School board meeting for Force Lake Area Schools, Thursday, September 17th. To order. Please join us while we recite the pledge of allegiance. >> 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. >> All right. Member clerk, will you please take the roll call of attendance? >> Okay. Member Tyson here. Member Castle >> here. >> Member Christensen >> here. Member Antonson is here. Member Corkran >> here. And member Rebeline >> here. Everybody's here. >> All right. I would entertain a motion to approve the meeting agenda as presented. >> So moved. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion to second. Is there any discussion? >> Seeing none, all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Those opposed. Motion carries. Um we have scheduled and unscheduled visitors this evening. I do not have any green cards. It doesn't appear that there are any over there. So we will move on to committee reports. Um, welcome back to our committees this evening. We will start with buildings and grounds. Director Rembergy is not in the room at the moment. We will jump forward unless there's an objection. >> Oh, director Rembergy, welcome. >> Sorry for that. >> Quite all right. >> Committee went a little late. Per, thank you so much for having me here tonight. Uh, tonight in buildings and grounds, we talked about the, uh, summer recap for 2026. We had playgrounds built at both Scandia and Columbus. So if you get the chance uh to go see those, they are amazing. So we got to share some pictures and stories from the builds. Um PTAs and PTO's had a huge part in that and thank the community for all of the funds donated and also all of the work to put those playgrounds together. So we do have a supervisor uh from the playground company that makes sure we get all the bolts done and everything. But uh the people did get to build those playgrounds. So that was great. Uh we talked a little bit about the grounds. um summer recap and then our work at Wyoming Elementary um on the cafeteria, gym, and HVAC system. And then our maintenance building is getting a new roof. So, if you're over by Forest View at all, you will see that work underway. Now, um overall, we talked about the outdoor recreation study um that we had done and how we're going to be working to present that this fall. So, that'll be the next step in that. And then just a few uh maintenance items. So again, we just talk about kind of bigger things that have happened in the district um that our buildings and ground supervisor reports on. And that's my report. >> All right. Thank you. Really quick question. Do we have any active construction in any of our schools at the moment or was everything completed? >> Um so, uh Wyoming is still there's a few things over MEA we're going to get to. Um painting in the gym is one of them. Um and also we'll be putting um in the cafeteria we'll have one other project um over MEA. Beyond that, uh, active construction is only the maintenance building. >> All right, great. Thank you. Anybody else have question? Member Tyson, >> I have one quick question. Um, along with our playgrounds that are newly built, do we do any inspections after those are completed? >> That is a great question. Yeah, so on an annual basis, we inspect all of our playgrounds um as part of the certification annually. We do also uh in the winter time as we're starting to see thaw happening uh we go and make sure that we didn't have any collections of water that created ice chunks or anything and we do sometimes have to close down different parts of the playground um based on that. So it's done on an as needed basis throughout the year also. Gotcha. And kudos to those parents that raised all those funds. We were talking about how it's gone up substantially for playgrounds and they just big huge shout out. They raised a lot of money and did a lot of the hard work. So, >> is there any way to get pictures of them? >> Yes, we presented them at the committee meeting. So, we will Yes, we can present those next at the at the board. So, that would be great. >> If you get if and if you give me a copy of those pictures, I think I can put them in and send them out. >> Leadership update. Great. That'd be great. >> Yep. I can get you the slides. >> Thank you. on the website. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thanks. >> Would you like to pivot straight into finance? >> I would love to pivot straight into finance. Uh so we had a full agenda obviously in finance coming in uh laid here. And so we started out talking about the fund balance policy. So as you're aware in June the school board voted on uh the fund balance policy. However, section um 10 of that policy remediation uh was stated that it would be starting October 1st. So we're knocking on the door of October 1st. So we needed to have some further conversation in the committee about that. Um the committee definitely um took a little time at the beginning to talk about uh you know the purpose of the committee and what it is and a little bit of remembering that in the original um version that came from the finance committee. There was not a remediation section um in the policy. And so we had a conversation about it was the desire of the school board to add that back back in um and put that into the policy and then what the language was and how we had kind of words smmith that in May and then came back at this meeting um to be able to word smmith it again. There was a lot of conversation around the small amount that board members are paid. Um, and again, not much on a per month basis, but it does help um if people have children um and daycare costs or anything like that or also the ability to um have just that little bit of income for the number of hours that schoolboard members put in. And so the committee um definitely several committee members um talked about their desire um to oh sorry I thought you were ging um talked about their their desire to um to want the board members to have those dollars and to feel that it is not right to take the little bit of compensation for a lot of work away and what that would mean for people to be encouraged to go into public positions. So, if you know that you're not going to get or potentially could not get any compensation, would that discourage people from applying to be a school board member? So, that was the conversation. As I said, we pivoted back to if this is the language, what's going to be the best language? And so when we pivoted back to that um there was the recommendation to again go annual which we've talked a lot about um the fact that we would have it be instead of quarterly annually and also that then the board member payment compensation and officer payment would also become annual. So instead of on a monthly basis it would be annual. It would all be held until the approval of the audit. So, uh, in December when we would approve the audit, at that time is when, um, in the next meeting, we would get those stipens, next payroll, excuse me, that we'd get those stipens, um, either paid out in full to board members if the fund balance policy met the minimum or if um, they did not, then they would get paid the dollar per month. So, in this fiscal year, uh, we already started paying the board in July and we have for the last um, three months. So again, it would be down to about $9 if it if you didn't make the fund balance policy. So again, we wouldn't go back. It would be starting this time frame um at the new quarter and then we would go from there. So those would be the options. The committee um definitely as I stated said if it does need to be in there, this is the language that could work and be operationalized the best. So you do do have a proposal on language for a first reading um that we could bring uh to our next meeting. >> Yeah. So we already did a first and second reading on the policy. So I'm not sure if we need the first and second reading on that. Um what I would say is yes on October 1st we would have the language for that. And again, um, it's a two paragraph language that compensation for all board members and stipens for officers will be paid in a lump sum annually following the board approval of the prior year financial audit of the general fund for all school years that the district is in violation of section five, which is that fund balance amount. The compensation for all board members will be reduced to $1 a month and all stipens for officers will be eliminated. board authorizes rates of pay for board members and officer siphons would be reinstated in the school year the district is back in compliance with section five. >> So very similar language just annualizing it and again then annualizing the payment also. >> Wonderful. >> So that would be what the committee came out of tonight with. So >> um and then after we talked about that uh we went on to talk about the levy. So, tonight we're going to ask that you uh do the preliminary levy. So, that did come out on September 5th. We reviewed each category of the levy. I did that uh at the last board meeting. So, hopefully um you and the community are familiar with each one of those. Overall, the levy went up in a very similar way um to the um what the tax base went up. We always talk about that pie growing and we want to grow at the same rate. So, uh, tax base went up 3.5 and our levy is currently sitting at 3.75. We do have some ability around that debt excess. When we do debt payments, we have to levy for 105%. So, it builds up a little bit of a fund balance and sometimes we can pay that down a little to get our levy to align a little bit better. So, we're still working through that process with AERS to see if we'd want to do that this year or not. So overall on a $500,000 house, if everything stood where it was now um in the levy and you were $500,000 last year, $500,000 this tax season, you would see an $8 increase per year on your taxes for the school. So that's what we have. And again, tonight we'll be asking for we talked about why we certify the maximum. If you certify a number and something changes in any one of the 42 pages of math calculations that go into the levy, then you're unable to adjust for that. So that's why you want to certify the max. It doesn't saying you're going to do that. You set your rate in December. So tonight, it's just the preliminary setting so they can print tax statements. So that's what the committee talked about tonight. >> Um and again, tax statements go out as a proposed and then the final comes through. And the last thing we did was the permanent school funding amendment. So um Superintendent Jacobson went over uh that amendment. And so we'll be hearing a lot about that in schoolboard presentations to come. So I'm not going to spend as much time on that tonight. Um but you will see that again the amendment will be on the ballot in November and we want to make sure that people are aware that um not voting at all and leaving that blank equals a no vote. So, we just want to make sure that people understand um that it is an amendment that's out there that's supported um bipartisan and we want people to look at it and understand what it is. >> All right. Thank you. Did anybody have any questions? >> Well, I just want to thank you Christie for all the time and energy explaining all both the budget and and the [snorts] tax levy. That's you put a lot of time and effort in simplifying it for us. But I do appreciate that. Thank you. And I want to tag on to member Corkran and thank you for all of your work on the new wording in the policy regarding the schoolboard member pay. You've worked a lot on that. You've come around with a good idea to operationalize it and thank you for all the work. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. We will move to communications and family and student engagement. Uh director Ready. >> [clears throat] >> All right. Thanks. Um, Director Corey McKinnon is out of town. Normally, he oversees this committee, but you get to hear from me tonight. Um, at communications, we talked about, first of all, it's our first committee meeting, so we talked about some of the the scope of the year, some of the things we want to talk about over the year. Not that we can't talk about things that aren't on that list, but we want to make sure we cover a lot of these things throughout the course of the year. So different things like email communication and websites and social media and print materials and all of that. So we went through that list and talked about many maybe some other topics we would like to include or discuss. Um director Renberg ID al already mentioned the permanent school fund amendment. We talked about that as a communications project. There is already a new flyer um that there's one out on the counter if you want to grab to take a peek at that. It's also on our website under elections flaschools.org/election. org/elections, as I mentioned, with a direction um to the MSBA site that's got a little bit more information. Um we'll have other opportunities to get that out. I know that there's going to be some blurbs and some emails coming out even starting right away. And then also once early voting actually starts just to generate awareness of folks so they know this is an unusual type of thing to vote on. We'd like them to know and understand and know that the opportunity is there and also know that as director Renberg said a blank vote is a no vote. So be able to make a choice. One second. Um and then we talked about uh all district email newsletter that will come out probably sometime in the fall and then uh what types of things we thought maybe should be included in that. Um that concludes my report. It look like maybe >> I was just going to say this is terrific, >> but to me it's like I would just highlight the no tax increase like bold and bold like huge because that is what people are going to >> it's a critical piece of >> that is because it's it's in here. It's under one and it's great but I'm just saying that's we need to really put that out there to really make them understand that it's not a tax effect for them. >> So thank you. And I do want people to know also there's two things on there that fly. The schoolboard election is coming up. >> The election is >> Yes. In case people are unaware um we do not have a levy referendum this year. So the two things for school related items are schoolboard election and the permanent school fund. >> This is really nice. Thank you very much. >> Yep. >> And I adding on to member Corkran. I think what else we talked about in committee that could be added to that top bullet point about the permanent school fund is that the no just exactly what you talked about a zero filling in or a no vote. >> Yes. >> Is a no vote. So making sure if people don't click on because I was on the website looking at that today click on that link then at least they know the important thing. It's, you know, money for all public schools, no new taxes, and a a no circle is a no vote. >> Yep. Yeah. It's a quirk of a constitutional amendment that that you have to vote one way or the other where it counts as a no. >> So, >> so we did talk about that. >> Okay. >> This is really this is very nice. >> Yeah, that's hopefully just the start though will be more to come on that making sure people are aware. Then, unless member Antinson wants to mention it, it was brought up that perhaps the superintendent could do a short video clip just to switch up. [laughter] >> We volunteered you. >> Hold on. That was AJ AJ. That was AJ's idea. Just so you know, >> I wasn't going to spill the beans. >> But anyway, it was AJ's. And you know, he has a good point that kind of mixing up the media and mixing up what you're seeing all the time >> would be appealing and people would click on and listen to a little synopsis of the >> PSF by our superintendent. >> Nice. >> So I think we'll sit down and talk about that as an idea. >> And if you do now, you know the points you're supposed to give. [laughter] >> No taxes. >> Member Castle. >> So another thing that might be mentioned is that um it's on the back of the ballot. >> Oh yeah. Yes. >> Uh the election staff is typically >> reminds everyone to make sure they look at the back of the ballot, >> but it would probably be a good idea to put that on there. >> And we should probably So people always want to know, so if it's not taxes, what is it? >> So there's a fund that was established when the >> right >> when the state began, >> right? >> And it's not based on taxes at all. based on the fund >> and and the land that has to [snorts] do it. It's based on land and >> and funds coming in from the land. It's not it has nothing to do with taxes whatsoever. >> So how you can shorten that into something >> it's a it's a it's always dueling between awareness and people who have how much time they have to really invest in the details. So >> thank you Rene. All right, we'll move to curriculum in instruction and equity. Director Laurren, welcome. >> Thank you. Good evening, board members, board chair, superintendent. Um, tonight at the uh curriculum instruction and equity meeting, we had two general topics. So, we started with a review of our new educator onboarding program, we heard from uh Kelly Larson and Aaron Tine, who are the facilitators of our onboarding. So, they shared um a lot about our new educators. They shared a lot about uh their goals and the goal of the program in retaining new educators. Um a lot of the data that they collect of the uh survey results of what new educators are saying um they're having successes right now where they're having challenges and then building a system around how to support. So their program includes onboard mentoring. So they work with current staff in mentoring roles uh partnering them with new educators. It also includes an induction week. So the week before all staff started, they facilitated induction with our new teachers. Uh the end of induction week, uh kind of a capstone that we talked a bit about is a chamber lunchon and that's a really popular piece and the committee talked a lot about the community connections and partnerships within that. Uh what they're gearing up for next are induction evenings throughout the school year. So, they'll have four more touch points with all of our new educators as well as supporting buildings with building monthly meetings. Um, after the new educator induction presentation, we heard from Dr. Brad Board for a annual meeting progress review on our achievement and integration plan. So, uh, we are just finishing or the report is on our 23 school year 23 through 26 plan. We're entering right now year one of our new three-year plan which was approved last year. Um unfortunately for the committee a lot of the data currently is still embargoed at the state level. So that is an agenda item that we plan on carrying over into October as well and talking about uh the systems around uh helping us achieve some of those goals through MTSS processes. So that concludes my board report. >> Is there any questions? Well, I just wanted to say it was a wonderful presentation and how I mean he had a lot of statistics. They was a lot of work that went into it and I I did ask them to send it to the rest of the board members because it is really good information. It really sees it as percentage of how long teachers stay and it's kind of that you know all the programs that they're that they started and it's just the mentoring program is phenomenal. So I kudos to the team that did a great job. So, but you guys will should be receiving that and it's just really good information for you guys to get. >> Yeah, thank you for that because sometimes we do miss things because we're not on all the committees. So, yeah, be very interested to see it. >> It's just such good news that it's good to share. >> Yeah, >> member Tyson. >> So, I have one question, Katie. We had a mentors present in the same committee maybe a year or two ago. Do they still have that nice handbook that they put together that they give new teachers? because I just thought that was excellent to have that just to tuck somewhere when you had an emergency or something you were uncertain about, you could just look it up. >> Uh they do and they uh didn't bring it with them this year and they they noted in the meeting that they were upset that they had forgotten it because of just the things that you just named. >> So yes, they still created all of the new educators still are gifted that at the beginning. Yep. >> Oh, that's wonderful. Okay. Thank you. And then what they did is because people wanted it on one page, >> they have a one-page document for them to to do like a quick view of critical things >> that they can just scan like scan or get into it just from that one page. So that's also the handbook, but also that other option for people. So I thought that was really good. >> Yeah. >> Just makes you feel more secure, >> I think, for a new teacher. >> Yep. >> Yeah, it was great. >> Okay. Um hopefully this is an okay question to ask. They took surveys of the new teachers to see right how they were feeling about their early on >> Yep. >> on boarding. What do you what do you can you share about what is found in those um surveys? >> Anything I mean just what's stressful for them? What what you know what are they concerned about? I'm just curious. Um the two that I can remember and there were a few others in the room that hopefully you can add on is one of the questions they asked was um language around how are you feeling at the two week point. So do you feel like >> I am feeling like I am in crisis and I need support am I right above that? Am I thriving down on the other end? And of the fivepoint scale they h we had zero reporting in a five or a four is like I need immediate help. I'm I'm really struggling. A majority of the new educators reported in that one through three. Uh two people said like the top like thriving. Um most of the educators said I'm doing okay and I'm kind of in between okay and really really good. >> Um the other piece that they reported on is of the things that are causing you stress right now. What category do they fall in? Uh one of the categories was around classroom management. The other part that they shared with us is starting last year I believe uh we started using a program called catalyst which is a classroom management or a non-verbal behavior uh strategies for educators and and put that into their induction evenings. So now throughout the school year new educators got a little bit of that in their induction week in August and now they'll get four additional touch points throughout the evenings. So they felt good that that change was in alignment with what the educators were saying was a need. Yeah, >> another need was around technology and equipment. So, they're working with our teams to help support that. >> Um, the other need was around curriculum and we have two curriculum events. One was last week, I think one is next week um already scheduled. So, they felt like out of the things that were identified, we had supports in place. Um, which is not by accident. It goes to a lot of credit to the two individuals leading that program >> because they collect feedback every year and come with a list of things that they want to respond to and make sure that they're continually addressing. >> So they're continually working at, >> you know, and foreseeing the pro the issues and say problems, but concerns and they're preemptively setting things up to >> Yeah. >> to address it before we get they get too far into their teaching. That's awesome. >> Yeah. And I think the big thing is the teacher retention, right? It was the 1 to3 was it? It was it went for like 70some percent over lower I forget the lower amount but 70s some percent of retention which I think is phenomenal for the one to threes I believe. >> Yeah. They shared a statistic that uh three-year retention rates were around 50% a few years back >> and they have that up now. They've been tracking one-year retention rates and we're around 75%. So they're they're going to continue to track that, but their goal is they're tying their work >> to that number continuing to increase in a really positive way. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And is all of the the questions I just asked you and what you just reported about the retention, is that all in this presentation? >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> Another thing you'll find in the presentation, which really surprised me, was how many new teachers we have with 10 years of experience or more. >> That was great. So, uh, we're we're attracting some of those >> highly skilled, highly experienced staff members to Forest Lake and that's that's awesome. >> Y >> great. Thank you. >> Yeah. You're welcome. >> Well, thank you, Katie. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> We will move to policy. Director Freriedman. >> Good evening. Tonight we had a conversation about [snorts] five of our policies that you'll be seeing show up. Maybe a little refinement in a couple of them, but we talked about um there's some new terms in the model policies for the disability non-discriminations both for employees as well as for students um that are not material changes in the universe, but there's there's a recommended um policy language change because of some statutory amendments. [clears throat] Uh we talked for a good long while about another new statutory requirement being codified in a policy about not using the district's technology or any sort of resources to download stuff that allows you to do some really awful things with respect to changing pictures. If you really want to know, you can ask otherwise I'm not going to say it. um but changing pictures of other people into things that they should not be. Um we also talked about um there is a a great thing that the legislature enacted saying that veterans of the uh Vietnam or Vietnam War or Korean conflicts could have access to uh high school diplomas had they not gotten a high school diploma. We're of course going to do that and we're going to um make a little tweak as well that the board would be permitted to do. Uh so that you'll see a little bit of difference between the the model recommendation and what you'll see um just making it b anything um Korea Vietnam conflict or earlier um that if there are people uh wandering around who did not get a chance to finish their high school education as a result of something that happened prior to Vietnam or Vietnam or prior that they could um seek that they would have access to a high school diploma. Board can do that. Um even though the legislature said Korea or Vietnam, board can do that because the board has authority to decide to whom to grant diplomas. >> Um and then we spent a good deal of time uh it's just a minor language change, but we spent some time talking about the new grooming statute and how that the requirements of that play out within the district. um that people do need to kind of notice what's going on and maybe report to somebody if they have wonderings. >> That's what I got. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Donna. >> All right. We will move to staff welfare. Superintendent Jacobson. >> Thank you. Uh we had three items on uh staff welfare for this evening. Uh some of them have already been touched on in other committees, which is fantastic. The first was uh one though that we talked about just in staff welfare alone which was a district enrollment. Currently we have or as of Monday we have uh 5,546 students who call Forest Lake uh their home school which is fantastic. Um that is above our budgeted number by uh by a good margin. Um that being said, we have seen over the last of last five years, typically as we start the year up here, we slowly see as students might graduate early or for whatever reason, our overall enrollment go down. So we want to start higher than our budget budgeted uh uh enrollment number so that over the course of the year our average enrollment is at budget or higher. We all know that we are funded based on the number of students who come to our school. So that's an important uh metric to be paying attention paying attention to. >> So Superintendent Jacobson, I have a quick question on that. Um maybe putting you on the spot, but you can follow up later. Do you know what our typical we'll call it the rate of decay? Um what percentage of students we tend to lose over a school year on the enrollment number is? >> Um it varies a degree a bit. Uh we actually looked at that over the last five years. It varies from year to year. Uh last year it was a little over a hundred students districtwide from where we were at at this point to where we were in June. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Uh if you're curious, we're about 55 students fewer this year than we were at the same calendar mark last year, which is um when you've again parents are having fewer kids these days and and so that's to be a bit expected. >> I'm sorry. Could I also say I think um what did excuse me, director member Eddie, she said something about the bus thing and how we changed that and maybe we lost people sooner in the process than we would have later >> with our numbers. I would probably need to lean. I I think what so what happens typically at the beginning of the year is we have students on our books because they were with us the previous year but they have left and not told us and we don't find that out until they don't come to school or we get uh enroll withdrawal paper from whatever new district that they're at. I think the way in which we uh went through the shift to our new busing system this year uh preemptively had some discovery on some of which some of these cases the specifics if you're curious we could probably ask director Renard ID ID but I think that that's what you're talking about. Yeah, that is what I'm talking. I'm just saying if it looks like we're, you know, 55 students fewer or something like that, it could be because we migrated to this new bus system, which we might have caught some folk, some students that were coming here anyway, which we would have found out later. I guess that's just a >> So, >> yeah. >> Yep. So, we talked about enrollment. Uh, we also talked about the permanent school fund and staff welfare. has mentioned this is a essentially similar to an endowment at at a at a at a university. Uh the state set aside um land that um if ever sold would be put into a nonreducible um that's probably not a word. uh fund. Uh that would be in a perpetual state and it would based on either the the proceeds from the management of the land or the overall health of the proceeds of the sa the sale of land into a fund. That total amount of value could be distributed to help fund schools. And it's um a we are still operating under the original funding uh methodology from 1857. >> Yeah. Uh and though the the the funds distributed to schools, all Minnesota public schools, >> uh have gone up in the each year since, even in the last 10 years, the fund has grown from about 675 million uh in 2010 to $2.3 billion last year. And so a couple of uh years ago, the state put together a task force to look at maybe there's we need to modernize the the methodology for distributing the funds. Uh and so there is a proposal as member Castle has pointed uh out is on the back of the ballot uh next year uh or sorry on November 3rd. Um in order to amend the state constitution, which is what this this ballot question would be um asking, you need to have a majority of the people who vote >> that for that election vote in favor. So either a no or a non vote would be not would be counted in the total not in favor. >> So I uh so we talked about that we put we shared the flyer that uh um uh Renee Rei had put together um and that's up on our website. I would if the board pleases be open to coming back in October and doing a full presentation here >> um so that we can everybody watching uh either virtually or the recording I could could track that and again be glad to also do a short recording uh for social media if that is at all helpful. Um and then we ended with uh talking about our fund balance policy that uh director Renberg I just mentioned. So, we talked about that that at staff welfare as well. >> All right. Well, thank you. Is there any questions for the superintendent? >> If not, I will ask, is there any item on the consent agenda that anybody would like to pull this evening? And seeing none, I would entertain a motion to approve 6.1 through 6.3 as presented. >> So moved. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion, a second. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Those opposed. >> Okay, that motion carries. Bringing us to the first action item. Set the preliminary property tax levy paid 2027. I see director ID moving forward. So I assume this is hers. Welcome back. >> Yes. So it is levy time of year in the state of Minnesota again. Uh September 1st the levy system opens in the Minnesota Department of Education uh with the first run of those numbers. And so uh we looked good this year. All of our data was in. It's coming through well. just some minor tweaks that we, as I said, we're looking at to keep that as stable as possible for homeowners um and what that tax rate will be uh for the school district. So, uh for tonight's purposes, uh the goal is to again certify what's called the maximum. It doesn't mean that we have to use the maximum. It just means that whatever numbers come through, we'll make that decision in in December, and we're not setting an exact amount. Um, so again, the overall levy uh as it sat today went up 3.75% uh and the tax base went up 3.5. So on about a $500,000 house, that equaled about $8 on an annual basis. So again, we'll work to potentially get that down a little bit to be even. >> All right. Thank you. Is there any questions? >> Oh, sorry. Is there is there any question to approve 7.1? >> Okay. >> Second. >> Okay. I think we have a motion in a second. Is there any discussion on this? >> No, I don't think just happy. Not for me. >> I don't think so. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. If there is no discussion, all those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Those opposed. Okay. Motion carries. Uh we'll pivot directly into 7.2. recommendation to close open enrollment for K through 12 for the remainder of the 2026 2027 school year with the exception of the STEP and community schools. Superintendent Jacobson. >> Yes, thank you. So each spring and throughout the summer and even during the first portion of the school year, uh our district uh encourages and welcomes students uh who open enroll. And these are when we say open enrollment, we are talking about students who live outside of the Forest Lake School District and choose to attend school within our within our boundaries. Um once we get into the school year, we take a look at our uh class sizes across the district. Uh and um at both at the elementary level, middle school, high school, so on and so forth. Um and at times we decide at this point it might be a good time for us to just in order to maintain our classroom environments and to keep class sizes in a comfortable place. Um we entertain the the the notion of closing open enrollment in certain schools. Uh this proposal or recommendation in front of you would be to do that in all of our schools other than step and our community school. that would be to close open enrollment beginning next Monday uh September 21st. Um if we had students from our local charters or private schools who or who wanted to enroll homeschool students who lived in our district who wanted to enroll any student who lived in our district uh and and not currently enroll but would want to enroll absolutely we would we take that student but we were talking about students who live in other districts and would want to come to >> Lake. All right. Thank you for that. With with that, I will move to approve as presented. >> Second. >> Okay, we have a motion in a second. Is there any discussion on that? >> I just want to add one thing to what Sorry [laughter] because we talked about it earlier and I had wanted clarification. We're also open to people that move into the district that from outside like but >> yes. Yep. >> Thank you for adding that. So if somebody were to move into Forest Lake, uh then yeah, we would >> just for the people out there watching. >> Yep. No, that's a that's a super good distinction. I >> absolutely. >> Okay. And I think >> member Tessel, >> what are the major drawbacks of keeping it open and the major benefits of closing it? >> Uh the drawbacks is when we get tight, uh at a particular building, um that class size has start to get up above what we would like to see. Uh, and I would say, you know, at at different elementaryaries, we've got some some class sizes that we're really watching. Many sections that are that are in good. And overall, as a district average, I think we're in a good spot, but some class sizes are just ticking up. Um, at the middle school and high school, I mean, there's when you enroll, we only have one middle school. We only have one high school. >> So, we just wanted to be careful there. oftentimes um you know these are families who uh have a home school district where they're currently enrolled. You know I think uh in in many cases coming in it can change the dynamic in a classroom. Not always in a in in a poor way um but just something for us to kind of be aware of. >> Yep. So then if if we tend to have students go out of the district after that, wouldn't we want them to be replaced? So would we open it up if we had enough? >> Ah, yeah. I see what you're saying. Yeah. If if at late at any point of the the year, we could reopen open enrollment if we wanted to. I'd say right now we're pretty has that ever >> not that I'm aware of. Yeah. Never happened. >> Thank you. >> Member Tyson. >> So I just want to add one thing that we heard in our discussion that came out um with member Antinson and myself and the superintendent and director Freriedman is that it can be very difficult for staff as well. Teaching staff, people that work in the building, the makeup of the classroom. all of a sudden we have an influx of a student from here or there from other districts. And I think at this time of year, particularly when classrooms are getting settled down and teachers have a lot just building that community and all of those relationships that just adding people that are coming from their own district into ours is just kind of unnecessary and puts undue hardship on the teacher in the classroom. >> Well, I guess I don't see how that's any different than somebody moves here. Same thing happens. Well, then are they're in our district, right? >> And sometimes when they come from other districts, they can have some red flags. >> Well, so the people moving here from another district. I don't see there's no difference. It's a human being. It's a human being, >> but they're out of district. They have a home district. >> Well, >> so they're out of district. >> The classroom doesn't care about that. >> And we have a big district priority. I think one of the biggest things right now is >> well let's let's conduct uh discussions through the chair please. Okay. Member Anton. >> Oh for I mean I'm just I think the numbers are are there too as well like >> and right you know we we are I think in several small areas kind of pushing that limit of >> right >> teacher student ratios and so >> I mean this is what we've done every year too. So yeah, >> thank you. Thank you, member. Correct. Member Tyson, if you have something to add. >> Well, I just that came out of our discussion too, which I'm in agreement with. We've done it for many years and it does it can skew the student teacher ratio and that's a hardship on the classroom as well. So, >> member Christensen, >> well, I think to me Castle's point, I mean, the difference is um if you live in our district, we cannot deny a student for attending our public schools. That's the difference. So if they are open enrolling and to member Tyson saying that they have a home district somewhere else we can we can say we're we're closed to all you know we're full or whatever because they have a home district if someone moves here we are a public school we are not able to say you >> you know I mean is that >> yeah and I think that's fair and I would also add that we when we set our budget uh last year we staffed our district for a number of students under where we're currently yet. And so we want to at this point I would say because we're we're over we'd want to preserve any seats in our classrooms for families who live in our district. >> Correct. Yes. It's very smart. >> Right. Um member Corker, I heard you speaking. You have some >> Oh, no. I just said that's a smart move for our district to prioritize our own students, >> possible students. >> All right. Is there any additional discussion on this? I I I don't want to shut down any discussion at all. That was not my intent. I just wanted to kind of pull it back together here. >> Oh, >> earlier. Anything? Okay. If not, um all those in favor uh signify by saying I. I. >> Those opposed. >> Okay. That motion carries. I see no new business on the agenda. Therefore, I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So move. Second. >> Okay. We have a motion to second. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor signifies by saying I. I. Those opposed. Motion carries.