going to invite you to the
uh scholarship ceremony, academic ceremony on Wednesday. I will be there representing the Blandon Foundation and presenting those scholarships. And so if you can um come up to the edge and make it, we would greatly appreciate it. Uh those are all the updates I have right
now. Does anyone have any questions from me? >> Any questions? >> Just uh I want to follow up and Kayla mentioned uh the communications work. Um we actually have engaged with Colin who helped us on our district communication
plan. He's going to be taking a a look at Big Fork to help up there and we'll actually be attending our next um Big Fork school advisory committee virtually to hear more about, you know, what is it that people specifically are experiencing, what are they looking for,
and he'll do an audit and then make some recommendations about how to tie these things together that Kayla was talking about. So, I think that'll be a good um good jumping off point. Any other questions, comments for Kayla? >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Kayla.
>> Thank you. >> All right. The next items uh on the agenda are to approve the contracts for Hill City, Greenway, Deer River, and the Nashwa Kiwatan schools for leadership of community education. Matt, do you want to take those all in one?
>> Yeah. So, thank you. The these four contracts are essentially the same. They are contracts whereby these schools are buying community education leadership from the Grand Rapids area schools. So, Melanie and Heidi down there provide
services to these communities. They each have programmers in their own district that tailor need or identify needs, work locally, but all these districts then participate in one consolidated community education catalog that goes
out. It's very comprehensive and it's very professional. You'll notice that some of the contracts, Greenway, De River, Nashwa particular, have more history there. That's because that agreement's been in place for a long time. Um, Hill City just started
purchasing community ed services from us recently, so that's why there's less price history there. We also in the past had um had I'd say tried piloted with Floodwood uh to do the same thing.
They've decided that they um with their particular geography situation that they are going to try to do that in-house. And so after a year of trying it, they've decided to kind of keep that in-house and withdraw from that. But um
the language in the contract is the same other than increases in uh the fees. So I would recommend approval. >> All right. I would entertain an a motion to approve all four together. >> So move David. >> Moved by David.
>> Second. >> Second by Melissa. Any discussion? I guess I have a question in regards to I I mean when I look at the the changes, right, since like you say the historical
there, um we're talking about a $2,000 in one example, I'm looking at a $2,000 change in in five years of services, right? I know our inflation for the rest of our budget has went up significantly in that time period. Are we do we feel
we're we're I I you know are I are we structuring this per community members is it or >> yeah so outreach >> yeah the community education funding works a little bit different uh when
we're doing budgets in the school than the rest of the school district it's based on per pupils communitya community education funding is driven by community size residents so if you think about the
residents of our district, how many residents we have compared to the residents of these other districts. There's a pretty huge disproportion there. So, I think that's part of what explains the the you know, the relativity of those
changes. Well, and and I guess that to that explains maybe the differences between the groups, right, or the individual schools, but but I still am a little concerned that we're not maybe not properly capturing our cost increase
in that time period because I know if if we were to look at our general budget in that time period, it's probably went up a a larger percentage than that. And you know, I think we ought to start
really thinking about what some of our overhead costs are and if we're factoring them properly sometimes, you know, but I can I can get more detail on the increases if you'd like. I think, you know, it's important to remember too, community is a dedicated restricted
fund. Um, so this any any funds we get in fund for have to stay in fund for, can't be used anywhere else. So, our community ed uh budget has run in the black actually done very very well. So, but but I can get more detail on the
rationale for the amounts if you'd like. All right. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All those in favor say I. >> I. I. Opposed. >> All right. Those four contracts are approved. Next, we'll move into board reports. Tom
um participated in the director negotiations I think since our last meeting. Um and we've got another one coming up here soon. Um we've had some email exchanges on the bus driver negotiations here and it looks like uh
you know we're making some progress there. Um last week I was unable to go up to Big Fork so missed out on that but that's what I have. Yeah, I didn't have anything. I have some coming up this week and next week, but
>> David, um, yeah, the, uh, endowment committee, uh, is, uh, finalizing applications which will be going out very, very shortly. Uh, the Boys and Girls Club, uh, is, uh, I think I
referenced earlier that, uh, uh, we're in a period of transition right now, trying understand how we can uh deal without a development director on staff which is really challenging. uh had the opportunity uh along with
Dave to to go to the high school for the uh um awards uh last week uh the uh high school uh awards which is so encouraging to see
students that are not typically recognized necessarily for the great work that they do. These are incredible students, but they're not recognized uh for uh scholarship necessarily or for
uh athletics, but they're recognized for being just great students. Uh and it's a great uh thing every month uh that is organized. There are about 8 to 10 students get recognized each month and it's really a very uh encouraging
inspiring event. That's all I have. >> All right. Thank you, David. >> Um I was able to um go watch the sixth grade as well as the middle school
uh track and field day. Um community ed actually was able to put on uh the track and field day for the sixth graders. Uh they will have a meet today as well as one on the 13th of Biji and um that was
pretty awesome to watch it. Uh I am not a track and field parent so I had no idea what was going on the entire time but all of the kids were amazing. Um they have that dialed in. They know exactly what they're doing and when they need to do it. Unfortunately it started
to snow on this day of May 4th. Um, as you well know, we live in Minnesota, so that's not anything that's unusual. But, um, it was a wonderful event to be able to to watch while I was there. And, um, uh, shout out to one of our teachers, Matt Sandies, because he does so much
for this community and for our students, and he's one of those track coaches. So, and then shout out to all of the other track coaches as well that are um with our students for our sixth grade um our sixth grade students. Um and then as
well as the students themselves at the high school because they took some time out to help those sixth graders navigate their first track meet. Um so that is what I was able to participate in so far. >> Thank you Mark. Uh along with Tom, I
participated in director's uh negotiations. Um that seems to be moving along. Uh David and I participated in kindergarten roundup this week and that's always a lot of fun.
>> There's uh from the from the shy kids that uh little worried about coming to kindergarten to the ones that march in and just are just ready to be there right now. It's really a kind of a fun event. Uh the only other thing I I had a state
high school league 7A quarterly meeting in Hankley last week and uh that group works primarily with a lot of the tournaments and referees and venues and uh we kind of locked in the the spring
venues and uh we're working on the fall stuff already. So that's all I have. Thank you, Mark. >> Sure. >> Can I just acknowledge one? So, >> well, this wasn't a school event. It was a community event. So, the chamber had
their annual dinner >> last week. And shout out to Matt Sandy's who made the awards like he he his classroom made the awards that were given out to the chamber members, which is super fun. and he's partnered with
the chamber and they've done some work with them uh for little trinkets for people coming into town and stuff. So, that's kind of more of a community school connection that I think people don't realize happens. So, just a little shout out. Thanks for that. >> That's very cool.
>> Uh a couple things uh for me last Wednesday uh after our well after the last board meeting when u Jill came in and talked about what was going on at East Rapids in the morphology program, I was able to go and visit Mrs. classroom. I'm just going to read what I
wrote. It was remarkable. The level of engagement that Miss Shodine has with the students navigating where each of the student is in their reading journey is incredible. And the tools and resources are so incredibly different than that of our childhoods. I encourage
all members of our board to find some time to go and observe her. I truly believe that I was watching a master at her craft in that classroom. Very well done, Jen. if you watch this um and thank you for what you do. Um last Friday, as was mentioned, I joined Clerk
Marty at the GRHS student awards presentation. Again, great students, great teachers. Hearing the teachers talk about the why behind each student's nomination is just inspiring. And I'd like to specifically recognize um Shelley Lindstöm, who you may know as
Mama. Um her message about her student was inspirational. And then also a shout out to Principal Forbort for running that program. um that day. Uh since our last board meeting and has been reported in the media, our district won a 2026
best communities for music education. And I just couldn't be more proud of our entire district and and our community for how music is supported in our area. And then lastly, the final session of Forward happened and it was incredibly encouraging to see the community just
come together and the passion and the discussion and the back and forth. It truly takes a v in the village has been showing up. That's all I have. Uh, next is the superintendent report. Matt, >> thank you. Um, uh, chair just mentioned
the fourth and final forward meeting. And I say final a little bit with an asterisk because we know that work's not done. Uh, community engagement work will continue. You'll hear from, I believe, four members of the forward group on June
>> 8th. Um, so looking forward to that. Um, I heard a number of people say it was their favorite one, which you know, when you facilitate meetings, you don't always know how they're going to land. So that was kind of fun. Um, uh, couple weeks ago, I attended, uh, an Itasa area
childc care task force meeting hosted at the foundation. Um, there is a group that's been studying child care across the range. They've been really looking at it. They've been looking at it from a real analytical perspective. Actually, the uh individual that's heading up that
work, Stacy Gil, Dr. Stacy Gilpin, used to be special education director in the co-op. Uh very, very gifted and analytical. She's perfect for the job. She's really focused on rural uh communities and they've really been
thinking about this from a three stoolled type lens where you have providers being involved. you have employers being involved and then this third leg really is dependent on the community. That might be um it might be
a uh community group that helps to to structure or provide financial flow through or oversight. Um it was very interesting and also some of the data the needs in the region are different.
um if you go farther east, their needs for care are different than here. So, we have some slots right now that are open um that we, you know, providers aren't filling, but then if you talk about toddler and infants, there's there's
none of that. Um but if you go to the east, those situations can look different. So, um there were there were a number of employers there. they're very interested in being part of a solution. I think one of the things that's different about the dialogue now
is that um invest early when it was around was incredible, but it also created a created conditions where communities expected what they viewed as the school to take care of child care
needs. And it was really never um it was really never the school on its own. It was the school in partnership with a large grant. It was the schools in partnership with others. And so, um, communities now, uh, are really needing
to figure this out on their own. And that's where the best, you know, long-term solutions are going to come from. So, um, we still, I think, are in a better position because we have early edge and we have infrastructure and relationships, but, um, there's still
still work to do there. Um, I also attended uh a meeting hosted by RAMS that focused on the effects of uh mining production futures on uh finances for especially public entities in
northeastern Minnesota. And you know, the news isn't necessarily news if you've been paying attention. Uh you know, production is going down and even with Msabi metallics coming online, that isn't going to save or turn around that trend. One of the things that um the
individual from ITR shared was that we have still plenty of ore in the northeastern part of the state, but it's not economical to access. And so with the change in the type of furnaces that are, you know, um creating steel, it's really changed the dynamic. So I think
it was very good. Um but I think it really highlights the need to be creative and diversify. Um, we've had prom uh here in town. Um, Big Fork had a little bit different situation happen with prom. Um, uh, but
in both cases, uh, as far as we're aware, they went off without incident. Um, graduation's coming up, you know, it it in a month from now. Uh, we will be, uh, either at or near graduation for
both high schools. So, that's fun. Uh, I also attended the TechHub Circle of Care last week and every time I'm there and hear what's happening in our techhub, I'm just blown away and the um unique
experiences that our students are getting, uh, the connections that they're making, um, the skills they're developing are just incredible. And so I think there's a need now to think about what does that look like as these kids get older. And you know, David, you know
this from Boys and Girls Club, accessing or engaging those senior high kids is sometimes trickier, but they work on everything from drones to music production to business entrepreneurship. They had a Shark Tank thing they did. Um
it's just incredible the creativity um that's sort of springboarding our uh um elementary Lego robotics teams. We have a couple teams that have come out of there and done very well. Uh so it's a very very neat program and if you ever
want to see some of that in action just uh let me Julie know and we'll coordinate with Josiah because it's really really cool. Um last strategy team update I mentioned earlier we've been really working hard on the operational plan. Um the other
thing that's happening you know we kind of we kind of think about things at the strategy team. What things are we sort of watching uh happen and getting reported back on. So one of the things that we're watching is the progress on our math curriculum adoption. And so
we've had a team that's been that's been meeting really really diligently and uh I'm really really proud of the work that they've been doing. They started you know the easiest thing is to flip open a catalog and pick a book. Um and that's the opposite of what they've done and
are doing. They stepped back looked at standards looked at how the the standards have changed. Um then they're reviewing curriculum in light of these changes. They've met with vendors numerous times um and they've been
really really committed to a cohesive K12 curriculum. There was a curriculum that really had some interest at the elementary and the elementary group said no we're not going to we we're not interested in this because they don't have a parallel for our high school
colleagues and so we really are committed to a K K12 continuum. So, um just really proud of that work and so that'll continue. Um you're going to be hearing more about
this idea of guaranteed and viable curriculum and that's really the the basis for these decisions. um guaranteed in the sense that we want to we want to have a system where every kid is guaranteed access to um the materials
and viable that it's something that we can practically um instruct from and instruct through. And so that's foundational and you'll be hearing more about that as we revise the definitions there. Um, but that will continue to
guide our work moving forward. And I think we're setting some really great systems for evaluating curriculum that maybe we haven't had before. The English language arts one was was it sort of set
the stage for it, but that was fasttracked because of legislation in the Read Act. And this math one is really the first one where we've had to use all of our muscles to start at step one and move all the way through. And Carol Cop has done a great job working,
you know, through math even though her primary focus has been language arts. Um, she's been doing a great job working with that math group. And uh, so I'm really really proud of the work that they've been doing. And then finally, the other thing that we've been I guess maybe the two things that we've been
working on too is identifying a tool that we can use as we continue to ramp up our walkthrough work. And so walkthroughs are those quick um observations. So, I use that word a little bit loosely, but um that's when a principal is in a room, could be a peer
in a room, looking for very particular teacher behavior, maybe student behavior, documenting. Um and as we scale that, doing it on a piece of paper with a checklist or even using a Google form isn't the the best way to sort of
create uh history and the kind of documentation and data that we need. And so we're looking at a couple different tools that will would enable even me from my office to be able to pull up a dashboard of how many walkthroughs have we completed, what are the trends in our
schools, that kind of thing. So um we have we have some we have funding for that written into our achievement integration grant. So we have a way to pay for it, which is always good. Um, and then the last thing that we've been really trying to figure out, and we're
still kind of wayfinding on this is training for our staff in classroom um management, classroom behavior, uh, trying to find a system that's going to work for us because if if our teachers are needing to deal with behavior in
classrooms, that means it's taking away from instruction. Um, and if we come back to and Kaylin identified, if we're talking about an equitable education for all our kids, it starts with having the conditions for learning. And so, um,
there isn't a perfect one. We've investigated a number of them. There's nothing that's truly plugandplay. And so, we're trying to find our way through uh through that. But, um, those are some things that our strategy team has been working on.
>> All right. Any questions for Matt? >> I would I would just say, you know, piggyback on what Ken said, too. Uh, in addition to nurse appreciation week, it is teacher appreciation week like you mentioned. And um, you know, we really do have an amazing, incredible staff
here. You mentioned one of our our kind of elite teachers, but we certainly have them all over and appreciate uh the work they all do. And going in different above and beyond. Last Friday, I had the chance we had awards Friday morning. That was great. I had a chance that same
morning to be with um with our football team. And you know, it's one thing to do X's and O's, but um our coaching staff digs into leadership with these young men. They've they've read a leadership book this year. They're digging in
trying to be, you know, better better leaders, not just blocking and tackling. And I think those are the kind of the little things that um our teachers and coaches across the board do. And you know, you mentioned music, Dave, and I think there's just a lot of those things we can point to, and it starts with our
starts with our our staff. >> Agreed. All right. Um, upcoming schoolboard committee and meeting dates are posted on each agenda. Schoolboard meeting agendas can be found on the district website and on the designated posting
site here at the ISTD 318 educational service center. Is there any other business to come before the board? Julie, has anyone signed up to for public input? >> No, they haven't. >> All right. Thank you. Can I get a motion to adjurnn?
>> Move to adjurnn, David. >> Move by David. Second. >> Second by Ashley. >> Second by Ashley. Any discussion? All those in favor say I. >> I. >> I. Oppos. >> Stand. Thank you.