Columbia Heights School District — Transcript
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
School Board Organization and Officer Elections
Board Governance and Operational Appointments
Financial Management and Accountability
Administrative Appointments and Policy Review
Early Childhood Education Program Fees and Funding
School Board Election Process Reform
Votes (16)
Swearing-in of Student School Board Representative
Dissent: None
Moved by N/A · Seconded by N/A
The importance of the student representative role as an advocate for equitable, high-quality education was highlighted during the oath-taking ceremony.
Election of School Board Officers
Dissent: None
Moved by N/A · Seconded by N/A
Nominations were opened for Chair, Vice Chair, Clerk, and Treasurer. With only one candidate nominated for each position (after one withdrawal for Vice Chair), elections proceeded by acclamation.
Appointment of Parliamentarian and Adoption of Robert's Rules of Order
Dissent: None
Moved by Laura Palmer [1:08] · Seconded by Julie Hull [1:09]
The board confirmed Jessica Maderas's willingness to continue as Parliamentarian and formally adopted Robert's Rules of Order as its official procedural guide, as recommended by schoolboard policy.
Establishment of School Board Meeting Dates and Times
Dissent: None
Moved by Laurian Mueller [1:14] · Seconded by Jessica Maderas [1:15]
The new schedule reflects a consolidation of meetings to increase efficiency and aligns with governance deadlines. The board discussed returning to a pre-pandemic norm of no July meetings and the flexibility to add additional meetings with three days' notice.
Appointment of Board Representatives to Standing Committees
Dissent: None
Moved by Julie Hull [1:38] · Seconded by Michelle Pway [1:39]
Board members expressed interest in various liaison roles. Discussions involved the scope of each role, such as the MSBA legislative liaison's connection to the new Legislative Action Committee, and the decision to maintain status quo for many city liaison roles.
Appointment of Building Liaisons to Schools
Dissent: None
Moved by Laura Palmer [1:49] · Seconded by Julie Hull [1:49]
The board decided to extend current building liaison appointments until June 30, 2026, to align future appointments with the school year (July to June), streamlining the process. This adjustment avoids mid-year changes.
Setting Salaries and Per Diem for Board Members and Officers
Dissent: None
Moved by Laura Palmer [1:52] · Seconded by Michelle Pway [1:52]
The board discussed the relatively low compensation for the significant work performed by board members, noting that the rates had not changed for many years. The consensus was that the rates, while modest, align with the board's approach to governance and transparency.
Resolution Designating Depositories
Dissent: None
Moved by Michelle Pway [1:58] · Seconded by Julie Hull [1:58]
The Director of Finance and Operations confirmed that no changes were made to the designated banks from previous years. Discussion touched on the requirements for depositories to furnish bonds or securities if deposits exceed $250,000.
Designation of Electronic Transfer Designates
Dissent: None
Moved by Laura Palmer [2:03] · Seconded by Jessica Maderas [2:03]
The board discussed the necessity of having two individuals designated for electronic transfers to ensure redundancy and continuity. It was clarified that robust checks and balances, including notifications to both designates and the Superintendent for all transfers, are in place.
Designation of Legal Counsel
Dissent: None
Moved by Jessica Maderas [2:11] · Seconded by Laurian Mueller [2:11]
The board approved the continued appointment of existing legal counsels, noting their specific expertise in areas such as employment law, contracts, special education, and bond sales. An amendment was made to include 'and others' for one firm to ensure flexibility should the primary contact leave the organization.
Authorization for Administration to Contract for Budgeted Items
Dissent: None
Moved by Julie Hull [2:16] · Seconded by Laurian Mueller [2:16]
The authorization allows the superintendent and Director of Finance and Operations to contract for goods and services up to $175,000, as per state statute. Discussion included the large scale of district spending relative to this limit and the internal and external (auditor) controls in place to prevent circumvention of the bid process.
Designation of Election Clerk
Dissent: None
Moved by Michelle Pway [2:20] · Seconded by Laura Palmer [2:20]
Board members thanked Stephanie Alvarez for taking on the complex and sometimes challenging role of election clerk, especially with a special election approaching in April.
Designation of Official Newspaper
Dissent: None
Moved by Laurian Mueller [2:23] · Seconded by Laura Palmer [2:23]
The Life was designated as the official newspaper, being the only bidder and providing weekly coverage crucial for legal postings. Discussion included the dual role of the Director of Community Education and Communications in managing both official postings and media relations, and state-level discussions about the continued necessity of newspaper postings.
Resolution for Sale of Bonds (Valley View Elementary Project)
Dissent: None
Moved by Mary Granland/Chair [1:57] · Seconded by Michelle Pway [1:57]
The district achieved 'outstanding results' with a 3.57% interest rate, significantly lower than initial estimates. This success was attributed to favorable market timing and, critically, the district's recent bond rating upgrade from Moody's, reflecting improved financial management. The lower interest rate reduces taxpayer costs and provides additional capacity for future project phases.
Increase in Early Childhood Fees
Dissent: None
Moved by Julie Hull [2:31] · Seconded by Michelle Pway [2:31]
A 5% fee increase for community education programs (Adventure Club, Mini Adventures, PreK3) was approved, effective for the 2026-2027 school year, to ensure programs remain self-sustaining. Extensive discussion covered the federal and state funding landscape for CCAP, including recent increased scrutiny and impending compliance checks by law enforcement, and potential impacts on families and programs.
Resolution for Revocation of Resolution Establishing School District's Primary Election System
Dissent: None
Moved by Laura Palmer [2:43] · Seconded by Julie Hull [2:43]
The board discussed the financial benefits of eliminating primary elections for school board candidates, noting that historically, primaries have been rarely necessary and costly for the district. This change will also simplify the process for the upcoming special election by avoiding an additional off-cycle election.
Notable Quotes (23)
This role puts you in the position of an advocate for equitable, highquality education for every student in the district.
these would be the actual set dates. And then if we needed to add dates, we certainly could.
express my support for using our time um as efficiently as possible, especially when we have um staff that are that are here for those meetings and presentations.
Um so it's really just helping it's helping our board be represented with MSBA's legislative work. So it's staying attuned to like the legislative updates that they provide and the the meetings that they or um the recordings that they offer. or the meetings they offer and then also arranging around organizing around the um the day at the capital.
my suggestion is just that we we make new appointments for next school year for starting in in July, but that January through June of this year, we continue in our existing liaison appointments.
this is a very small amount for the amount of work that we are doing on behalf half of our community. Um so, uh this I feel like is while not fair, it is very much in line with um our approach. I think this board's approach to governance and transparency.
Nope. No changes. We've had the same banks for many years.
It's designating two of us um so that if one of us is unavailable that there's still someone uh to move money. We have um I receive uh currently um the primary person that's uh transferring funds...
Any amount of money that's transferred, we received the notification.
um this evening uh for this agenda item um seeking um approval appointment of design of legal counsel as noted um below um for they've been our same legal councils for um quite a few years now Margaret Skelton Joseph Langel Laura Tubs Booth and others from Ratwick Rosik and Maloney and then Andrea HK Dorsy and Whitney
the $175,000 because that is a lot of money to families uh at home. That is not a lot of money to our school district uh in terms of the purchase power that we have and the amount that we are responsible for.
Yeah, there are um we look for that internally and also our auditors look for that.
Um, I just want to thank Stephanie for doing that. I know it is complex and complicated when election season comes along and we just want to thank you for for taking that role because we know it's comp complicated and we appreciate your expertise.
Most important thing is that there are a number of items that must be publicized in the paper. And so, um, Director Henkins, um, Stephanie Alvarez, others, uh, but especially for our finance, um, department, things need to be posted officially in in a publication.
my understanding, I know Director Henkin is here, is um we are required to post in a newspaper, but in reality, most of the bids go through a website, right?
We were offered a 3.57% interest rate um which is an outstanding rate.
the district was upgraded. um with their bond rating um which that uh is uh obviously impacting the interest rates that um the district is getting and ultimately is just lowering um the taxes that property owners will be paying from interest.
the financial operation of the district has made much improvements which resulted in the upgrade which is um a big win for the district.
these programs um need to be self- sustaining.
in Minnesota, CCAP is funded by a combination of state and federal funds. State funds are sufficient to support CCAP services for several months, while DCYF... works to respond to federal requests.
It's extremely alarming to me that um our students um might see these um identified agents in their child care settings um and the alarm that that could cause to them and to their families.
this actually saves the district quite a bit of money to not have to hold these additional additional um additional elections that have been really uh completely unnecessary.
this resolution will apply to the special election in April. And without this resolution, um, we, um, would have the possibility of having to hold a primary for a special election, which is already an offcycle election.
Ordinances & Resolutions (8)
Board's official rules of order, except where modified by schoolboard policy.
General reference to policies that may modify Robert's Rules of Order.
Official resolution designating banks and investment brokers for district funds.
Statute governing the superintendent and business manager's authority to contract for goods and services.
Official resolution approving the sale of bonds for the Valley View Elementary project.
Minnesota Statute cited for holding general elections for school board members.
Minnesota Statute cited for the school board's ability to decide whether to choose nominees by a primary.
Official resolution to eliminate primary elections for school board nominees.