South St. Paul Public Schools — Transcript
Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Employee Service and Retirement Recognition
Student School Board Representative Report and Introduction of New Representatives
Spring Athletics and Activities Season Review
Community Stakeholder Comments
Board Work Session Update
Superintendent's Report on District Operations and Budget
Votes (12)
Approval of Consent Items
Dissent: None
Moved by Director Duffy [00:59:58] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:00:00]
The consent agenda, including financial claims, bills payable, and staffing, was approved without discussion.
Final Approval of District Policies
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:03:00] · Seconded by Director Weber [01:03:01]
A series of district policies (506, 617, 620, 624, 404, 406, 408, 410, 413) received their third and final reading. Discussion highlighted the importance of soliciting feedback from frontline employees during policy development to ensure practical and effective implementation.
Approval of MHSL Membership Resolution
Dissent: None
Moved by Director W. Felton [01:05:32] · Seconded by Director T. Felton [01:05:35]
This item concerned the annual resolution for the South St. Paul School Board to be participants in the Minnesota State High School League, which was described as a straightforward annual formality.
Approval of the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:06:55] · Seconded by Director Duffy [01:06:56]
The strategic plan, developed through extensive engagement with staff, families, students, and community members, was presented for final approval. The plan's mission is 'Engage, Educate, and Empower,' with a vision of 'nurturing an inclusive Packer community of lifelong learners,' supported by three pillars: Packer Performance, Packer Pride, and the Packer Promise. The discussion highlighted its challenging and positive vision for the district's future.
Approval of the Acceptance of Gifts Resolution
Dissent: None
Moved by Director Duffy [01:21:49] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:21:51]
The board considered and approved the acceptance of gifts, specifically an anonymous monetary donation of approximately $12,000 for the girls high school flag football team and 17 chairs from Eco Water Systems for secondary sites. The Finance Director expressed gratitude for the community's generous contributions.
Approval of Intermediate School District 917's Long-Term Facility Maintenance Program Budget
Dissent: None
Moved by Director Duffy [01:24:26] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:24:28]
The board approved a resolution authorizing South St. Paul's proportionate share of ISD 917's long-term facility maintenance budget for 2026-2027. This annual approval allows ISD 917, which serves students with special education needs from nine member districts, to access funds for deferred maintenance, including a significant roofing project.
Resolution Relating to the Non-Renewal of Limited Contract Long-Term Substitute Teachers
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:28:01] · Seconded by Director Duffy [01:28:04]
The board approved a resolution for the non-renewal of limited contract long-term substitute teachers. This is an annual requirement under Minnesota statutes to terminate contracts for substitutes at the end of the school year, preventing the district from being obligated to two teachers for the same position.
Approval of Continuing Teacher Contracts for 2025-2026
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:29:43] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:29:44]
The board approved the continuing teacher contracts for the upcoming school year. This action retains probationary teachers and grants tenure to those who have successfully completed their probationary periods, an exciting annual process for the district.
Resolution Relating to the Non-Renewal of Probationary Non-Instructional Staff
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:31:16] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:31:18]
The board approved a resolution to terminate the employment of several probationary non-instructional staff members. This is an annual consideration based on factors such as student scheduling, enrollment changes, budget reductions, curriculum adjustments, and performance issues.
Resolution to Place Individuals Within the Office and Professional Employee Group on Layoff Due to Position Elimination
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:32:48] · Seconded by Director Duffy [01:32:50]
The board approved a resolution to place one office and professional employee from the secondary building on layoff. This action resulted from a proposed position elimination and restructure intended to provide broader services across the district.
Resolution to Recall Kristen Rodenberg, Office and Professional Employee, from Layoff
Dissent: None
Moved by Director W. Felton [01:34:15] · Seconded by Director Duffy [01:34:16]
Following the approval of a related layoff resolution, the board approved the recall of Kristen Rodenberg, an office and professional employee. She will be recalled to an equivalent but restructured position for the 2025-2026 school year, designed to better serve students district-wide.
Approval of the South Suburban Adult Basic Education Consortium Agreement
Dissent: None
Moved by Director T. Felton [01:36:26] · Seconded by Director W. Felton [01:36:28]
The board approved the annual consortium agreement for Adult Basic Education services, a partnership between South St. Paul Public Schools and neighboring districts (Independent School District 199 and 197). This agreement ensures cooperative efforts for services like GED preparation and English as a Second Language for the 2025-2026 school year.
Notable Quotes (12)
One of the things that have happened in the last set of months is that Joel and others are regularly talking about policies at the meet and confers and so really trying to solicit feedback from frontline employees who know that are implementing many of these policies that are putting them into action and that is extremely helpful and I just wanted again from the board that that is appreciated.
This is just our annual resolution to be participants in the Minnesota State High School League.
This is not my strategic plan. This is our strategic plan.
As a newer member of the board, before approving this document, it was important for me to try and find out what the community was saying as this document was developed. So, I reached out to some of the strategic planning committee members to get their perspectives and, um, have put down a few thoughts. Um, as this document was put in front of me at a previous meeting, I asked if this was a feel-good document and I learned and that came back in in many of the conversations that I had. I learned in detail from these stakeholders that this is not simply a feel-good document and rather it lays out a challenging and positive vision for our future together.
We had a monetary gift of approximately $12,000 that is earmarked for our um girls high school flight football team. This here is you know filled with gratitude. We have an amazing community here. Um we have donors that is willing to invest and contribute to our growing community here.
As the South representative on the 917 board um which has representatives from all nine um member districts, I would like to thank you for helping us raise the roof literally on um one of our buildings um for district 917 which serves um a variety of students um all almost all who have some sort of special education um need.
In compliance with Minnesota statutes, we're required to terminate the teaching contracts of the district's long-term limited contract substitute teachers at the end of each school year. ... Failure to terminate these contracts could result in the district allocating two teachers in each affected position as the regular teachers exercise their right to return from leave.
This is a super exciting time for us as we approach the end of the school year. We have many probationary teachers that have finished their probationary periods with the school district.
Each year, we must consider the release of non a number of probationary non-instructional staff for various reasons including student-driven scheduling, changes in enrollment, budget reductions, curriculum changes, and performance issues.
One office and professional employee position at the secondary building is being proposed for elimination in an effort to provide broader services to all students in the district through a restructure of the position and services provided.
Well, this is the great news from the last resolution. Thank you for approving the layoff. Now we get to recall that same employee back to a different position in the school district, one that is a broader position that helps better serve the students of the schools district.
This is kind of a formality that we do from year to year. And the purpose of this agreement is just to provide cooperative efforts for adult basic education services. And this includes, uh, adult basic education, our GED preparation, English as a second language, um, and other services that are tied to that.
Ordinances & Resolutions (26)
Agenda for the May 27, 2025 meeting
Minutes from a previous work session
Minutes from a previous special board meeting
Minutes from a previous stakeholder comments session
Document used to simplify student course registration and educate on Packer Pathways programs
Document for the boys baseball team outlining principles like 'preparing Packers for the next four years'
The district's five-year strategic plan, approved by the board
Federal program offering $120 per child for groceries during the summer to qualifying families
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
District policy undergoing final review and approval
Annual resolution for the district to participate in the Minnesota State High School League
Resolution to formally accept monetary and in-kind gifts to the district
Resolution authorizing South St. Paul School Board's proportionate share of ISD 917's facility maintenance budget for 2026-2027
Resolution to non-renew contracts of long-term substitute teachers at the end of the school year, as required by state statutes
Document listing probationary teachers to be retained and those granted tenure for the 2025-2026 school year
Resolution to terminate employment of probationary non-instructional staff due to various operational and performance reasons
Resolution to lay off one office and professional employee due to the elimination and restructure of a position
Resolution to recall a laid-off office and professional employee (Kristen Rodenberg) to a new, restructured equivalent position
Annual agreement for cooperative adult basic education services with neighboring school districts