White Bear Lake Area Schools — Transcript
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Approval of Consent Agenda Item 7B: Payment of Invoices
Opening School Year Report
Policy Review: 402, 507.5, 521
Board Forum and Community Events
Votes (3)
Approval of Consent Agenda (excluding Item 7B)
Dissent: None
Moved by Ellison [0:5:50] · Seconded by Floyd [0:6:0]
The board moved to approve the consent agenda, with the specific item concerning the payment of invoices (7B) removed for separate discussion. No further discussion was held on the remaining items within the consent agenda.
Approval of Consent Agenda Item 7B: Payment of Invoices
Dissent: Scar [0:14:48] voted 'No', citing reasons related to internal control assurances and board oversight duties.
Moved by Ellison [0:9:4] · Seconded by Floyd [0:9:15]
Board member Scar expressed concerns about the lack of an explicit assertion that invoices had undergone internal control review, referencing past audit findings including a $500,000 double payment. He requested more context on payments and staff's consistent ability to answer questions. Administration, represented by Andy, confirmed that internal controls are in place for every transaction prior to appearing in the register. Another board member highlighted the significant amount distributed in scholarships noted in the report.
Action on a Quick Claim Deed for High School Property Plat
Dissent: None
Moved by Ellison [1:23:40] · Seconded by Thompson [1:23:48]
The board considered a resolution to approve quick claim deeds for two small slivers of land on Division Avenue and Bald Eagle Avenue. This action was prompted by Ramsey County's replatting exercise for the high school expansion, which identified century-old ambiguities in property lines under public streets. The deeds clarify that the district conveys any potential interest in these lands to adjacent property owners, without asserting prior ownership. This ensures the roadway remains public and resolves ambiguities for replatting purposes.
Notable Quotes (5)
First, the consent agenda item does not state whether the invoices went through the district's required internal control review before coming to the board for approval. and that matters. Uh over the last six financial audits, the district has had 16 internal control or compliance findings involving state or federal requirements. The most recent audit, the district double paid an invoice of more than $500,000, and this board approved that payment through this process.
for every transaction? So before they show up in this register, correct? And what are those in? There's a lot of them, I know, but can you briefly go through those? Um, sure. So every payment would be presented to a budget manager. The budget manager would review and sign off on it physically. Um, then it would go to the finance department. The finance department enters it and then everything is reviewed by somebody within the finance department. Um, generally the controller, sometimes it's me. Um and then that happens for every check run.
typically you would put an assertion in your consent agenda that all of these invoices have been, uh, subject to an internal control review um, according to the procedures. That would be an assertion that staff would make. Then then the board would rely on that assertion to make the approval. There's no such assertion in this in their presentation of of the payment of invoices.
The bottom line is that the roadway will continue to be a roadway, it'll always operate as a roadway. Um, and should at any point somebody feel like they own that land, they can go investigate the titles. So, this is just for replatting. We have not done an investigation of the titles of that land, and that might clear it up, but it's not something we need to do.
How much what would you guess, Tim? How much property are we talking about that we're essentially giving up? Well, we're not giving anything up because none of it is really even connected to the school district. We're just clarifying for the county that that's not our land. We don't think it ever has been. and any interest anyone has in it or that someone thinks we have in it, we're um conveying it to the property owners.
Ordinances & Resolutions (19)
Statute requiring the board to manage district schools, cited in discussion about board oversight.
Disability Non-Discrimination Policy, presented for review.
School Resource Officer Policy, presented for review.
Student Disability Non-Discrimination Policy, presented for review.
Minnesota statute requiring school districts to implement an anonymous threat reporting system.
Community support that made the transformation of Sunrise Park into a community hub possible.
Permit for the high school expansion project, which triggered the replatting exercise.
Legal documents prepared to clarify ambiguous property lines under Division Avenue and Bald Eagle Avenue.
Publication detailing community education and recreation programs.
Annual calendar provided to families with important information and events.
Recent refresh of the district's website, providing back-to-school information.
Video shared with new teachers and employees.
Daily social media tidbits shared by the district.
Weekly video updates on district happenings.
New communication platform for families, replacing School Messenger.
Previous communication platform.
Three-year grant supporting after-school enrichment at four elementary schools.
Emergency response system rolled out to staff.
Legislatively mandated plans for schools to address cardiac emergencies.