Wow. over there. >> I better check just to make sure. >> I got a long We did. I don't even Yeah. Welcome everyone and good evening. As I call to order the regular school board
meeting of Independent School District number 882, it is 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1st. Please note that board member Mark Branson is not here this evening. Please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge algiance >> 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.
Thank you. Now looking for approval of this evening's tenative agenda. So moved. >> Second >> by Melissa Curtis, seconded by Casey Root. All those in say I. >> I. >> Oppos, please say no. >> Motion passes. 5. On to item number
four, which is citizen comments. I have just a couple things I'm going to read and then I'll ask people to come on up to the podium. The next item is our citizen comments. We welcome citizens to address the board at each regular meeting. Schoolboard meetings are conducted under Minnesota open meeting
law statutes. Open meetings are different from a public hearing or an open forum. There's no back and forth question and answer period or discussion with board members of the content of citizen comments during the open meeting. No board action will be taken
at the meeting on the speaker comments. However, comments from our citizens are very important to the board. Speakers are contacted before and after the meeting to provide follow-up opportunities to continue to work on concerns or provide closure for any
issue brought to us. Citizen comments in the open meeting by law must not violate student data privacy or personal data confidentiality confidentiality. Each citizen is welcome to address the board for up to three minutes. A small
digital timer will be displayed on the screens in the boardroom for timekeeping for each speaker. And before we get started, I just want to acknowledge that we have several speakers tonight and they may be addressing some of the ongoing work for the teacher contract
negotiations. We appreciate and value our teachers, our staff, and our families and our community members who take the time to share their perspectives. While the board is listening carefully, please understand that because negotiations remain ongoing, board members will not be able
to engage in any discussion or responding to comments regarding anything to do with bargaining. All right. Our first person on the agenda is to welcome up is Janet Garcia.
Come on up. Right to your left side here is the podium. Thank you board for letting me um speak today. I am here as a member of the Monaceel community and as a parent of two children in the school system. I'm here to voice my concern about the
dedicated teachers working in the district that have not been with a contract. Having to do so for such a extended period of time is not okay. Um, this has been a big contract year for a lot of different school districts and many have appropriately recognized the
important role public school teachers hold in our community and each individual students life. I understand that there are budget limitations and that all districts are struggling in some way at this point. But that reality is not an excuse to provide our teachers with less than what is available to offer them and what they deserve in
terms of pay, time off, and benefits. The only reason that any of our school system functions at the level it does is because of the intentional work and effort provided by the teachers and support staff. Not passing a reasonable contract to support the very people who bring compassion and education to our
community's children is harmful for the future of our kids. It is well known that all human beings are better at helping and caring for others when they are also supported. The concept of not being able to pour from an empty cup holds true here and the expectation that our teachers are going to be able to
continue to give their all when they're not being supported in their role is unreasonable. I ask the school board to be mindful of the impact that not supporting the livelihood of teachers will have on our kids and our community as a whole. Our teachers show up every day possible to provide one of the most important
services in our community. Take a moment to think about the most influential teachers from your childhood and consider how your life would be different if they had not been in it. Please don't forget this and please work towards a successful contract negotiation that shows that you value the work our teachers do day in and day
out. They are worth it and so are our kids. I urge you to return to the table for negotiations. It's past time to show our teachers the respect they deserve by passing a fair and supportive contract. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you, Janet, for coming and
speaking. Our next item or our next person to speak is Trevor Koig. Come on up, Trevor. Hello, my name is Trevor Koig and I'm a 2024 graduate of Monaceel High School. I began my education in Monaceel at the age of five and am now looking to
graduate from college by the end of this coming school year. Well, I would love to tell you all about how people like Miss Graham, Miss Dyel, Miss Hines, Miss Zimmerman, Miss Hill, Miss Tindle, Miss Cart, Miss Berbomb, Miss Miller, Miss Green, Miss Proctor, Miss Roach, Miss Mson, Miss Johnson, Miss Monkey, Miss
Stoke, Miss Ambroious, Miss Frederick's, Miss Chido, Mr. Tleki, Mr. Mr. Weber, Mr. Guy, Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Herfendall, Mr. Lungquist, Mr. Olsson, Mr. Mackey, Mr. Schwart, Mr. Zachman, Mr. Zigan, Mr. Burquist, and Mr. Klein have guided, inspired, and enlightened me. I believe
you know that the impact these teachers have on each and every kid every single day. It's our motto. Instead, I want to tell you a story of a teacher who shares my name, Trevor Mure. Trevor writes, "One time at parent teacher conferences, one of my students and his mother sat
down in front of me at my table in the middle of the high school gymnasium. I started our meeting by shaking the mom's hand and telling her how much I enjoyed having Thomas in my class. I said that Thomas worked really hard, participates often, and is so kind to other students. However, the whole time that I was telling this mother about Thomas, I
could see a grimace growing across her face. She just silently sat there in anger as I praised her son, Thomas. So, I paused and asked, "Is everything all right?" The mother took a deep breath and said, "My son's name is Colin." Oops. I mixed up Colin with another
student, and his mother was rightfully not too pleased about it. No amount of apologizing seemed to make her feel better either. While I still get a pit in my stomach when I tell this story, I can pinpoint why it happened. In the two months leading up to this parent teacher conference, I had completed three massive projects with my students, sat
on the school improvement team, chaperoned homecoming, coached middle school soccer, ran a poetry club, taught five different preps, graded every assignment I assigned, and had a newborn baby at home. My brain was fried. I was overextended, overcommitted, and absolutely exhausted.
The result of this was mixing up students names and making parents angry with me. Trevor's story is one out of a million stories just like it. Each one of the teachers you see before you is probably playing a similar one in their head right now. The role of the teacher does not start when they walk into the
building or end when they leave. It's a 247 experience. There isn't a teacher in here who works only 8 hours a day. There are times in our lives when we have to take off our own shoes and step into someone else's. So I ask you and everyone listening to me in the next few
days to take 10, 20, or even 30 minutes out of your busy day to think and to write as if you lived someone else's life, as if you shared the perspective of the person you think is against you. You just may be inspired and
enlightened. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Trevor, for your comments. Next, I'd like to invite up Lean Girtz. Good evening. I'm Leanne Girtz and this week marks the end of 16 years of partnering
with many of you here. As both of my boys have now completed their K12 education in the Monaceel School District, I promise I wouldn't do this. I want to use this time to highlight the impact Monosel schools have had on my family. Before there was a Target or Walmart or Home Depot, my husband Kyle
and I moved to Monaceel in the met because of the affordability. We were blessed with two sons and soon came the day when it was time to send our older son to the long scary halls of Pinewood Elementary. Thankfully, we were met by the most amazing and quintessential kindergarten teacher at
Kindergarten Roundup. We felt confident Brandon would be in such great hands with Mrs. Witchen. We were right. Mrs. Witchen taught the students everything from how to stand in line with their hands to themselves to all the stepping stones of learning. Above all, how to be
a friend. My heart still smiles when I get to see Mrs. Witchen walking down the hallways of East View, holding students hands in each of her own. In first grade, Mrs. Mitchell blew us away at conferences. As we left, I remember saying to Kyle, "How does she know our kids so well with so many tiny bodies in
that room and the game changer, second grade, it's no secret the admiration we have for Janine Severson. She is a machine. She gets more done in an hour than the average person can do in a day. I call it Severson speed.
She was the only She not only identified Brandon's unique intellectual capabilities, but challenged him within her classroom, pushing for math acceleration and ultimately walking alongside us to determine if grade skipping was the best option. As a quick aside, Brandon
graduated from college this past month in electrical engineering with honors and will be starting his job on Wednesday. He was set up for success right from the start in part because of the personal investment made by teachers here in the district. Next in line was Mrs. Sto who
took learning outside the four walls of the school. Mrs. Welli who prepared them for middle school. The middle school heroes who are there for our children during the most awkward and hardest stages of adolescence. Not to mention online teaching during COVID. Our high school
teachers, Mr. Duca. Did he even get a lunch hour this year with Jordan showing up for band 30 minutes early, then early morning jazz practices, afternoon pit orchestra rehearsals, and evening pep bands. Miss Shenzer, who had five preps last spring. Why? She'd tell you because
it's what you do. Yet every day when Jordy comes home from school and I ask him about his day and I ask him how Miss Shenzer is, he'd say, "Miss Shenzer is great." Yes. Yes, she is. There are so many more. All these teachers do more than teach. They are nurses, therapists, personal assistants, financial
adviserss, and so much more. As a substitute teacher here in the school district, I get a small taste of walking in their shoes. And I encourage you to do the same. Not just for a day or two, but three or more. Only then can anyone begin to understand what their position entails. It's not just teaching. It's
teaching while handing out band-aids, sending students to various groups, juggling questions, all while fielding parent inquiries. And that is just during the school day. Monty teachers are dedicated and passionate. Each summer when I meet younger families who are concerned about their te who their student will get as a teacher, I assure
them that every teacher in our school district has played an instrumental role in our kids' lives. Teachers, our families cannot express the gratitude towards you. We moved to Monaceel because of the affordable living. We stayed here because of the teachers and we are thankful that the teachers have
stayed here for our kids. Thank you. Thank you, Leanne. Next is Laura Plant. I'm sorry if I pronounced that incorrectly. Imagine it's the first day of kindergarten. Waking up early, riding nervously in the car on the way to East View, wondering
if the teacher will be nice and the other kids will be friendly. And that's just what I experienced. Now, subtract 30some years and the set of life skills I've amassed along the way. And that sure is intimidating for a 5-year-old on their first day. For my daughter Olivia,
there were some extra butterflies because she was starting nature-based. But now at the end of the school year, I can definitively say that nature-based kindergarten has been the greatest gift to our family. And that is largely thanks to her teachers, Miss Excuse me,
Miss Amber and Miss Anne. Nature-based education might sound a bit intimidating to the uninitiated, but it is a rare and special experience. Students get to learn and play outdoors, exploring the natural world around them in all types of weather, including 10
below. They follow the same curriculum as their peers with extra emphasis on science. My now six-year-old, who's sitting in the back of the room, started kindergarten, a relatively inflexible type A eldest daughter stereotype, which
she may or may not get from me. And now, thanks to nature-based kindergarten, she is curious about the world around her, and is adaptable and patient in almost every circumstance, something that is rare to say about almost any six-year-old. She will pick up a log full of roly poly
bugs and teach us about their habitat. She will run through a field with a fistful of wild flowers chasing a bird just for the joy of it. Academically, Olivia's class is excelling. The data supports nature-based learning through and through. But beyond the data, Miss
Amber and Miss Anne have created a classroom environment based on mutual respect, curiosity, friendship, love of learning, and joy of play. Their class operates in a way I have never seen before. The students are all so kind to one another, and they respect the rules
of the classroom, their leaders, and the sanctity of the earth. I could go on and on about the benefits of nature-based learning and all the things our family loves about it, but it all boils down to this. Olivia has never once had a bad day of school. She comes home every day
excited to return the next. She loves her classmates and she adores Miss Amber and Miss Anne. Good teachers will be remembered, but great teachers make a lifelong impact. Miss Amber and Miss Anne are great teachers and we're just starting our
journey and she'll be going to Pinewood and I know that we will have great teachers for the rest of her time in Monaceel. If it was up to me, contracts wouldn't even be an issue for our teachers. Teachers are our greatest asset. They show up every morning overt tired and
underresourced. They not only make do with inadequate support staff and supplies that they supplement from their own pockets, they make magic from it. Our teachers deserve a robust contract that gives them what they deserve and more. They have shown up every day this year without a contract because they
love what they do. And we as parents owe them a debt of gratitude. Teachers in the room, I'm honored to speak on your behalf. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you, Laura. Next up, we have an
Audriana Pearson. Hi everyone, my name is Adriana Pearson and I graduated from Monaceel High School last year and I was a student at Monaceel from first grade all the way to graduation. I'm here today to talk about the importance of demonic teachers here in this district and the impact they
have had on my life. During my junior year of high school, my mom moved away to Florida and my dad took on the role of being a single parent. Then in December of my senior year, he had passed away and just three months later, my brother passed away as well. I don't share these things for pity, but to give the context to the
kind of support I received during my junior year and especially my senior year. During that time, I believe the world was full only full of darkness and I had essentially given up on everything. Sorry. At 18, I was an orphan and I thought I I
would never get support in my life. But every single day I walked into that building, my teachers had my back. They fought for me, supported me, believed in me, and pushed me to keep going, even when I really didn't want to. There wasn't a single teacher who didn't offer support. Every single teacher in that building went far beyond what it means
to just be a teacher. They took on the role of helping me get through everything. They were I wasn't only learning the curriculum anymore. I learned how to stand up for myself, how to balance grief with left with life, and how to keep moving forward when everything felt impossible. They pushed
me to survive and continue living my life. And it weren't if it weren't for them, I would not be standing here today using my voice. I would not have had completed my first year at UMD. And I probably would not have walked across that stage last June. They gave me kindness, grace, empathy,
encouragement, and support. There were many times I could walk into any teacher's classroom, talk about what was going on, and never once did I feel judged, ashamed, or unwelcomed. It was always the opposite. I was met with compassion, understanding, and reminders that I wasn't alone, and that they had
gone through these things, too. Right before graduation and the the walkthrough through the elementary and middle school, I remember putting on my cap and gown and running up to my teachers like I was a little kid because I was so proud of that I had made it. To me, graduation was not just completion
of school. It was proof that I had survived the hardest period of my life. And every single one of those teachers understood exactly what it meant. The reason I'm sharing my story today is because I want everyone to understand that these teachers are not just educators. They're mentors. They're role
models, support systems, and sometimes parents to kids who don't have them. The they taught me to hold on to life when it felt unbearable. unbearable. Because of the impact these teachers have had on me today, I'm pursuing a double education. I'm pursuing a double
education major with psychology. I want to become a teacher myself someday and give the same kind of support I was given and the encouragement when I needed it the most. The teachers in this district changed my life and one day I hope I can do the same for someone else too. They deser they deserve respect.
They they deserve to feel valued and they deser deserve fair compensation compensation for the work they do every single day for the students in this community. At a time when the cost of living continues to rise, they should not be expected to take home less pay while continuing to give so much of
themselves to everyone else. They show up every day. They do so much more than just teach. And they give this job their all. I'm living proof that they're that they reach far beyond the classroom and their impact lasts long after graduation. Thank you.
Thank you, Adriana, for coming and speaking. And again, thank you for everyone that came um to share comments with us tonight. The board truly appreciates it. Though we cannot engage on comments with you directly during the board meeting, we appreciate you coming
here. >> Oh, we have one more. I'm just kidding. Wait, one. We have Nicole Delani. Delaney. Sorry, Nicole. >> Thank you. >> I mean to skip you.
>> Okay. Um, well, I was excited to be here tonight to put on my red, um, and to be here to support the Monosel teachers and staff and their need for a fair contract. Uh, since 2010, I've had the privilege of working alongside of the Monosella
teachers and staff members as they helped educate my two boys, both of whom chose to continue their education after graduation. Our oldest is currently at St. John's University where he'll be entering his third year this fall and our youngest is actually graduating on
Friday and he's headed to the University of St. Thomas. As I reflect on our family's experience with the Monosella School District, I feel incredibly blessed to have had these educators helping to shape and influence my boys. A love of learning and growth does not happen in isolation. My boys flourish
because of the people in this district who showed up for them every single day. the teachers, coaches, counselors, nurses, and staff who greeted them with a smile, encouraged them, challenged them, wrote letters of recommendation for them, and who genuinely took an
interest in helping them become the best versions of themselves. They guided my boys on a path that now includes not only higher education, but also a desire to positively impact the world and the people around them. Because of that, I strongly believe that it's absolutely
necessary that teachers and staff are compensated fairly. Their wages and benefits should not be moving backward, but they should be moving forward. I understand that the school district is facing financial challenges, but we can't place these burdens um on the backs of our teachers. We can't afford
to have their morale lessened, and we can't afford um for them to be considering taking on second jobs just just to simply make ends meet. We need them to be present for our kids. These educators are doing the hard and meaningful work required to help the next generation flourish, and they
deserve to be compensated fairly for that work. I believe the district needs to tackle this issue with urgency and intentionality. Our teachers need to know that they're recognized, valued, and respected, not only with words, but through fair compensation. The mission
of our district is every kid every day. And that only becomes reality because of these teachers and these staff members. They are the heart of that mission and because of them we should invest in that. I've recently read that Wright County is currently the fastest growing
county in Minnesota. And so as our population continues to grow, the need for strong committed teachers becomes even more important. I worry that if compensation falls behind for them, they're going to be forced to leave these jobs for better paying um and stronger benefit positions elsewhere.
Retention matters and teacher turnover disrupts student learning and ultimately costs the district even more money through recruitment and training. We should invest in retaining these outstanding teachers and staff that we already have. I sincerely hope and pray
that a fair contract can be reached very soon. And I simply want to say to all of you who have helped launch my boys into the next chapter of their life and education that your impact and our family has been immeasurable. And for that I'm extremely grateful. Thank you.
Thank you, Nicole. And once again, thank you to everyone that came out this evening to share with us. Now, we'll continue on tonight's agenda. Now, we are looking for approval or a motion for the consent agenda. >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Moved by Mr. Curtis, seconded by Casey
Root. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. Opposed, please say no. Motion passes. 50. On to item number six, collaborative connections. I will pass it over to Superintendent Eric Olsen to go over the resolution of gifts.
>> All right, we have five uh donations to bring forward here tonight. The first one is a collaborative uh going to the Monaceel Library fundraiser um a part of the rally to read uh committee and those multiple donor donors uh tallied $10,318
um for the Monosell High School library fundraiser. This is the second time that we've accepted donations um for that cause. Uh the next one is Monaceel American Legion, $2,000 for NWTA student scholarships. The third one, Shields,
$500 for the Monosel fishing team. Uh fourth one, uh Sherburn State Bank for $500, also for the fishing team. And then the final one is Walmart, uh $2,000. Um Devony Moore had filled out um a grant. uh we received that and I
got to be part of their grand reopening. Um and that was a fun experience to bring uh forth uh $2,000 for those two initiatives. I bring these forward thanking the community and uh we'll set them up for resolution and so that we can accept
these um awesome donations in order to bring forward uh to these programs. >> We want these multiple donors read. >> No. >> Okay. Therefore, it be resolved by Mosel School Board number 882 to gratefully accept the following donations.
Multiple donors attached $10,318 for the rally to read MHS library fundraiser. Monaceel American Legion, $2,000 for the NWTA scholarships. Shields, $500 for the Monaceel Fishing Team. Sherburn State Bank, $500 for
Monosel Fishing Team. and Walmart $2,000 for Magic Claus and Monosella Rally to Read High School Library T force task force. >> Second moved by Jeff Hegley, seconded by Melissa Curtis. All those in favor, please say I.
>> I. >> Opposed, please say no. >> Motion passes 5. And that's incredible. It's $15,000 going back into our community to support programming. Um, and I'll say this later in the meeting, but uh, next board meeting, June 15th,
we will be having our third annual donor and volunteer reception right here in the middle school in the activities room from 5 to 5:45 for those that have donated through the year. Next item on the agenda is innovation and leadership.
Um, I'm going to pass off to Superintendent Eric Olsen to go over the resolution establishing dates for filing affidavits of candidacy. Yeah, we have uh three uh seats that will be um open for the four-year term
um coming this fall. And so in order for the superintendent office, specifically uh myself and Devon Moore, communications uh coordinator, we bring forward this resolution in order for us to be able to uh meet the guidelines and dates um that we have to follow um in
order to uh be part of those three seats opening for this election. Okay. Uh, where is the school district election shall occur on November 3rd, 2026 for the purpose of electing three schoolboard members for terms of four years. Therefore, be resolved by the
school district school board of independent school district number 82 state of Minnesota as follows. The period for filing affidavit of candidacy for the office of schoolboard member of independent school district number 82 shall begin on July 14th, 2026 and shall
close on July 28th, 2026. An affidavit of candid candidacy must be filled in the office of the school district clerk and the $2 filing fee paid prior to 5:00 p.m. on July 28th, 2026. Clerk is hereby authorized and directed
to cause notice of said filing dates to be published in the official newspaper of the district at least two weeks prior to the pri to the first day of the to file affidavit of candidacy. The clerk is hereby authorized and directed to cause notice of said filing dates to be posted at the administrative offices of
school district at least 10 days prior to the first day of file affidavit of candidacy. Second. >> Moved by Jeff Hegley, seconded by Mary Bartell. All those in favor, please say I. I. Oppose, please say no. Motion
passes. 5. On to item number eight, safe and healthy culture. Help me welcome to the podium our activities director, Gary Revig, to go over Minnesota High School League resolution for membership for the 2026 2027 school
year. Chair Seven, members of the board, Superintendent Olsen, and I'm here tonight uh for annual membership. It's a 2627 uh resolution for membership within the Minnesota State High School League. This is an annual requirement for all school
districts to participate the Minnesota State High School League. So, I'm looking for approval tonight. >> Make a motion to accept said resolution. >> Second. Moved by Jeff Hegley, seconded by Casey Root. All those in favor, please say I. I. Opposed, please say no.
Motion passes. 5 Z. Did we have to read that resolution? >> I believe so. >> Or is it okay? >> Uh, want the whole thing read? Is that what you want? >> Okay. result that the governing
governing board of or entity of Monaceel High School located in the state of Minnesota delegates a control supervision regulation of intercolastic activities athletic to Minnesota statute section 128C.01 to the Minnesota State High School League hereby certifies to
the state commission of education as provided by Minnesota. >> Now we can resume our votes. Second. >> Moved by Jeff Hegley, seconded by Casey Root. All those in favor, please say I.
>> Opposed, please say no. Motion passes. 5 Z. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Now, we're on to item number B, which is our general fund preliminary budget presentation. Help me welcome to the podium director of business services, Tina Burke Holder.
All right. Tonight we have our proposed budget for the general fund and on Oops. There we go. Uh, so it is June 1st and on here we have that we approved next year's budget, but we're not going
to approve it tonight. Tonight, like I said, is our first year look at the general fund. And at June 15th, we'll summarize all the funds once again and ask for board approval that night. So, here we have a listing of all the funds that we manage or different
buckets of money. And tonight we're looking at our general fund like I mentioned and it has different components in it. We keep track of things separately internally. We have our specialed cooperative fund that we track separately and our capital outlay fund that includes a claim uh a hail
claim from 2024 with insurance proceeds in it. But when the state looks at our financial reporting, all that gets lumped together. All the revenues, all the expenses in those three buckets, they see them as one. So our budget represents our best
estimates or assumptions of the revenues and expenses projected for the next year and it's subject to revision. One of the biggest assumptions that went into the financial planning for the 2627 school year that later became a reality was the operating levy. And so first I want to
take us down just over a year ago to look at that decision. So, in March of 2025, we hadformational presentations from Matt and Beth from Ellers to talk about the different levies that the board had access to and the tax impact
related to those and how it affects different properties, whether it's residential, businesses, or seasonal uh properties. And we also had John Edison, our legal rep, talk about kind of what the board could do and couldn't do with elections.
Oops. It's going a little too fast. Um, and so then in May of 2025, we looked at two different operating levy scenarios to kind of figure out what to do and look at. And then in June, you decided on an operating levy amount at which happened
on our November 4th election day. So with scenario one, these are some slides from that May 5th presentation. We looked at scenario one as renewing our existing operating levy where the board would just autorenew what was in place and also look at a 2 million
capital projects levy or what some call a tech levy and looked at the tax impact of that. Uh here has our financial forecast with that scenario. So there's a lot of small numbers, but I really want you to look at the lower uh row of numbers that has
our fund balance percentages projected on that scenario and the different years. And as you can see, it wasn't going to sustain us uh for much longer than a year or two, let alone get us at that 8% fund balance. So it really wasn't an option that would do right by
our students. Uh so we looked at scenario number two. Scenario number two looked at revoking and replacing our existing levy. And we with the budget committee and different board presentations, we looked at what
would that new operating amount be and the tax impact from that. With the help from Ellers, they showed us that that our average market value of a home was about $365,000.
And when we looked at the what amount we wanted to ask our voters what could sustain us over a reasonable bon amount of time and what would be uh reasonable for a taxpayer. So that um amount that I have boxed was a $25 per month increase
that we thought would be a reasonable ask of our community. So here is the financial forecast with scenario 2. And again looking at the bottom row of numbers that shows our financial forecast that shows that it was getting us through uh school year
2930 and um dropping off considerably in 3031. So with it's sorry it's going on its own I think. Um so with this levy promise we were keeping everything the same similar
program offering similar class sizes. we weren't going to make any additional uh reductions beyond going into this school year uh because if this levy didn't pass, we would have to reduce $6 million in programming.
Other assumptions going into the budget planning on the revenue side, we have declining enrollment. So, we're projecting enrollment about 3,860. Uh with our general education aid, we see a 2.69% 69% increase on that and no additional changes with the legislative
session. With our state special education revenue, it's estimated based on some program shifts from the co-op to Monaceel and it's also including our first year of access revenue. So with access, that's part of special education revenue. Uh the revenue generated for
the following year is based on the expenses this year. So it's a little bit of a delayed on when when your expenses increase. You're not going to see that increase in revenue until the following year. Our compensatory revenue funds were projected to decrease and that final
amount is about 267,000. And we have some grants in place that were approved or renewed. We have grow your own adult and student mentorship and intro to education. Some expenditure uh assumptions for
staffing. We typically anticipate about three FTE certified retirements in each year. So far, we only have one, so we're a little behind on that assumption. We have some staffing changes based on enrollment projections and student needs. So within that, we reduce two
FTEEs for enrollment projections. We increase.5 FTE for English learner because of that increasing population. And we have some special education shifting happening between buildings whether it's kindergarteners going into the elementary buildings, elementary to middle school or middle school to high
school. We have an increase in DAPE needs uh which is developmentally adapted FIED uh overall increase of 02 FTEES and a 1.0 increase in our education support specialist group.
our other uh assumptions with our expenditures and staffing. The salary and benefit projections are based on contract settlements or our last tenative agreements. And it's a bid year for our health insurance and we tend to we tend to have competitive pricing with
our insurance plans. Other expenditure assumptions we have our supplies and utilities increasing anywhere from 0 to 10%. We won't borrow short term as we have enough cash flow coming in. So that'll save interest cost there and that our total expenditures
will end up 0.5% under budget. Fund balance assumptions. The unassigned fund balance policy is 8 to 16% of our expenses. We pay our committed severance obligations uh based on actuary assessments and we have a set aside for
that. And this includes a budget alignment of 680,000 which includes our staffing adjustments. Other assumptions, all of our contracts now have sunseted retiree insurance. So we could utilize our trust for those or
uh it could be part of our general fund and that would have a property tax impact. But we can look at that year-over-year to see what makes sense to do for us. Any questions on the budget assumptions? I do um can you clarify why our
unassigned fund balance policy um is an 8% minimum just why we use that as a figure rather than 2% or 3%. >> We use that as a gauge that's about one month of expenses and um it's recommended to have a fund balance
policy because you never know you know what's going to happen. Your utilities costs could sore. I can project 3,890 students coming in and we could have a hundred less students coming in and that happened to me at another district in 2008 when there was a lot of uh housing
foreclosures. So, you want to have that cushion because you're going to staff based on who you think's going to show up, but you never know for sure who's going to show up. >> Thank you. Excellent. So our general fund is our main operating account that in accounts for all instructional and student support
programs, our admin costs, our operations and maintenance, our transportation cost. So it's our main operating fund. Looking at our revenue budget, it's going to increase about 4.3 million. Three 4.3 million 3 million of that is
our operating levy re revenue coming in. And then also we have an increase in our state sources. Again, it's that 2.69 uh gen ed increase. And then also the increase in our special ed revenue based on increasing our special ed programming
and the co-op shifts to money. Visually, here's a breakdown of the revenue coming in. The majority of that comes from the state about 74%. So, and it's also driven on enrollment. And then we also have our property tax as the biggest next biggest chunk of 21%. Not
all that is our operating levy. We have different revenue components that have state aid and levy components in that. It's also heavily driven by enrollment as well. On the expense side that is increasing overall 2.3 million. Again that includes
salary and benefit projections uh based on contract settlements or last tenative agreements. While we did have some staffing reductions, we did have some additions like I mentioned the 1.0 education support specialists, the 0.2 DAPE FTE, the 0.5 English learner ad,
and some speech and DAPE transitioning from co-op to Monty. As more of those programs are just monosel students, they have they should be under the monosel umbrella versus the cooperative umbrella. Here's a visual look at our expense
breakdown. So 80% of our budget is salary and benefits. So very labor intensive budget. Overall we anticipate our fund balance to start the year at 7.4 million and with that 2.4 million ad just ending the
year just under 10 million is our estimated fund balance total and that is made up of uh very uh different buckets of money or categories. We have the restricted fund balance which has uh is defined by legislation
in state statutes but enforced by the Minnesota Department of Ed. We have assigned fund balances that is decided by the board for a specific purpose. And an example of that is our scoreboard advertising. And then we have committed fund balance that again is a majority
vote by the board. And that example of that is our severance commitment. Uh where back in 2014 we committed 1.8 8 million for seance severance obligations and we slowly spent that down as severance obligations became uh known throughout the years and we're just down
to about 5 to 10 employees that still have that severance entitlement in their contracts. We have our fund balance policy of 714 like I mentioned where we try to maintain a fund balance of 8 to 16% or
one or two months of expenses. And so with another year under our belt and a revised budget in there and next year's proposed budget, this is what the financial forecast look like. So again, just looking at the bottom rows of our un of our unassigned fund balance for
2930, it's slightly improved by 8.9% and 3031 is about 2.68%. Because with our forecast, it's estimates and estimate. So a little more numbers that are known are in the forecast. And again with our levy promise, we wanted to maintain similar
programs, similar class size. So in one of our work sessions, we talked about committing one year's worth of the new operating referendum to get us through that 2930 3031 era. We wanted to maintain our programmings for four to five years. And again, it's a 10-year
levy, but it's really only sustaining us for four to five years. Next we have our capital projects fund that has the insurance claim money in there. Uh so this coming year we have a little bit more insurance proceeds coming in as
a as the cost that the insurance had estimated is a little higher than what uh came true. So we have another wave of insurance proceeds coming in. The summer of 26 will be a big year of a lot of repairs being done as well as a little
bit happening in the summer of 27. So visually again the revenue budget is just insurance money coming in with a little bit of interest revenue. And then on the expense side coming out it's just mainly all the repairs going for those damages.
Our last fund of the general fund is our special ed cooperative. And with our special ed cooperative fund, um, even though it's a separate entity, they purchase the staff from Monaceel. So they're Monosel employees on Monosel contracts that the co-op manages.
So with their budget, um, like I said, the expenses are the staff that they purchase and the revenue coming in is their reimbursement to Monaceel for that staff. And so basically, it's a net zero budget. So visually, a lot of it's the reimbursement from the co-op, but they
do utilize some federal special ed money to cover some of those staffing costs. On the expense side, it's mainly uh staffing and a little bit of supplies due to them accessing our PC card program.
So that is all for the general budget presentation. Any questions? Again, not asking for approval. will go over this fund and the remaining funds on June 15th for approval. >> Board members, what questions do we have
for >> I'm good. We've gone through this numerous times already, so >> Yep. I'm clear. Um, and I just wrote down a note that it says on your projection that 2030 will be down to a fund balance of
2.68% with our current programming that we offer. Yep. Yep. So, there's inflationary increases on the revenue side and the expense side. Um, but you know, our revenues
aren't keeping up with our expenses. >> Any other questions from board members? Thank you. All right. Next is item C, first reading of policy. Help me welcome up to the podium director of human resources Rob Daner.
Chair Steven, members of the board, Superintendent Olsen. Um, as always, our policy committee met uh prior to the first um board meeting of each month. We met for almost two hours tonight because uh June is a unique month. We review all of the handbooks that are um going to be
in front of our students and coaches and activity participants and employees over the course of the the next year. And so we reviewed um our elementary handbook, our middle school handbook, our high school handbook, our high school activities handbook, our coaches handbook, and then also our employee
handbook this evening. Um all of those minus the middle school handbook, which is undergoing a significant change, will be brought to the board second meeting of June for approval. Um in addition, we did review two um policies this evening.
And so the first is policy 807. This is a policy which is scheduled for um for review later this year through our three-year review cycle process. Um however, we brought it forward for review tonight um based on some um uh
recent events that have uh caused it to be part of a discussion. So the health and safety policy is um policy 807. Purpose of this policy is to assist the school district in promoting health and safety, reducing injuries, and complying with federal, state, and local health and safety laws and regulations. The
last time the board um took any action on policy 807 was um back in 2014. It was last reviewed in 2015. In the intervening 11 years, the MSBA model policy has undergone significant alterations. And so we felt again timely
and appropriate to bring it forward for um review this month. Any questions on 807? Okay. Moving forward to our second final policy for review this month. Uh policy 908. Uh this is a policy which uh exists
outside of MSBA model policy. However, MSBA does have model language regarding the uh the same which is outside organizations supporting school district programming. Also, there are nearby school districts that have similar policies um currently in place and so we use those two to develop this draft
policy. Um the purpose of this policy is to provide a foundation for interactions between the school district and outside organizations, meaning groups uh that support school district programs. These guidelines are meant to be a tool used to better relationships, clarify procedures and rules, and set the stage
for successful partnerships. Fundraising and volunteers are necessary parts of the public school pro district programming. The school district and the student body are very grateful to the group's parents and community members for the financial and moral support of school district programming. These positive contributions make an
invaluable difference to the students of our school district. In totality, uh this draft policy uh is intended to guide district participation or partnership with these outside organizations or groups. The district does not exert any control or discretion
over these outside groups. They are standalone entities. Typically, these are our booster clubs and uh parent teacher organizations and things of that nature. But again, um this is designed to serve as a compass for those interactions between the district and those entities. Any questions on policy
9008? Okay, this is for first read tonight. Sher Seven, no action necessary. >> Thank you. >> All right, next item on our agenda is item D. United for Education that Superintendent Olsen and I uh will
cover. So, good evening everyone. This is something very unique. I don't think we've ever done anything like this before, but we figured since we have such a large audience, we get to talk a little bit. But two weeks ago during our
work session, uh I shared concerns about a reality facing not only Monaceel but school districts across Minnesota. We heard some of that this evening. Tonight, I want to continue that conversation. As elected school board members, we have two primary responsibilities. Policy and
finances. Oh, not fun to some, right? Those responsibilities are connected. Every decision we make ultimately comes back to whether we have the resources to fulfill the promises we make to our students, to our families, and to our
staff. The challenge is becoming increasingly clear. The state funding formula has not kept pace with inflation or the actual cost of educating our students. Year after year, school districts across Minnesota are being asked to do more with less. We continue
to face rising costs in special education, employee benefits, transportation, facility maintenance, and other operating expenses while also being asked to implement new requirements and unfunded mandates.
Year after year, local communities are asked to fill the gap through operating levies and referendums. While communities like here in Monaceel continue to support their schools, that support comes at a cost to local taxpayers through increased property taxes. This creates an inequitable
system. Larger metropolitan districts often have stronger commercial and industrial tax bases that spread the tax burden out. While communities like Monaceel rely more heavily on our residential taxpayers to provide the funding for the same educational
opportunities for our students. And even when communities step forward, as ours recently did, the mass still doesn't work. The operating levy our community approved was intended to support our district for 10 years.
Today, projections suggest those dollars may only carry us a fraction of that time. As you saw in Tina's forecast, we may only remain above our minimum fund balance target for a few more years. That's not a Monaceel problem. That's a
Minnesota problem. I have to admit about uh at the last school board meeting, Chair Seban um started talking about an idea and the idea was was big and I I have to admit I started dismissing it. It just felt like
it was something that we um that we couldn't do right here in Monaceel. And I started watching around the community. I started feeling the the ripple that the teachers were creating and and the ripple of of maybe goodness of of their
cause. And maybe it's that ripple that can unite us. And I started thinking of things differently. People weren't treating me differently when I was being asked to come into a classroom. of course tonight. Does it feel different? Absolutely. And that's the part that I
think we need to look at and and rally around instead of trying to um use to divide. I look at teachers and I believe everybody is doing their job and we're so proud. I've been here 21 years and of the 21 years, eight have been in the
superintendent role and this has been the most confusing time of my life. Schoolboard members are also doing their job. They're doing their job to try figure out how to sustain a 10-year levy past just a couple of years or four
years. And so everybody's doing their job. And it's that job that I feel can either do what it does in many places and that's the standard and that's like divide us or instead we can start to look at things differently. like Jamie
said, it's bigger. >> So with that, the vision kind of emerged as we continued our conversations. Uh for too long, discussions around funding school system has been very polarized. District against union, management
against labor, board against employees, community against community. But what if we're asking all of the wrong questions? What if the issue isn't whether one side is right and the other side is wrong? What if the real issue is that everyone is trying to do their job
inside a system that's no longer adequately funded? Our teachers are doing their job. Our support staff are doing their job. Our administrators are doing their job. Our parents are doing our job. Our taxpayers
are doing their job. And our board here is doing their job. The board's responsibility is not simply to manage costs. Our responsibility is to recruit, retain, and support exceptional employees that are right here tonight in this boardroom while ensuring the
district remains financially healthy for years to come. Those goals are not in conflict. They are both essential to fulfilling our commitment as board members. As a local business owner, a parent, a taxpayer, a community member,
I see firsthand the impact our teachers and our staff have every single day. Their influence extends far beyond the classroom. That I know for sure, and we heard some of that this evening. They help shape future leaders, support students through challenges that we
heard this evening. They celebrate successes and strengthen the fabric of our entire community. You are our community. Our educators and staff are not simply a budget line item. They are people who make everything we do possible for students. That's how the
board feels. Yet somehow, we're often encouraged to see one another as an opponent. I don't think there's anybody in here that could argue with any of the slogans that we've seen um from our teachers. I don't think there's anybody that would argue with the stories from our citizens
comments tonight. They were beautiful, impactful, and something that we will all hold deep into our hearts. And so I ask our everybody, the school board, because we're going to get down to where our role is in this. But I I don't believe it's who we are is just to turn
a cheek and to um think that this problem is just a Monosel problem and let's just solve it here. This moment requires leadership and it's the kind of leadership that says that we can stand together, acknowledge our differences, but stand for something bigger than us.
When I think about financial health, I think about it both from a personal lens and a schoolboard lens. And I don't think there's a professional in the in the industry of of financial health that wouldn't say that it's prudent to have 3 to six months worth of
of funds in districts uh fund balance. That's why districts have 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16% minimum. We barely get by here at 8%. And it's nothing to do with anybody. It's not trying to point blame.
It's not trying to find the the problem. It's trying to look at this as something bigger. M schools don't have that l luxury to be able to fund education the way it adequately deserves to be funded. We are proud of the programs that we've built. We've proud of watching the
programs that you've built as staff members, as schoolboard, as administrators, and we don't want to lose those. instead we want to figure out an answer, control our own checkbook, but do it in a way that it sustains us um instead of taking us
always down that 8% role. We get a little over, we come back down below. And even this district has been in statutory operating debt. And so I think it's important that we like look at the financial health together and we also stand up for some a cause that's got to
be bigger than us because other districts are going through the same thing. We have people here from other districts and I'm I'm proud to see that. And so I think the stress that's created by unadequate funding has us all here together. But right now as as playful of
a spirit that I've seen in our teachers every day and I'm so proud of that, we also have to realize that the stress is going to get to every one of us. And so it's important to somebody needs to stand up for the inadequate funding because it doesn't just affect budgets,
it affects people. >> And and I've seen that and heard that firsthand as well in the weeks here leading up to today. Which brings us to tonight. Theformational campaign our teachers have led has created the ripple. Like Superintendent Olsen has
said, it started a conversation. It encouraged people to ask questions, which is great by the way. Board members love it when questions are being asked, you know. Uh it's challenged assumptions. It's reminded us that education matters. But perhaps that
Ripple can become something even more. Perhaps it can become a wave. A wave that begins in Monaceel but doesn't stop in Monaceel because it's not unique to us. A wave that reaches all 325 public school districts in Minnesota. A wave
that invites school boards, local unions, our administrators, teachers, our support staff, our families, and our community members to stand together. Not against each other, but together. >> Imagine what would happen if 325 school
districts stood up together. Imagine what would happen if 325 local unions stood together. Imagine what could happen if every employee group uh connected to public education stood together across the state around a
common message. Not a partisan message, not a divided message, a simple message. Minnesota's students deserve a funding system that reflects the value we place on public education. Shouldn't we create
conditions that demonstrate our value for teachers and all staff members? Shouldn't we build a system that allows communities to thrive without placing increasing pressure on taxpayers? Did everybody know that 90% of students
attend public education? We are the gateway to every career pathway in the state of Minnesota. And I think it's time that we stand up together to find a value system that showcases what we all believe from citizens comments to
schoolboard to to employee groups. We are all doing the right thing, but we're not doing it together yet. >> And I believe the time's now. We have approximately eight months before the next legislative session starts. Eight
months to listen. Eight months to collaborate together. Eight months to bring together school boards, employee groups, administrators, families, our community members. I had one just today asking what they can do to help and legislators to advocate for a funding
system that's fair, transparent, and sustainable. The finances of public school districts are public. Our budgets, our audits, our levy information, and the financial reports are available for anyone to review. The facts are not hidden. The challenge is
not a lack of transparency. The challenge is a funding system that increasingly asks local taxpayers to shoulder responsibilities that were once more fully supported at the state level. In communities like ours, that means asking our residential taxpayers to
carry a greater burden than that of larger communities in the state to simply provide many of the same exact opportunities for our students. There has been encouraging discussions at the capital, including a proposed permanent school fund amendment that voters will get to consider this
November. So, I encourage you to go out and vote, which can provide additional per pupil funding at no additional cost to taxpayers. But there's so much more work that remains to be done in terms of financing our schools. Our students deserve great opportunities. Our
employees deserve strong support and competitive compensation. and our taxpayers deserve a system that's equitable, sustainable, and reflective of the importance Minnesota's place on our public education system and that we rely on for really bringing up our
future leaders in the world. This is a conversation I think's worth having and this is a cause worth uniting around. At the beginning of the school year, I got to have work sessions with school board. I got to stand in front of the
staff and I promised that this would be an epic year. I thought the epic year was just for the fact that we were going to do whatever we could as staff members to pass that operating levy. But maybe it's going to be epic for
another reason. I truly believe in my faith and I believe that there's a cause sometimes worth fighting for that maybe we didn't even see ourselves at the beginning of a school year. So tonight we're going to start to turn the corner.
We're going to carve out some space and time and to start planning what we can do as a school board. And in a minute, Jaime's going to ask for your your um stand with us. But once again,
this isn't a Monaceel problem. It's not a state problem. It's even a national problem. And perhaps together we can ele elevate education from something that is often treated as an expense
to something that is recognized as one is our nature's our our nation's most important investment. Our kids, our people, our people, our future. So together we invite board members,
we invite our employees, we invite our families and our communities to stand with us on this. As we ask the board to join, I just want everybody to think about a com or a very simple concept, but when we unite around
students, everyone wins, right? And um I'm excited for making um a statement here like that we've never done before, but we have been passionate about like something just not being right for us the last few weeks. Obviously, people
have felt it a lot longer than that. And so I don't want to dismiss that. But for the last two weeks, we haven't been able to sleep. And we're not able to figure out what we need to do. what can we do to turn this into from um you know a separate thing to a unified thing and I
think we have it and um so together we invite Minnesota to stand with us. Let us be the pebble and build the wave and we're going to just start to uh get this out there. But it's not something that we're taking lightly. We're going to
take this all the way. Um, and we hope we have thousands of people just like I don't know if there's a thousand here tonight, but uh there's hundreds of people here tonight and we have different communities here tonight and we are going to start connecting the dots to make sure that this goes
somewhere not just for word's sake but for purpose and student and people's sake. So stand with us. United for education is what we're asking for. We created a hashtag and we're asking you all to
stand with us as we continue to move the ball forward now in our court. I've had an email teed up now for a couple weeks and it'll get sent here in the next couple days. Thank you for listening to us. That was something we've never really done
before. So, we appreciate you listening and being attentive and um we're really hoping to make some significant change for not just here in Monaceel, but our entire state of educators. All right, so that brings us to
adjournment at 6:08 p.m. Our regular schoolboard meeting will be followed by a work session. We will be beginning that at 6:15 p.m. following and then it'll be followed by a close work session in
pursuit to Minnesota statute section 13D05 subdivision 3A to evaluate the performance of our superintendent. Thank you everyone for joining us this evening.