Board Director Chad Pedersen raises topic of regular meeting date change
MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC SCHOOL (MLPS) School Board. Front, from left, Board Treasurer Pam Hoek, Board Chair Doug Standerwick, Board Vice-Chair Tim Swoboda and Board Clerk Julie Brugman. Back, from left, Board Directors Chad Pedersen, Tom Fast and Matt Gohr.
A roster of activities personnel for this school year was approved during the Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board’s regular monthly meeting on Monday, November 21.
Approved to serve as coaches and volunteers serving various programs throughout the school district were:
+ Track Assistant Coaches – Jaime Banks, Andrea Brinkman and Sarah Tailowright.
+ Junior High Boys Basketball Coach – Spenser Kipfer.
+ Junior High Girls Basketball Coach – Cody Klassen.
+ Boys Basketball Volunteers – Paul Metcalf, Steve Thiessen, Dan Hup, Andrew Hempeck, Beau Herrig, Josiah Stoesz, Ryan McCue, Slade Harder, Dustin Klassen and Caleb Bargen.
+ Town and Country Daycare Volunteer – Sally Kauffman.
Change or regular meeting dates/formation of committee to meet with city leaders
MLPS School Board Director Chad Pedersen raised the topic for discussion with his fellow board members concerning possible change of regular meeting dates, or the formation of a committee to meet with city leaders.
According to Pedersen in a written statement, “Currently our meeting dates fall on one of the council meeting dates; they meet on the first Monday and third Monday of each month. We meet on the third Monday of every months.”
Pedersen went on to list his concerns over having these meetings at the same time:
+ Both the school board and city council are taxing entities within the City of Mountain Lake. All city residents should be able to attend any meeting of the school or city without have to decide which to attend.
+ There may be issues that arise when a school board member of city council member needs to attend the meeting of the other body.
+ Concerns over school board members and city council members developing a relationship with one another if a member of either group can never attend a meeting of the other group.
+ There is a need to be aware of what each other (school board and city council) are doing or planning. The school board is the taxing entity that is required to ask for money (through referendums), Pedersen feels it is the duty of the school board to reach out to the city council in order to have them understand things from the position of the school board.
Pedersen also believes that a committee pulled from both bodies would serve well.
He closed his statement with the thought, “As taxes continue to increase and the city looks to add new industries to Mountain Lake, I feel it is more important now more than ever that we have an open line of communication with the city. I believe any sound town and community has people working together to make everyone’s lives easier. We share a vested interest in the swimming pool, yet we don’t talk about it. How do we move forward without forward thinking and ideas?”
Discussion concerning the ideas was held, with no immediate action taken.
In other business
+ Approved a list of policy revisions for final review and adoption that include the most recent updates from the Minnesota School Boards Association. The proposed revisions include:
- Student discipline.
- Student surveys.
- Staff notification of violent behavior by students.
- Uniform grant guidance policy regarding federal revenue sources.
- Open meetings and closed meetings. (the use of social media).
- Conflict of interest – charter school board members.
- Public and private personal data.
- Tobacco-free environment (e-cigarettes).
- Gifts to employees and school board members.
- Staff development.
- School weapons policy.
- Internet acceptable use and safety policy.
- Hazing prohibition.
- School district curriculum and instruction goals.
- Curriculum development.
- Instructional curriculum.
- Staff development for standards.
- Student transportation safety policy.
Two additional policies were presented that will be up for final review and adoption at the school board’s Monday, December 19 meeting. They concern crisis management policy. The complete language on the policy revisions may be found on the school district’s website: http://home.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/district/school-board/policy-changes-aug-2016.
+ Approved the resignation of Colleen Johnson, a paraprofessional with the Mountain Lake Public School District.
+ Approved the hiring of Amy Wall as a paraprofessional with the Mountain Lake Public School District until spring sports begin. Rate of pay is $11.50 per hour.
+ Approved the hiring of Mountain Lake Public High School student Dima Hanson as a part-time after-school custodian. He will work until spring sports begin. Rate of pay is $9.60 an hour.
+ Heard a report from the Pairing Committee on the group’s meeting with the Pairing Committee from Windom Area Public High School, along with the school’s superintendent, Wayne Wormstadt and activities director, Dane Nielsen. Here is a link to an article reporting on the meeting that was posted on this website: http://www.cross-countiesconnect.com/2016/11/mlps-waps-pairing-committees-meet/.
+ Heard a report from an October meeting of the Building Committee. Members of the MLPS Building Committee include Chair Tim Swoboda and Vice-Chair Tom Appel, along with Cheri Hanson, Jerry Haberman, Bruce Swanson, Bryan Bargen, Vern Peterson, Shawn Naas and John Carrison. To learn what is being discussed for building proposals, go to: http://www.cross-countiesconnect.com/2016/07/mlps-school-board-meets-thursday-with-building-committee-architect/.
+ Discussed athletic programs policy and guidelines revisions. Board members had been encouraged to writy down any recommendations they wished to be discussed to guide all athletic programs and to present them at the November 21 meeting. Any recommendations will be up for possible adoption at the Monday, December 19 (or later) school board meeting.
+ Heard reports from the school district’s principals, Mountain Lake Public High School Principal Michelle Larson and Mountain Lake Public Elementary School Principal Karl Wassman.
+ Approved donations to the school district:
- Hanson Agency – $250 for S. A. V. E. Yourself Training.
- Land O’ Lakes – $2,000 for the Mountain Lake Public High School FFA.
- Mountain Lake Public High School Student Council – $250 for Education Week.
- Remick Foundation – $1,000 for sophomore class to attend the play, “The House On Mango Street,” at the Park Square Theatre in St. Paul.
- Remick Foundation – $3,740 for iPads for the fourth grade classes at Mountain Lake Public Elementary School.
- Remick Foundation – $1,450 to the Mountain Lake Public High School Instrumental Department for band equipment and apparel.
- Mountain Lake Early Childhood Family Education – $31.
+ Approved open enrollment applications – one from Windom School District #177 to Mountain Lake Independent School District #173, one from Mountain Lake Public School District #173 to Janesville/Waldorf Pemberton Independent School District #2835 and one from Mountain Lake District #173 to Red Rock Central Independent School District #2884
+ Received an updated list of upcoming school board meetings:
- Monday, December 12, 2016: Truth in Taxation Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, December 19, 2016: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Tuesday, January 17, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Tuesday, February 21, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, March 20, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, April 17, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, May 15, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, June 26, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
- Monday, July 17, 2017: Regular School Board Meeting, 6 p.m., Room 1.
+ During Open Forum, Mountain Lake Pubic High School faculty member and chapter advisor for the school’s National Honor Society, Kurt Jahnke, addressed board members, providing them with information on how the National Honor Society works, as well as the positive changes that have been made to improve the program as it serves and honors the school district’s juniors and seniors. Jahnke has reviewed this information with the National Honor Society committee, past National Honor Society leaders, faculty and school administration.
+ Each week, Superintendent Strom submits Week in Review notes to school board members; elementary and high school principals; the Mountain Lake Education Association; elementary, high school and district office personnel; district buildings and grounds supervisor and the media. All of these reports are considered public data. Following each regular monthly MLPS School Board meeting, Cross-Counties Connect will chronicle, summarize and highlight information from the Week In Review notes from over the course of the intervening month. Following are those points from the October 21, 28 and November 4, 11 and 18 reports –
- Building Ceiling Matters: As Superintendent Strom earlier reported, the school is having trouble with the ceiling plaster in Tim Snyder’s EBD classroom, located in the oldest building on the campus, built in 1903. MLPS Buildings and Ground Maintnenance Supervisor John Carrison has been working on solutions, along with getting quotes from builders. He has implemented a temporary fix. However, is the problem is extensive, and the structure of the floor of Andrea Brinkman’s vocal music room, located above Snyder’s classroom, as well as the ceiling in that room, are comprised, students and faculty may have to be moved out of those two rooms. A preliminary report indicates the floor was originally designed for 40 pounds of weight per square foot. Today’s standard calls for floors to be constructed for 100 pounds per square foot. Strom has requested an engineer’s report on the floor’s condition. Below are photos before and after repair:
- Indoor Swimming Pool Pump: There is concern that an important joint in the pool pump room is eroding to the point of failure. Possibilities of repairing the joint are being explored.
- Old Gym Floor Damage: This summer, during a rainstorm, water flooded part of the 1930 building, leaking onto the old gym floor, damaging it. The repair has been completed. However, there is a contrast in the color of the floor’s wood. For the most part, this discoloration cannot be helped because too much wax has been put down on the floor over the past century.
- Spring Sports Pairing: The school district has received requests from two neighboring districts – Windom and Comfrey – to consider pairing and sports for this coming year.
- Technology: Strom reports that he met with Technology Coordinator Jon Harder to discuss the building project and how technology will fit into current plans.
- Building: Strom and Carrison also spent time talking about the condition of the campus buildings and projects to be completed. The heat has been turned on in the facility. The pair completed a list of Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) projects, as well as getting estimated prices. They are currently checking and rechecking the estimates. The project list currently includes – replacing the fire alarm system, addressing the ventilation in the 1940 building, replacing lighting, replacing exhaust fans, installing occupational entrance sensors, installing new windows, installing new phone system, installing Munson Field lighting, putting up a new Munson Field scoreboard, repairing cabinets and sinks in the elementary, addressing a vehicle garage, resurfacing the parking lot, updating classrooms with floor paint patching, addressing the red seats in the auditorium/gymnasium, updating technology, improving elementary and high school lockers, replacing the auditorium’s cat walk with theater lighting, addressing hallway lighting, installing new doors in the 6th grade hallway, addressing a basketball winch system and updating and repairing bathrooms. The current estimated total cost for these projects is $2,587,000.
- Ministerial Meeting: Strom met with the Mountain Lake Ministerial Association on Wednesday, November 2, in Room #1 of Mountain Lake Public High School. He presented information on the school district and answered questions.
- Principal Meetings: Strom meets with Mountain Lake Public High School (MLHS) Principal Michelle Larson and Mountain Lake Public Elementary School (MLES) Principal Karl Wassman on Friday. During their meetings, they discussed – MLHS National Honor Society student selection, e-mail lists for elementary and high school teachers and staff, records retention, records retention with MLPS School Nurse Lana Sander, recognized MLHS Ag Teacher Lindsey Brown for an award received, a tgeacher observation plan for the district, locking door, school lockdown and lock-out drills, the social committee, repairing or replacing the current phone systems, coaches for the current school year, coaching vacancies for the current school year, ICU and Plato credit recovery,