CompletedSchool Board Business Meeting - January 16, 2025

School Board Business Meeting - January 16, 2025

Date: Friday, January 17, 2025 at 12:37 PMActual: Friday, January 17, 2025 at 12:37 PM

1.0 Call to Order: Roll Call 2.0 Pledge of Allegiance 3.0 Approval of Agenda 4.0 Comments to the Board: At this time, individuals may speak to the School Board on any item relating to South Washington County Schools. The Board will not respond to or discuss your comments. Character abuse or specific complaints identifying staff, students or task force members will not be permitted. The Superintendent may be asked to prepare a response to your concerns. The comments to the board period will be held open for up to thirty (30) minutes in total. Each speaker is permitted to speak for up to three (3) minutes in total. The School Board will allow up to three (3) speakers per topic. At three minutes, the microphone will be turned off and we will move on to the next speaker or next agenda item. 5.0 Student District Ambassadors 6.0 Consent Items: All consent items are considered routine and non-controversial by the School Board and will be approved by a single motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items. Prior to this meeting, Board members have had the opportunity to review each of these items and may request that any item be moved to the Action Items for individual consideration. 6.1 Retirements, Resignations and Terminations 6.2 Leaves of Absence 6.3 New Employees/Change of Status 6.4 Electronic Fund Transfers 6.5 Resolution to Accept Gifts 6.6 December 12, 2024 School Board Business Meeting Minutes 6.7 January 2, 2025 School Board Business Meeting Minutes 6.8 January 2, 2025 School Board Workshop Meeting Minutes 6.9 November Cash Disbursements 6.10 December Cash Disbursements 6.11 Bid for Oltman Middle School Addition and Renovation Projects - Updated 6.12 Bid for East Ridge High School 6.13 Extended Field Trips 6.14 Student Teaching Agreement 6.15 Bids for Park High School 7.0 Information Items: None. 8.0 Action Items: 8.1 Sale of Certificates of Participation, Series 2025A Kris Blackburn, Director of Business Services 8.2 FY 2023-24 Audit Results Kris Blackburn, Director of Business Services 8.3 Board Committees for 2025 Katie Schwartz, School Board Chair 8.4 Proposed Policy Changes Julie Nielsen, Superintendent 9.0 Superintendent Report 10.0 Future Meeting Dates: February 6, 2025 - School Board Workshop Meeting (DSC/6:00p.m.) February 20, 2025 - School Board Business Meeting (DSC/6:00p.m.) 11.0 Adjournment

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Published Friday, January 17, 2025

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[0:28] e [0:58] e [1:28] e [1:58] e [2:28] e [2:58] e [3:28] e [3:58] e [4:28] e [4:58] e e [5:36] [Music] [6:06] we're NE [Music] [6:12] for good evening it is Thursday January 16th 2025 at 6 p.m. we are at the [6:18] district service center in cotage Grove Min Minnesota we would like to acknowledge that the land in which We Gather is the land of the mawakan Dakota [6:25] people mawakan means dwellers of the Spirit Lake our first item on the agenda those roll call Dana Ryan Clark here [6:32] Sharon Van here Eric Tesmer here Pat Driscoll here Melinda dolles here Sim [6:38] Patak is absent Katy Schwarz here may feran here [6:43] Delena Manning here Lydia sabuka here uh 2.0 Pledge of Allegiance please [6:52] stand I pledge algi to the flag of the United States of America and to the [6:58] Republic for stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for [7:08] all 3.0 is the approval of our agenda can I get a motion to approve the agenda [7:14] move I'd like to have a motion to amend the agenda please it has already been motioned and [7:20] seconded maybe perhaps we can give some time then okay so that was moved [7:27] by Sharon and seconded by Melinda any [7:34] comments okay hearing none all those in favor all right opposed all right one [7:41] opposed motion passes okay 4.0 is comments to the board at this time [7:49] individuals may speak to the school board on any item relating to South Washington County Schools the board will [7:54] not respond to or discuss your comments character abuse or specific complaints ident in students staffs staff students [8:02] or task force members will not be permitted the superintendent may be asked to prepare a response to your [8:07] concerns the comments to the board period will be held open for up to 30 minutes in total each speaker is [8:13] permitted to speak for up to 3 minutes in total the school board will allow up to three speakers per Topic at three [8:20] minutes the microphone will be turned off and we will move on to the next speaker or agenda item we do have one [8:28] person [8:58] e e [9:39] sorry on to 5.0 and that is our student District ambassadors and that will be introduced by superintendent Julie [9:45] nilson good evening um it is always that exciting night when our students get to join us here and I know they're very [9:51] excited they got to take selfies with them themselves on the video camera already we kind of go through um what it [9:57] looks like to be up at the board uh so this evening we have three students with us and I'm going to start um with May [10:03] feran um May do you want to go ahead and start by introducing yourself my name is May I am a fifth [10:10] grader and I go to Liberty Ridge Elementary and may what do you enjoy most about being a student leader I like [10:17] the opportunity to connect with other student leaders on what happens in their schools and may shared with me something [10:25] interesting that they're doing at Liberty Ridge and so may do…

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Topics Discussed (6)

Student District Ambassadors Program

School District Financing and Capital Projects

Annual Financial Audit Review

Board Committee Assignments for 2025

School Board Policy Updates, particularly Policy 102

Superintendent's Report and Upcoming Events

Full Document Analysis
6-0 Approved
Unanimously Approved
Unanimously Approved
4-2 Approved

we're mentioning that we're financing the acquisition and remodeling of the existing building to provide instructional services for students in the special education transition program and consolidating that program so that's going to gain some efficiencies there which is great

Jody Zba [18:15]Sale of Certificate of Participation Series 2025a

we were able to issue a lower debt amount and still Finance the amount that you need for your project costs so you'll see that we are issuing 8,980,000 and the board I believe had authorized up to 9,445,000 so we're under that amount

Jody Zba [19:24]Sale of Certificate of Participation Series 2025a

the true interest cost of 4.03% is lower than the 4.33 which we were estimating about a month ago so we were glad to see the interest rate come in lower than that estimate and as a result of that the principal and interest pay pays are almost $300,000 less than we were estimating a year ago

Jody Zba [19:42]Sale of Certificate of Participation Series 2025a

Credit strengths of the districts the strong local economy with above average resident income and full value per capita growing enrollment they see as a strength strong local support for Education through voter approved debt and operating levies

Jody Zba [24:02]Sale of Certificate of Participation Series 2025a

Credit challenges they still are um watching that fund balance and saying that it's improved but remains and I think it's slightly below we think we're right on the edge but um slightly below the a medians capacity challenges of course giving um growing enrollment which you're addressing

Jody Zba [24:18]Sale of Certificate of Participation Series 2025a

this policy uh in no uncertain terms opens a door to uh persons with male genes and male anatomy uh into women's sports in the school district as well as women's locker rooms

Eric Tesmer [29:55]Proposed Policy Changes (101, 101.1, 102, 103)

I place at a higher priority uh the feelings of safety that our female students are required and uh need to have

Eric Tesmer [30:34]Proposed Policy Changes (101, 101.1, 102, 103)

I think it's prudent for us as a district to maybe pull this back and and fully understand what this means and what type of risk this brings to our district

Pat Driscoll [30:59]Proposed Policy Changes (101, 101.1, 102, 103)

at that time neither of you mentioned any issues with this policy... you also did not mention having any issues prior to that board meeting

Katy Schwarz [32:29]Proposed Policy Changes (101, 101.1, 102, 103)

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