“I pledge allegiance 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.”

“Good evening Vice Person Vice Chairperson Williams, board members, and Superintendent Bolsoni. I am Thomas Sharp, head men's track and field and cross country coach at Eastview High School. I am honored to introduce Luke Bakken. Two years ago and in his freshman season in March, Luke was diagnosed with a broken hip. Had to have surgery and eight months recovery. Forfeiting his freshman track season and his sophomore cross country season. In the 18 months since relatively successful with hard work he was an all-state cross country runner this fall at the state cross country meet. And culminating as he got faster all spring at the state high school meet where he ran 9:14 in the 3200 to take fifth and 4:13 in the 1600 for third place overall. And the top non-senior in the 1600. Both of those are not only new school records, but also recognized by the National High School Cross Country Track and Field Coach Association as All-American status. He is accompanied tonight by his parents Tom and Kim and I ask them to stand right now.”

“Good evening, uh Vice Chairperson Williams, board members, and Superintendent Bolsoni. I'm Sarah Hatley, and I am the girls track and field coach at Rosemount High School. Uh my husband is the boys coach, but uh the boys couldn't be here tonight, so he is actually not here tonight. Um and so I have the opportunity to talk about Abby Esler this evening. And so, um before we get going on all of her accomplishments from this track season, I I wanted to make sure that we acknowledge Abby's parents, and so her parents are right up front. So, Paul and Stacia. And I just wanted to make sure that um I say this, you know, if I haven't said enough. We are incredibly um thankful for parents like the Esler's because they're so supportive of our program, and um so that that makes things easier as a as a coach. So, now on to Abby. Uh things I love about Abby as an athlete is her fierce competitiveness, her desire for winning, and perfecting the events that she competes in. And finally, how she shows up in the big moments. Uh we like to say she's a gamer. And so uh just talking about giving a rundown on the things that she's accomplished this season. Um and you know, the list is long. So, she is a school record hold- holder currently in the 4x2 and the 4x1. She's not far off in that long jump. So, hopefully we'll be talking about that next year. Um and so, the 4x2 broke their school record a couple times this season and the 4x1 was actually quite close, but um she had she had gotten that record last year. And then, she personally had a uh best personal best in the 100, the 200, the triple jump, and the long jump this season as a junior. In the conference meets and and I would argue anyone on this that our conference is one of the best most competitive conferences in the state. And she was third in the 100 meter, second in the 4x1, third in the triple jump, and she was the long jump champion. Um in sections then, she was first in the long jump, second in the 4x2, and first in the 4x1. And you know, that long jump, you know, we were she didn't have necessarily her her best jumps in the prelims, but again, there is that that gamer. She comes up in the big moments and she just crushed it in finals. And so, that earned her a spot in the state meet. And so, she's a athlete that got to compete in the 4x1, the 4x2, and the long jump at state. Um they were fifth sixth place in the 4x2 running again really fast and awesome times. Uh they had a season best in the 4x1. And then, finally, let's talk about the long jump. So, I guess I saved the best for last. And we were here last year talking about her placing third in the state. And you know, she wasn't supposed to place last year. She was in the first heat or first flight, excuse me, and came up big again in those big moments. There's a lot of kids that don't do that. Uh the year before as a ninth grader, she ended up being sixth. Again, not supposed to be placing in the state meet or anything like that and and she came up really big. So, she went from sixth to third to second place this year. And with a personal best jumping 18 ft 9 in. Yep. And and like I said, she's not far off of that school record at our school and um that was something that I I mean I remember I was there when that school record happened. And I was thinking, "Oof, that's going to be a tough one to beat." And here we are. Here's an athlete that we're talking about that's not far off. So, I think the best is yet to come with Abby. And so, if we could congratulate Abby and all of her accomplishments.”

“Good evening, Vice Chairperson Williams, board members, and Superintendent Bossone. I am Jason Elias, the Eagan Assistant Principal and Athletic Director. I'm honored to be here tonight with Ethan Wilsky. Ethan Wilsky capped off his outstanding career EHS Wildcat Track athlete with a third place finish at the 800 m run at State High School League Track and Field Meet. Over the last 3 years, Ethan emerged as a backbone of our track program. He has been named an All-South Suburban Conference athlete for 3 consecutive years and two-time All-State Track and Field athlete. In addition to his athletic accomplishments, he is a stellar scholar. He has maintained a 3.85 cumulative GPA and winning honors as an academic all-state athlete for two consecutive years. Ethan was also a co-captain for our cross country and track and field who led by example. Without exception, Ethan could be counted on to put forth his best effort. He is an outstanding young man who has made our program better through his involvement. Ethan is here tonight being supported by his grandmother Phyllis. His parents couldn't make it tonight. They're out of town. And thanks to the board and and Superintendent Balsamo again for your support for Eagan athletics and our athletic programs and for having us tonight. Ethan Wilsky.”

“Good evening, Vice Chairperson Williams, Board members, and Superintendent Balsamo. My name is Jeff Erdman and I'm here with Bree Kunkle as the varsity coaches of the Rosemount High School girls flag football team that recently won the state title in girls flag. This team went 14 and 0 and had seven shutouts along the way. The girls flag league that we participated in is in its third year and there were 104 high school teams across the state participating. I am here tonight to celebrate the accomplishments of this team and to ask for your support for promoting the Minnesota State High School League to make this an emerging sport. This is the first step to becoming a state sanctioned sport. Girls flag is the fastest growing sport in the country and is one of the cheapest sports to offer. The past 2 years District 196 has had girls flag teams at Eastview, Eagan, Apple Valley, and Rosemount High School. The Minnesota State High School League acts on behalf of schools across the state and it would be great if you as a board and leaders of our district reached out and voiced your strong support for girls flag football to be given emerging sport status when they vote this August. Our female athletes have gone far too long without having the opportunity to play this game. In the past 3 years our girls have played at halftime of a Vikings game, played at halftime of Gopher spring football game, played on ESPN2 when we became the first team ever from Minnesota to make the sweet 16 at the national the NFL flag national championships in Canton, Ohio, and we've won two state championships while recording a 35 and one varsity record. As more and more colleges are offering girls flag programs the college college scholarship opportunities are growing every year for flag participants. Please take action for the future of female athletes in our district and across the state. Um thank you for recognizing this team tonight and for hopefully helping us get flag football to be a state high school league sanctioned sport.”

“All right. Um Good evening, Vice Chairperson Williams, the board members, and Superintendent Bolsoni. Um and thank you for the opportunity to recognize these boys and their families and the coaches who came with us tonight for a pretty amazing season that they accomplished this year. It's been an interesting one. It was interesting to follow our flag football state champions because this group up here, our group this year was pretty senior heavy. And I don't think there was a single one in the group that in seventh grade was dreaming of playing high school volleyball. And when they were when that group of seniors were freshman we were all just hoping that maybe they were going to get to play at least one sanctioned season while they were still in high school. And then they found out their sophomore year that that was in fact going to happen that they were going to have an opportunity to do it. The group of seniors that we had uh was a pretty transformative force in our program. And I think it touched a lot of the volleyball community outside of the program because a lot of them are really well connected with kids from other places. And it's one of my favorite things about the boys volleyball sport community uh is it still maintains a feeling of a big family. Uh Minnesota, for those of you don't know, when we got sanctioned 2 years ago, we were the 29th state to sanction. And as one of the fastest growing boys boys sports sports in the country, there are now 36 states that have boys volleyball. Um adding volleyball at Eastview was I mean, obviously, this was pretty fun this year. It was pretty fun last year when we finished third. But when I was talking to Mr. Percival this morning out of all of the boys that we have in our program from our B squad to our varsity, we have only three that are represented anywhere else in the athletic department. And so when we lobbied that there were a lot of guys that this was going to be their moment. This was going to be their opportunity to represent their school. That is very, very true for the group of young men that we have. As you probably have read up, our season was a pretty special season. We had a really special group of senior boys and some great younger guys with them who came into the season on a mission. They were determined to improve on last year's third place finish. And not only did they do that through being great athletes and being great skilled volleyball players, but they are one of the best group of teammates that I've ever been around. They have each other's back on and off the court 24/7, and the chemistry that they created is a more important part of their legacy to me and a a more valuable one to us as a program than their success on the court. We played the most difficult schedule in the state this year and dropped only four sets in 34 matches. We were 11 and 0 against the top 10. And Eastview is the first ever boys volleyball program in Minnesota to achieve a top 10 regional ranking, which is across a 13-state area stretching from Kentucky all the way to through the Dakotas. Uh in addition to that, it turns out they they pay attention in class. Um We've We've had our our fifth Minnesota State High School League team Gold Award this year. We had three academic All-State seniors on the team this year, which is they needed a 3.8 GPA or higher to accomplish that, and they will have gotten the AVCA National Coaches Award for academic performance as well.”

“All right. Uh good evening, Vice Vice Person Williams, board members, and Superintendent Bossone. Um thank you for having us here tonight. My name is Chris Wonson, the head baseball coach here at Rosemount. And I'm here to thank the board, RHS administration, all of the Rosemount community members for their support of our state championship baseball team and our program as a whole. Our motto is out of many, we are one. This group embodies every word of that mantra. This year we ended up with a 25 and five record. We are the number one seed in our section and in the state tournament ended up beating the number one and number two seeds in the state tournament. More importantly, this group embodies everything good about athletics and being a great teammate. Anybody that came to watch our game, you wouldn't be able to tell who was hitting third or who is coming in as a reserve. They all were pulling for each other and as we say pulling the rope in the same direction. So, um it's my honor to introduce the 2026 state baseball champions.”

“Later tonight we'll provide a report about District 196's AAA philosophy, our commitment to academics, arts, and athletics, as well as a fourth A activities. And this philosophy reflects our belief that students thrive when they have opportunities to learn, compete, perform, lead, and explore their interests. The accomplishments I'm about to highlight now demonstrate the commitment in action and showcase the extraordinary work of our students and staff.”

“First, congratulations to three Eastview High School students who are broadcast journalism students. They were honored with the 2026 Minnesota Broadcasters Association James Wyker scholarships. That is going to Lillian Bloom, Brielle Green, and Mia Noonan. They received scholarships last week at a ceremony at Target Field before the Minnesota State High School League baseball championship game. The recognition this recognition highlights their outstanding work and bright futures in journalism and communications. Congratulations also to all the District 196 students who competed last week at the National Speech and Debate Association tournament in Richmond, Virginia. Our district qualified 46 entries for the national tournament and had entries or students from all four comprehensive high schools advanced to semi-final and final rounds students across the nation. We are especially proud to celebrate a national champion. Rosemount High School junior Noah Sanborn became the first National Speech and Debate Association national champions in Rosemount High School history, winning the national title in original spoken word poetry. District 196 students also earned outstanding results across multiple events. These accomplishments reflect countless hours of preparation, dedication, and perseverance by our students and staff. We are incredibly proud of how they represented their schools, our district, the state of Minnesota, um and others on the national stage. We look forward to recognizing many of these students at a future board meeting.”

“Good evening, Vice Chair Williams, members of the school board, and Superintendent Soney. I'm very pleased to introduce Ann Jardine as the new principal at Dakota Hills Middle School. Ann began her educational career as a special education teacher in Farmington, New Mexico, and has since built a diverse background in education across the country with stops in Arizona and Maine before settling back into Minnesota. She has held leadership roles in the Wayzata public schools and Stillwater area schools, but most recently serving as the principal at Oakland Middle School in Stillwater. Ann has a collaborative approach with a focus on building strong relationships with students, staff, and families. Please join me in welcoming Ann Jardine.”

“Thank you, Eric. Tonight, what an incredible visual representation of the excellence that's District 196. I will also say I think it's a solid reminder to myself to bring my A-game. You guys do well. Um I am humbled and thrilled to be able to be joining the District 196 and specifically Dakota Hills Middle School. Um I'm walking in behind Principal Trevor Johnson, who has had so many years of building a foundation that is that is grounded not only in excellence but in just thoughtfulness and love. And so feel really humbled and fortunate to be able to be walking in to the district and specifically Dakota Hills. I want to share that I have had a lot of support to get to where I've been and I have two of those family members here. Eric Statz could bring somebody I love a lot so I brought my mom and my dad.”

“I'm also extremely excited to introduce Ms. Tamiko Thomas as our district's new Area Learning Center Coordinator. Tamiko brings tremendous educational leadership experience having served in the school leadership in the Eden Prairie School District, Osseo Area Schools and most recently the principal of Parkview Middle School. She is a strong instructional leader with a focus on continuous improvement and strategic planning. Tamiko's deep commitment to student success and building strong relationships aligns well with our district's strategic plan. We are thrilled to welcome Tamiko to our district and look forward to the positive impact she will make. Please join me in welcoming Ms. Tamiko Thomas.”

“Thank you, Eric. Um I guess I would just start off by saying every time I mention to somebody and I was just at a principal's conference last week so I had an opportunity to say this a lot. They'll ask me where are you going next year? And when I say that I'm going to 196, 100% of the people have said you're joining a great district. And that is from superintendents to past students or graduates of this district to current staff that you have here um or that have been here in the district. And so I'm very excited um to join um the district as well as the ALC. The welcome that I have received from the current administrators of the ALC, Andrea and Michael, need a huge shout-out. They have dedicated their time already to sharing a lot of insights with me regarding the ALC, its past, the wonderful foundation that they have laid, and I look forward to being able to continue that legacy here as I join the district, as well as Eric for the communication over the last several months. It's been really great, and this feels very warm, and I'm excited to join.”

“All right. All right, good evening, Vice Chairperson Williams, members of the School Board, and Superintendent Bolsone. Uh my name is Jeremy Sorenson, Director of Elementary Ed, and I'm here to introduce the next principal of Rosemount Elementary. Um it's my pleasure to introduce Alyssa Schultz as the next principal of Rosemount Elementary. Alyssa is a familiar leader within the Rosemount community, having served as assistant administrator at Rosemount Elementary since 2021. Alyssa brings a strong background in both elementary and special education. Prior to joining Rosemount Elementary, she served as an chief special education teacher at Falcon Ridge Middle School and as a fifth-grade teacher at Greenleaf Elementary. Prior to joining District 196, she began her teaching career in Naples, Florida. Throughout the selection process, Alyssa demonstrated a deep commitment to students, strong instructional leadership, and a clear vision for Rosemount Elementary. Her dedication to fostering a welcoming, inclusive school community, and her relationships with students, staff, and families make her well-positioned to lead at Rosemount Elementary. Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Alyssa Schultz as the next principal of Rosemount Elementary.”

“I am honored and profoundly excited to be named the next principal of Rosemount Elementary. I step into this role with deep respect for the remarkable foundation established by Tom Idstrom. And on behalf of the entire school community, I want to express our immense gratitude for his 25 years of dedicated transformat- transformative leadership, which has positively shaped the lives of countless students, staff members, and families. Having served in an administrative leadership role at Rosemount Elementary for the past 5 years, I've had the privilege of working alongside our exceptional educators and witnessing firsthand our incredible students. I am eager to build upon the strong school foundation with a focus on continued academic excellence, fostering a supportive school environment, and cultivating strong and collaborative partnerships with our community. As a 196 grad, a district parent, a former 196 teacher, and now principal, I understand our community's values and unique strengths from multiple perspectives. And I'm wholeheartedly committed to this district and look forward to leading Rosemount Elementary in its next chapter. Thank you.”

“Good evening, Vice Person Vice Chairperson Williams, members of school boards, Superintendent Bolsen. Um my name is Becky Hagen. I've um here on behalf of the Eastview Community Foundation. Um I am the grants chairperson and so um the Eastview Community Foundation is uh it connects the business and communities um to the school through three primary um ways. Um student scholarships for graduating seniors, staff grants, and our random acts of kindness program. And so today I'm here on behalf of the grants program to present the recipients of the grants for this year. So I'm just going to briefly tell you their proposals and who who was rewarded for their for their proposals this year. Um So Scott Highlands Middle School received four grants. Nicholas Vogel proposed um um to support PBIS which is positive behavioral intervention at Scott Highlands with a mobile cart that can bring rewards and tools and fun incentives to the students right where they are. And we selected this because it reflects a student-centered approach to engagement and removes barriers and supports diverse learner needs. And so we're very excited to support him in that. And he also proposed monthly teacher recognition program. So a similar um program for teachers to help offset their out-of-pocket classroom supply costs and just encourage teachers and help them to know that we're supporting them. Courtney McNeal applied for a grant to purchase physical keyboards for their the English department so that students when they're typing on their Chromebooks it's a little bit difficult sometimes to type longer things. So she's got a shared classroom set now that she can use for that and so that's exciting for those students and helps a large number of students throughout the day. And then Christine Tilstra had a broken kiln in her art department and so we are donating toward the purchase of a new kiln. And so that's exciting. We all have memories of you know, kids bringing things home from that kiln and we'd like to continue that being a part of their community. For Eastview, um host of club, which is the Health Occupation Students of America, is building a library for their members there. So, we wanted to support their health care careers and we need more people working in those areas. So, we're excited to support that. And then Carla Biscoe at Oak Ridge Elementary proposed a reading resource library with decodable books and readers theater materials, which will help about 300 students per year. So, we're very excited because engaging students in reading and building strong readers is one of the main things we want to do for the district. So, that's exciting.”