--- title: March 16, 2026 Minutes - Google Docs date: D:20260317134345+00'00' --- ## SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES ## INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 77 ## Mankato, Minnesota March 16, 2026 The School Board of Independent School District No. 77 met in regular session on Monday, March 16, in the Minnesota River Room at the Intergovernmental Center. Chair Sinning called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. Members present at roll call: Patrick Baker, Christopher Kind, Elizabeth Hanke, Kari Pratt, Liz Ratcliff, and Shannon Sinning. Members absent: Erin Roberts. Mrs. Pratt made a motion, and Mrs. Ratcliff seconded, approval of the agenda together with a Personnel Addendum. The motion carried on a 6-0 voice vote. The consent agenda items outlined below were approved on a motion by Mrs. Ratcliff, seconded by Mr. Kind, and carried on a 6-0 roll call vote. Approval of Minutes of the March 2, 2026, regular Board meeting. Approval of March bills totaling $8,906,586.07. Personnel : ## APPOINTMENTS (NON-INSTRUCTIONAL) Sage Berry - ACES Child Care Assistant at Roosevelt Elementary School for 1.5 hours per day/2 days per week beginning March 9, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $15.00 per hour. Abigail Carlson - ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 9, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $15.00 per hour. Nickole Duvernay - Special Education Paraeducator at Prairie Winds Middle School for 3.75 hours per day/3 days per week (M/W/F) and 6.75 hours per day/1 day per week (T) beginning March 16, 2026. She will be placed at classification B22, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. Madeline Kempenich - ACES Site Lead Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 2, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $18.75 per hour. This is in addition to her ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute assignment. Ty Kleinschmidt - Student Success Coach at Hoover Elementary School for 2 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 9, and ending May 21, 2026. He will be placed at classification B22, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. ## Minutes of March 16, 2026, School Board Meeting Noura Kurdi - Special Education Paraeducator at Kennedy Elementary School for 2.5 hours per day/4 days per week (M-TH) and 5.75 hours per day/1 day per week (F) beginning March 9, 2026. She will be placed at classification B22, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. This is in addition to her ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute assignment. Elizabeth Lewis - ACES Site Lead Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 2, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $18.75 per hour. This is in addition to her Reading Intervention Teacher assignment at Franklin Elementary School, ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute, and Substitute Teacher assignments. Klara Lybeck - ACES Site Lead Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 2, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $18.75 per hour. This is in addition to her ACES Student Support Assistant Substitute assignment. Samantha Prybylla - Early Learning Special Education Paraeducator at MAPS Center for Learning for 6.5 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 3, 2026. She will be placed at classification B22, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. Amber Reuter - ACES Site Lead Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 2, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $18.75 per hour. This is in addition to her ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute assignment. Julia Roering - ACES Site Lead Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 2, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $18.75 per hour. This is in addition to her ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute assignment. Julie Schwamberger - Second Cook at Eagle Lake Elementary School for 7 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 9, 2026. She will be placed at classification A13, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. ## CONTRACT ADJUSTMENTS (INSTRUCTIONAL) Joyce Petersen - Temporary increase in assignment as Title 1 Intervention Teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary School from 0.80 FTE to 1.00 FTE beginning March 9, and ending May 20, 2026. ## CONTRACT ADJUSTMENTS (NON-INSTRUCTIONAL) Shazia Alam - Increase in assignment as Cook Helper at East High School from 6.5 hours per day/5 days a week to 8 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 16, 2026. Elizabeth Castanon - Voluntary decrease in assignment as Cook Helper at East High School from 8 hours per day/5 days per week to 6.5 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 16, 2026. Debora Donahue - Increase hourly rate to $18.41 as ABE Teaching Assistant with the Adult Basic Education Program at Lincoln Community Center beginning July 1, 2025. ## Minutes of March 16, 2026, School Board Meeting Aabry Kennedy Casanova - Change in assignment from ABE Student Worker to Community Education Site Operations and Safety Associate at Lincoln Community Center and MAPS Center for Learning on an as needed basis beginning March 4, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $15.00 per hour. Amanda M Kozitza - Increase in assignment as Special Education Paraeducator at Rosa Parks Elementary School from 3.25 hours per day/5 days per week to 4.83 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 3, 2026. This is in addition to her Non-classroom Paraeducator assignment at Rosa Parks Elementary School. Clarissa McKeown - Change in assignment from ACES Child Care Assistant at Bridges Community School to ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 16, 2026. Maryam Mohamud - Voluntary Decrease in assignment as Special Education Paraeducator at Kennedy Elementary School from 6.25 hours per day/5 days per week to 6.25 hours per day/4 days per week (M/W/TH/F) beginning March 10, 2026. Hiroko Wollam - Increase hourly rate to $18.41 as ABE Teaching Assistant with the Adult Basic Education Program at Lincoln Community Center beginning July 1, 2025. ## RESIGNATIONS (INSTRUCTIONAL) Mahamed Hassan - Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Interventionist at Dakota Meadows Middle School, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be March 10, 2026. Abbey Riese - School Psychologist at Rosa Parks Elementary School, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be May 26, 2026. ## RESIGNATIONS (NON-INSTRUCTIONAL) Pamela Allen - Infant Care Provider with the TAPP Daycare at Central High School and ACES Student Support Assistant Substitute, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be May 22, 2026. Mackenzie Bosch - Early Learning Classroom Aide and Early Learning Special Education Paraeducator at MAPS Center for Learning, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be May 18, 2026. Skylar Frolke - Health & Wellness Paraeducator at SUN, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be May 18, 2026. Isaac Wadd - ACES Site Lead Substitute at Rosa Parks Elementary School, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be March 13, 2026. ## Addendum ## APPOINTMENTS (INSTRUCTIONAL) Jake Aukes - Full-time (1.00 FTE) Special Education Teacher, site to be determined, beginning August 24, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year. He will be placed at step 5 of the B lane on the Teachers Association salary schedule. ## Minutes of March 16, 2026, School Board Meeting Claire Hinrichs - Full-time (1.00 FTE) Special Education Teacher, site to be determined, beginning August 24, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year. She will be placed at step 1 of the B lane on the Teachers Association salary schedule, contingent upon obtaining licensure. Savannah Smith - Full-time (1.00 FTE) Special Education Teacher, site to be determined, beginning August 24, 2026, for the 2026-27 school year. She will be placed at step 1 of the B lane on the Teachers Association salary schedule, contingent upon obtaining licensure. ## APPOINTMENTS (NON-INSTRUCTIONAL) Samuel Kelley - 6-hour, 9-month Evening Custodian at Jefferson Elementary School beginning March 16, 2026. He will be placed at classification A13, step 2, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. Isabella Parker - ACES Child Care Assistant Substitute on an on-call basis beginning March 16, 2026. She will be compensated at the rate of $15.00 per hour. Benjamin Winans - Student Success Coach at Eagle Lake Elementary School for 2 hours per day/5 days per week beginning March 2, 2026. He will be placed at classification B22, step 1, in accordance with the agreement between the District and the Minnesota School Employee Association. This is in addition to his Non-classroom Paraeducator assignment at Eagle Lake Elementary School. ## CONTRACT ADJUSTMENTS (INSTRUCTIONAL) Maria Paulsen - Adjust end date to May 26, 2026 as Contract Substitute Teacher at Hoover Elementary School. ## RESIGNATIONS (NON-INSTRUCTIONAL) Melissa Fowler - 8-hour Floating Evening Custodian with the District, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be March 10, 2026. Gretchen Keefe - Head Girls Basketball Coach at West High School, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be March 9, 2026. Noah Wolters - 8-hour Evening Custodian at Dakota Meadows Middle School, has submitted a resignation. The last day of employment will be March 11, 2026. There being no further business to consider, Mrs. Pratt moved and Mrs. Hanke seconded, that the meeting be adjourned. The meeting was declared adjourned at 5:48 p.m., on a 6-0 voice vote. ## Clerk ## Attest: ## Chairperson ## Minutes of March 16, 2026, School Board Meeting ## SCHOOL BOARD PROCEEDINGS ## INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 77 ## Mankato, Minnesota March 16, 2026 The School Board of Independent School District No. 77 met in regular session on Monday, March 16, in the Minnesota River Room at the Intergovernmental Center. Chair Sinning called the meeting to order at 5:45 p.m. Members present at roll call: Patrick Baker, Christopher Kind, Elizabeth Hanke, Kari Pratt, Liz Ratcliff, and Shannon Sinning. Members absent: Erin Roberts. 1. Pratt/Ratcliff approval of agenda with personnel addendum. 6-0 2. Ratcliff/Kind approval of Consent Agenda Items: Approval of Minutes of the March 2, 2026, regular meeting; Approval of March Bills; Personnel. 6-0 3. Pratt/Hanke adjournment at 5:48 p.m. 7-0 ## Independent School District No. 77 ## Mankato, Minnesota ## By: Erin Roberts The complete minutes and all documents relating to this meeting are on file and available for review in the Superintendent’s Office, 10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 2 and on-line at www.isd77.org . ## Minutes of March 16, 2026, School Board Meeting