Take action looking toward November election
At the Monday, October 16 meeting of the Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board, took action looking toward the November election.
They established an absentee ballot board for the Tuesday, November 7 school district general election. Ballot board members include Miranda Stoesz, Heidi Jahnke, Pam Logue, Barb Crawford and Linda Letellier. These members are trained in the handling of absentee ballots.
Board members also addressed information received from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State concerning Tim Swoboda’s filing affidavit. The form is missing one piece of required information, his phone number. As a result, Swoboda’s name cannot be placed on the official ballot for the school board member election. Swoboda can continue his candidacy as a write-in candidate. MLPS Superintendent Bill Strom recieved a copy of the affidavit from the Secretary of State’s office and a Minnesota Supreme Court decision specifically addressing the matter. In addition, the school’s attorney advised Superintendent Strom that it would be a clear violation including his name on the ballot. The necessary adjustments to the official ballot have been made, including reports to the state, county, etc.
The board also scheduled a special board meeting for Monday, November 13, at 5 p.m., to canvass the results of the November 7 election.
Two of the three incumbents for the three, four-year positions have re-filed – Matt Gohr and Tim Swoboda – with Doug Standerwick opting to not run again. Also filing were David Bucklin, who has previously served on the school board, along with new faces Carolyn Karschnik and Audi Nickel.
Elections will be at MLPS from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on 7.
In other business
+ Approved Christopher Tailowright as a volunteer driver. A driver is needed to pick up equipment for the fall play.
+ Approved open enrollments – four entering the district and three leaving the district. The current early childhood special education-to-grade 12 enrollment stands at 513.
+ Learned that the Monday, October 16 Meet and Confer date was cancelled. The following Met and Confer dates for year ahead include:
- Monday, January 16, 2018; 5 p.m.; Room #1.
- Monday, April 16, 2018; 5 p.m.; Room #1.
- Monday, July 16, 2018; 5 p.m.; Room #1.
+ Approved the list of upcoming school board meetings:
- Monday, November 20, 2017, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, December 18, 2017, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Tuesday, January 16, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Tuesday, February 20, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, March 19, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, April 16, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, May 21, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, June 25, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
- Monday, July 16, 2018, regular school board meeting, 5:30 p.m., Room #1.
+ Report from Superintendent Strom:
- The next Building Committee meeting will be held on Monday, November 6, at 6 p.m.
- Strom has spoken to Butterfield-Odin Public School Superintendent Ray Arsenault about possible adjustments to the shared nursing contract between the two school districts for the 2017-2018 school year. He asked if MLPS could get out of the current nursing agreement to increasing needs in the student body. Strom stated that MLPS will honor the agreement and cooperative in any way to find a suitable replacement.
- Mountain Lake Christian prefers, at the current time, to operate their own speech team, and not form a cooperative team.
- Buildings and Grounds/Maintenance Supervisor John Carrison is transitioning the campus from a fall operational schedule to a winter operational schedule. This includes adjustments to custodial duties, project lists, schedules, etc. A list of the major building projects being completed include – purchase of snow removal equipment, roof patch estimates from Laraway, the flood underneath the old gym stage, repair and replace the water softener, repairs to the chimney’s structure, mock OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and consultation with the Building Committee.
- Strom has been discussing cooperative career and technical education programs with Windom Area Public School Superintendent Wayne Wormstadt. The two talked about the possibility of establishing such type of programs that would target students who are interested in careers and jobs that exist in the two communities, Cottonwood County and the areas.
- District administrators, including Strom and Mountain Lake Public High School Principal Michelle Larson, have been speaking with officials from the Minnesota Department of Education about the school’s post-secondary education option (PSEO) policy. Strom has also spoken with the city’s attorney and Minnesota State Representative District 22B Rod Hamilton concerning this issue.
- Judges have been selected for the Tuesday, November 7 school board election. The voting machine has been tested and is on site. Absentee voting began on September 22, and will end on November 6.
- A mock OSHA Review was conducted on Tuesday, October 3 by Christine Schmidt from the South West Service Cooperative (SWWC) in Marshall. The purpose of the review was to identify items that needed to be repaired, renovated and updated (wiring, lights, cords, chemical storage and other hazardous materials and situations). Attending the tour with Schmidt were Carrison, Strom and Mountain Lake Public Elementary School Principal Jon Schwaegerl.
- The two lead auditors for the school district from Eide Bailly have accepted positions with other schools and organizations. Eide Bailly is responding to this situation by hiring an experienced auditor meet the district’s needs. Strom has requested that the school’s audit be sent at the earliest convenience in October or November. He also indicated that the district is available to hear the report in November 2017 or January 2018.
- With the addition of new students to the district, transportation needs have increased and become more complicated. The school is working with Doug Penner of Palmer Bus Services to create solutions, Palmer has hired additional drivers to meed needs.
- Strom will be presenting a revised 2017-2018 budget for review and consideration by the school board.
+ Heard reports from the Building Committee and the Music Department.
+ The next regular school board meeting will be Monday, November 20, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. in Room #1.