Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Front Graphic MLPS School Board approves FY18 LTFM Budget

MLPS School Board approves FY18 LTFM Budget

 Learn of, discuss cross country pairing interest from RRC

 

MOUNTAIN LAKE PUBLIC School (MLPS) School Board members. Officers in front are, from left, Treasurer Pam Hoek, Vice-Chair Tom Fast, Chair Chad Pedersen and Clerk Julie Brugman. Directors at back, from left, Doug Standerwick, Matt Gohr and Tim Swoboda.

 

The Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board approved the Long-Term Facility Maintenance (LTFM) Budget for the 2017-2018 school year at the school government group’s Monday, July 17 meeting after failing to present a recommended motion at its Monday, June 26 meeting.

Approved were a 10-year revenue projection, application for a 10-year expenditure and application for a statement of assurances.

No changes have been made to the budget approved last year. Part of the reason no changes have been made to the FY18 budget is because the district wants to use part of these funds for use in any future building project. Budget numbers cannot be assigned to a category until a project and a plan is approved.

The budget is due by July 31.

 Cross country pairing

On Saturday, July 8, MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom – and a MLPS School Board member – were notified of the possibility that Red Rock Central (RRC) is interested in pairing with Mountain Lake Public/Mountain Lake Christian for cross country for the 2017-2018 school year.

Information and details are still being collected, so a special board meeting could be necessary to consider approving a possible agreement before the cross country season begins. No action was taken at this meeting.

Information presented by Superintendent Strom on what has been learned up to now was the following:

  • Parents from RRC, who have children that wish to participate in cross country, are interested in pairing with Mountain Lake Public/Mountain Lake Christian. They are interested because they wish to remain in the Red Rock Conference and feel that the Mountain Lake Area (MLA) Wolverine coaching staff will make a positive contribution to the success of the athletes.
  • Because the travel distance between the two district is 37 miles – taking about 40 minutes of travel time – an adjustment to any practice schedule is being considered.
  • Mountain Lake Public/Mountain Lake Christian is currently opposed to hosting practices at a RRC practice site, so practices will be in Mountain Lake. In order to adjust to the travel distance between the two school district, adjustments to the practice schedule are being considered. Practice site options include: no joint practices in Mountain Lake, all joint practices in Mountain Lake or some joint practices in Mountin Lake.
  • Program costs, equipment, travel, liability and other details are yet to be determined, as details are still being developed and explored. There is an interest that costs be kept to the bare minimum.
  • A separate agreement between MLPS, Mountain Lake Christian and RRC will need to be created to accommodate this possibility.
  • MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom has spoken with Kyle Blomgren (MLA Head Cross Country Coach), Tim Swoboda (MLPS School Board Director), Tim Kirk (MLPS Activities Director), Bruce Olsen (RRC Superintendent) and Dr. Mike James (Mountain Lake Christian Administrator).

In other business

+ Made the following designations on behalf of the school district:

  • United Prairie Bank, Triumph State Bank, Bank of the West and Fulda Area Credit Union as official depositories.
  • Observer/Advocate as the official newspaper.
  • MLPS School Board Treasurer Pam Hoek with signatory powers for monthly checks.
  • Treasurer Hoek, MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom and District Business Manager Kim Naas as signatory powers for short-term investments.
  • Superintendent Strom, Business Manager Naas – or a designee – to perform the routine functions of the MLPS School Board Clerk and MLPS School Board Treasurer.
  • Superintendent Strom, Business Manager Naas – or a designee appointed by the superintendent – to execute leases, purchases and contracts.
  • Business Manager Naas be bonded at $10,000, and further, that there be blanket coverage up to $10,000 for all other staff.

+ Approved the 2017-2018 amended contract for necessary educational services from Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative (SWWC) in Marshall, adding additional services to the General Technology Services part of the agreement. The change was made in order to adequately meet staff development goals and needs for the staff. The new cost of General Technology services is $6,120 (up from $4,600).

+ Learned that the Pairing Committee, at a meeting held between MLPS, Windom Public School and Mountain Lake Christian (MLC) on Tuesday, June 27, approved the addition of MLC to the wrestling agreement with Windom Public and MLPS.

+ Hired Karen Johnson as Junior High Volleyball coach for the 2017-2018 school year.

+ Discussed the search by the district for an assistant cross country coach. Interested individuals have been contacted. No action was taken.

+ Approved the following 2017-2018 handbooks (The purpose of writing a handbook is to improve and foster positive relationships between people. Handbooks are updated annually in order to comply with revisions to state law, case law, employee contracts and school district policy so that the needs of the students, parents and faculty are met in a productive and positive manner):

  • High School Handbook.
  • Elementary Handbook.
  • Staff Handbook.

+ Approved the candidate filing dates for this year’s MLPS School Board elections. Elections will be on Tuesday, November 7. The filing period is Tuesday, August 1 through Tuesday, August 15. The cost to file is $2. Board members whose terms are up this fall include Matt Gohr, Doug Standerwick and Tim Swoboda. These are four-year terms.

+ Approved the annual renewal of membership with the Minnesota Schools Boards Association (MSBA) and the payment of that membership. The total cost for 2017-2018 is $3,801 – $3,126 for dues and $675 for policy service renewal.

+ Approved the purchase of copy machines from Loffler to replace those in both the high school and elementary. The current machines will be replaced with similar Konica Minolta copiers.

+ Approved the donation of $500 from the Mountain Lake Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) for 2016-2017 wages for ECI Director Sherry Pankratz.

+ Received an updated list of of upcoming MLPS School Board meetings:

  • Monday, August 21, 2017 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, September 18, 2017 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, October 16, 2017 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, November 20, 2017 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, December 18,  2017 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Tuesday, January 16, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Tuesday, February 20, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, March 19, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, April 16, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, May 21, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, June 25, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
  • Monday, July 16, 2018 – Regular MLPS School Board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.

+ Week in Review notes from the past month by MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom:

  • Noted that MLPS Building and Grounds/Maintenance Supervisor John Carrison and his team are making progress to prepare the building for the 2017-2018 school year and are completing the summer project list. That project list includes – moving kindergarten/first grade wall from 900 ft² to 1,500 ft² due to increasing enrollment, technology infrastructure repair, new entrance doors to the 6th grade hallway, roof repair near elevator, $9,000, light covers in the auditorium hallway, four new sensor switches in rest rooms, classroom desks, kitchen work and bathroom preparation.
  • Conducted an audit of recent activity and recommendations given to the MLPS School Board by the Building Committee and Paul Youngquist, architect, of Architects Rego + Younquist Inc. (ARY). Totaled the combined Building Committee and architect report submitted for consideration on May 30, plus cover items recommended at an April 26 meeting – plus possible additions to the plan to cover items from a staff-generated building idea list. The April 26 plan presented was for $12.8 million. The May 30 proposal added $6.4 million. Total costs as of June 5 were $19.2 million. (ARY-estimated soft costs could add an additional 19% to each item.
  • A synthesis of these Building Committee, architect and staff-generated ideas (high priority only) was created and resulted in a project cost of $8.1 million (including soft costs).
  • Taher Inc. Food Service Director for MLPS, Tammy Wolle, reported on the free breakfast and noon lunch meals served during June. Breakfast averaged 70 students per day from June 5-9 and 61 from June 12-16. The daily average for noon lunch meals served from June 5-9 was 128 students, with 129 students the average for June 12-16.

+ The next school board meeting will be Monday, August 21, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Room #1.

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