Good afternoon. Welcome to this this August 11th, 2026 work session for the Lakeville Area School Board. We're going to call this meeting to order and we'll start with roll call to my left. >> Matthew Swanson. >> Tony Reimringer. >> Michael Baumann. >> Carrie Anderson and then we have uh Amber Cameron joining us from Norway. Amber, do you want to say hi? >> Hi everyone. >> All right, so we have two discussion items on our agenda this evening. Um the first one is the 917 board member assignment. So this is not necessarily decision making around this tonight, but discussion. Um so wanted to see if people have interest. We do need to replace Kim Baker on that board as soon as possible. Correct, Amber? >> Correct. Yep. >> Yep. So, does anyone have interest in joining the 917 board? >> I have no nominating authority. >> [laughter] >> I think Brian was going to be on the 917 board, right? >> Do we get to nominate anybody who is not here? We are missing a couple of our board members this evening. Um Director Thompson and Director Carbone. Um >> How often does the 917 board meet? >> I think Amber, is it right that they meet monthly? >> Yeah, I think they meet generally monthly and they have a work session often, I think, before their their meetings. Is that right, Michael? >> Correct. >> Kind of a twice a month. >> Well, they have a work session that precedes their board meeting and they do that once a month. I think also on Tuesdays, so they start before our meeting starts. Um sometimes that's that's in competition, but we have those dates, uh pre-planned. >> And where are those meetings usually held? >> At uh DCTC building, um over in uh What was that? Rosemont? I think, yeah. It's a little hike from here, not too far, though. >> Yeah, so just I guess for um public awareness, 917 is our intermediate uh dis- district where we have um representation along with other districts that have students that attend 917. Um So, I don't um Kim Baker's been serving on that board for quite some time. Um There is a stipend associated with that board, as well. Correct? >> Yes. >> Yeah. >> Would it be possible um for [snorts] our next meeting um cuz I'm I'm going to guess this is still going to be a topic at our next meeting. Um, if we could reach out to Kim and have her come just basically to talk about um, what is usually discussed at those meetings, what issues are of particular importance to 917, um, as far as collaborating with the other school districts, and um, what other items that might, you know, the the position might entail. Um, I'm pretty sure, um, as there's going to be a large turnover with um, this board coming with the coming election, some of the newer members might want to have that information so that if they get on the board, they might want to take that up. >> Mhm. Well, and then in the past we have had um, cuz I remember when I started Kathy Lewis had been on that board for quite some time and I think she stayed in that role for a period. So, it's also possible if there's not someone who wants to do it from our current board, we could ask, could we ask Kim to continue in the role until we know who's going to be on the board? >> The board has the authority to do that, yes. Uh, I think Dave Anderson was on there. Um, I know that uh, Director Erickson was on there as well. Uh, all still in the community, so just uh, offer some other folks that were board members here before that have done that role, have functioned in that role, sorry. There may be others that I'm not thinking of off top my head, but for sure those those folks. >> I mean, it's it's nice if it's a board member, existing board member so they can report back with any updates without having to arrange scheduling, so. >> I'm wondering if um, kind of riffing off Tony, what you just said, we could have it could be it could be um, Director Baker or could be uh, perhaps the superintendent or or some other person come either come talk to us or prepare us information about um the types of topics and frequency of meetings and the dates um that the 917 board um meets on and and addresses and we could circulate that kind of information prior to our next meeting and then um have a discussion at our meeting about who from the six of us might be interested in serving and if no one is able to um because of you know various time commitments then we could we could look to um trying to identify uh someone outside of the board but I think I agree with with Matt that having someone from our six members I think would be more helpful if we can accomplish that. But also recognize that it's serving on a whole other school board and you know that's a lot of time so yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I think um I was just trying to highlight that there have been other people kind of saving >> you're serving in that role uh not necessarily on the board and then they come to basically provide an update to the board or that's what Kathy did with our board. But we also there is some sense of urgency with this too with trying to get someone would we hope that in our next meeting at the end of the month that we would be deciding at that time? >> When is their next meeting? Is it next week? >> For 917? >> Um let me I'll look it up uh if you can remember they're either the first or the third of the month was my recollection. >> Also it usually doesn't conflict. >> Yeah, no it it doesn't. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I know we have the we have it all scheduled out um I think there were two conflicts in this in the course of the upcoming school year. There may be a third um but I I know we've tried to do that deconfliction already um but I don't know their next meeting date but give me a minute and I'll look it up. >> I think that's generally happened when there's like a holiday or something where one either we're moving our board meeting or they are. Yeah, or there's been a conflict. >> And looking at their schedule that they meet generally the first Tuesday of every month. So um September September's first Tuesday. Um perhaps the first, maybe the eighth. >> Okay. >> Either one of those days, yeah. >> Yeah, if it was next week I was going to say I could go and sit in and you know just as a placeholder, but sounds like it's not until after our next meeting, so. So we already missed the one for this month. >> Yes. >> Yeah, mhm. >> Yeah, we missed the one for this month and I think there's just goals to get someone at the next >> Tuesday, September 1st, 4:30 to 5:30 is the work session and 5:45 is the regular school board meeting. Sounds good. Okay. >> Does that seem like a good plan? So we'll Yeah, I I In terms of I think a lot of the work is similar to our district and you know following a budget and um different student population in terms of the the district serves some of our higher need students in terms of learning and um and so I think that was where someone who has a passion for special education uh really is a good fit for that. Um so if you have such interest and have the time available, it's a good fit. Um Okay. So we'll get some more information out. Hopefully we can um find one of us for the next meeting to serve in that role. And then um wanted to provide a little bit more information just in terms of our second agenda item on the uh or in terms of our discussion with vacancy. Uh I did speak with Terry Morrow about cuz I think there were some questions that came up about well, what happens if we don't do anything in the interim between now and the the election coming up in November. And I think the the feedback is that to move forward on this, um there the the consequence if uh anyone were to have issue with the progress we're making is that they would the state would basically demand that we appoint someone. Um I'm not sure we're we're working within such a window that I'm not sure how that progress would move, but um I think it's what the guidance has been is that we try to uh make some effort toward that. So, that was the feedback that I gave and wanted to also check in with or that was the feedback I received from Terry and also wanted to just check in with people about um how they're feeling about this, if there's any other ideas, um etc. So, not a decision on that tonight, but any further discussion. >> Yes. >> Matt. >> I think I voiced last time I was I was in support of Tony's idea of just appointing, you know, the highest vote getter who's not currently on the board, you know, come November's election. But, you know, if we're we want to take a run at it, um maybe if if the chair and vice chair want to contact some former board members and see if they're interested. >> Okay. Just gauge interest of former board members. >> Yeah, and then if there are people interested, I mean, you could discuss it at the next meeting about appointing one of them. But, even then, I think it'd be the end of August. I suppose it'd be a month, so they'd be appointed at the end of September. Cuz you have to give 30 days. >> Mhm. Okay. Matt, how far back do you like how how how many should we contact, do you think? >> Yeah, I guess I'm not sure who all is going to be interested. Um >> Right. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> [clears throat] >> Okay. Yeah, I'm happy to check on that um between now and our next meeting and bring a and I can circulate a list in advance, but also bring it to the meeting of who might be willing to serve. >> That'd be great. >> What do we think in terms [clears throat] of a certain number of years back? Last >> I >> 10 years? >> I I would say more recent probably the better. >> Yeah. >> Um obviously uh you don't want to skip back 10 years when there's somebody more recent who would probably be a better fit. Um but you know, just having a a list of potential people who would be interested would just be a step in the right direction, I think. >> Okay. Yeah, I can do that. >> Seems like a good faith effort. >> Yeah, and I think um I think I don't want to speak for the whole board, but what I do sense from our discussion is nobody wants to spend a ton of time on this in the next upcoming weeks and months. We have a lot of other business that deserves our attention and um that was something Terry did suggest is not getting caught up like having this be the focus of our business for the next several months. Um and that that hasn't gone very well in other districts as of late. So, you know, um I think if we kind of consider the appointment piece and um raise some ideas and gauge the interest that is a good faith effort of kind of moving forward with it and then if we get to a certain point where it doesn't really then we can decide, are we going to appoint? The other question is does it make sense to appoint a board member a month early for, you know what I mean? Or just have everybody go through an onboarding together in January. So, those can be things we consider later. >> Well, you're assuming there's going to be more than one, right? >> Am I? >> [laughter] >> Uh maybe. Um so yeah, that would be that seems like a good um compromise. >> Amber, do you have any additional thoughts? >> No, I think that sounds good. So, thanks for the questions. Yeah, we >> can do some work in the background and let people know what we find out before our next meeting. >> Mhm. Okay. Yeah. >> And maybe just cap it. Like say we're only going to spend 30 minutes on this. >> Yeah. That was something I asked him, too. Like would it be a good idea just if we continue to keep this on the agenda, but more of a kind of yes to capped item and does anybody have someone they want to put forth for consideration or um do you have a different idea that hasn't come forth and we can kind of keep considering it. Anything else on that matter? Amber? No. Then I would entertain Oh, we don't even have to have a motion to adjourn for work session. We just adjourn, correct? Well, thanks for joining everybody. Do you have anything else to add? All right. >> I do not. Thank you. >> Have a good night. >> Well conducted, Madam Madam Chair.