CompletedSchool Board Meeting - Jan. 21, 2025

School Board Meeting - Jan. 21, 2025

Date: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 1:26 PMActual: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM

School Board Meeting - Jan. 21, 2025

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Published Wednesday, January 22, 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 e [4:21] okay we're gonna start the recognition portion for tonight's meeting um we are [4:27] really fortunate tonight to have our ptas and pto's represented um if [4:33] everyone that is in our PTA school ptas and PTO could stand up and maybe just come up here by director theander [4:44] can just [4:50] check oh it's all the PT yes it's all just for background we invited um every [4:57] school PTA PTO uh to to participate so that's from the high school the middle schools and the elementary schools and I [5:03] think we have almost everyone represented almost every school but I'm [5:09] not quite sure why don't we maybe just share your name and um your if you have [5:15] a office in the PTA and then what school you from yeah I'm Shantel Luke I'm with Afton Lakeland and I'm the president Cy [5:23] Colton uh Lake mopa president Sarah hilers I am with Lily Lake and I Am Co [5:30] president Chris ly Lake and you guys got the same last [Laughter] [5:39] names I'm also I'm Christ Overton I'm the [5:45] president at Brookview and I also double dipping because I'm a counselor at Oakland great I'm Emily oig I'm over at [5:51] Oakland Middle School and I am Mar great and I'm Alison hook I'm Lake vice [5:57] president great thank you guys for making the time to come out on this really chilly night no school day um I [6:04] actually did take the time and I didn't memorize it but I I wanted to read a little statement on behalf of the board [6:09] so bear with me here um on behalf of the school board we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation for our [6:15] parent teacher associations unwavering support and dedication to our students Educators principes and school Community [6:22] everyone knows that our school ptas and pto's are the heart and soul of our school buildings it may not feel like it [6:29] while you are serving on a PTA or PTO but it's more than just Book Fairs carnivals and fundraisers the work of [6:36] our ptas and PTO is about building strong School communities and fostering meaningful Partnerships between School [6:43] staff families and our students your commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive environment through countless [6:49] hours of yes volunteering and fundraising and advocacy makes a significant difference in the lives of [6:54] our children families and staff you are a vital part of our schools you're work strengthens the bond between our schools [7:01] and families and we cannot thank you enough for the impact that you make each and every day we are also honored you [7:08] could attend tonight's meeting as it gives the board and our staff the opportunity to personally recognize and [7:14] celebrate your hard work your contributions are invaluable and we look forward to continuing our partnership to [7:19] ensure every student reaches their full potential a heartfelt thank you for everything you guys do for our students [7:26] and our families and we c…

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Topics Discussed (11)

Recognition of PTAs and PTOs

Public Comment on School Bullying and Identity Politics

Student Report

Superintendent's Legislative Update

Resolution Directing District Administration to Make Budget Reductions

Lake Elmo Elementary School Construction Bids

High School Athletic Track Rehabilitation

High School Press Box Replacement

High School Main Entry Addition and Interior Renovations

Cell Phone Policy Feedback and Discussion

2025 Legislative Priorities Approval

Full Document Analysis
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No Vote Taken
7-0 Approved

we asked the board to pass resolution similar to this because we don't know what the legislature is going to do all right so um um we have to be able to prepare ourselves as a school district for potential options

Superintendent Funk [29:24]Resolution Directing District Administration to Make Budget Reductions

I appreciate this process it's not a form that we have filled out in the past but I have appreciated the budget priority conversations that we have we all know that we're Below on our fund balance and so when we allocate a budget it is the board is um trusting in the delegation of authority to the superintendent to manage to that budget because there's not a lot of room in one 1.1% to go down

Chair Sherman [31:12]Resolution Directing District Administration to Make Budget Reductions

in a normal bids if we just take the the bidder um our construction manager will have a conversation with each of the um low biders to talk about here's the the specs that are Bid out to make sure from a material standpoint from a Time standpoint that they have everything covered within the bids when we look at Best Value we take those conversations deeper

Mark [35:09]Lake Elmo Elementary Construction Package Bids

at the end end of the day we get a much better product out of it by following this process rather than just okay we're going to take the low bid

Mark [38:58]Lake Elmo Elementary Construction Package Bids

This is a long-term facility maintenance project with the high school um with pony stadium with the track resurfacing so it's replacing the track surface as well as the binus or the concrete underneath there's cracking um and just wear and tear from 20 years old of the track so this is just a full replacement of our track surface at the high school

Mark [40:48]LTFM Project: High School Athletic Track Rehabilitation

I guess I just want to again thank tax cares because ultimately the long-term facility maintenance is something that the board um decides to go to taxpayers for we are grandfathered in in this program and I would argue that our buildings are as pristine as they are not only due to the hard work of our staff um but also to the generosity of our taxpayers who really I mean our buildings it's there's a reason why we have a couple hundred year old buildings and we take good care of them so it's money well spent

Chair Sherman [43:54]LTFM Project: High School Athletic Track Rehabilitation

our Press Box um is over 20 years old and just needs to be replaced um where it is so the foundation sits on top of the bleachers so the foundation will stay the same it's literally just taking the current Press Box off and replacing it almost literally like for like because it has to fit the same dimensions that the current Press Box is on because of the foundation that it sits at

Mark [44:56]LTFM Project: High School Press Box Replacement

I've asked Mark to do a sound study so the miles away are not contacting the district about hearing it in their front porch uh when we can't hear it on this side of the stadium so um so I think as part of the upgrade there will be a sound study and we will figure it out

Superintendent Funk [47:19]LTFM Project: High School Press Box Replacement

on the Kil one of the things that when I initially came I had a tour of the high school Mark took me around and we our Kil has been shut down our main big Kil that we fire since I've been here um due to some cod issues and so we are um on track to get that replaced this summer which I think um pay huge dividends for our kids who do the the pottery and the art the artwork so the clay work so that's a it's a real positive for us

Superintendent Funk [51:36]High School Main Entry Addition and Interior Renovations

the portion of this Bond project approved by taxpayers so thank you again taxpayers um was to really enhance the safety at a really tricky spot in the high school it's a lot of kids in a small space with a tiny office and um I it's nice to be able to share those upgrades with our students I think they appreciate that as well too

Chair Sherman [53:13]High School Main Entry Addition and Interior Renovations

overall I think parents were balancing that idea of safety versus the distraction the consistent enforcement we talked about um some of these same things you were concerned about mental health that social skill interaction um they want something that's really clear uh as far as a policy so that it makes sense and people understand it

Crissa [1:01:05]Cell Phone Policy Feedback and Discussion

they are designed to be addictive and to hijack your thinking like that is a feature not a bug so to have an opportunity to allow students to put it away allow and expect students to put it away and take a break so that they can fully engage in their educational environment I feel like that is the value of that cannot be understated because it is not something our students have had the opportunity to experience up to this point

Director Parker [1:36:14]Cell Phone Policy Feedback and Discussion

at the end of day at the end of the day I do think that they're going to struggle with it I mean it's it's really hard when your cell phone's just right there it's right there for you to grab and use it and scroll on Tik Tok and social media and all of that things um so I mean a and I's personal opinion is that yes we need a policy and we need it to be gone but a lot of push back from students and they would like it to just be class to class

Student [1:38:01]Cell Phone Policy Feedback and Discussion

I appreciate kind of the the new formatting like the the introduction with the thank you and the for the significant investment I feel like that's a really good opener um to kind of level set of we appreciate and recognize how much the legislature has moved the needle in funding but also not quite far enough

Director Kelzenberg [1:49:06]2025 Legislative Priorities Approval

I think that the most important thing is from just a mission for for our board as we're talking to legislators is really to fully fund or repeal and it has to be a strong message because we you know we're not the only district with a low and depleting fund balance and if they don't start repealing or fully funing we could be in a really tricky position here so I think our message has to be one that is very serious and very direct

Chair Sherman [1:50:06]2025 Legislative Priorities Approval

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