MLPS School Board adopts district’s final levy

Facilities Planning Committee gives options update

 

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.

 

At the Monday, December 18 of the Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board, member approved the 2017 payable 2018 property tax levy totaling $965,536.08, including a total General Fund Levy of $917,003.21 and a Community Service Levy of $48,532.87.

School boards must adopt the final property tax levy and certify the levy to the home county auditor each year. Prior to the December 18 regular meeting, the board held its Truth in Taxation meeting.

Facilities Planning Committee presents update

The Facilities Planning Committee met Wednesday, December 13 with Mark Lenz of MLA Architects, Inc. and Gary Benson of Krauss-Anderson Construction Company (KA)to review building options and updates. Option 1 maintains the 1904 meeting (estimated total &9,862,300) and Options 2A and 2B (estimated total $11,119,960) feature removal of the 1904 building and the building of a connecting corridor link with flexible student learning space.

Also presented was an overview of potential items and costs, a discussion (pro and con) of the options.

The next step in the process is a Community Survey, with the review  draft to be completed in January, with a board decision on a project in February.

Below are sketches and explanations of the three options:

 

 

 

In other business

+ Heard from Mountain Lake Public High School Principal Michelle Larson on the possibility of an Ag/Art share with Comfrey Public School.

+ Noted that the school board will holds its organizational meeting on Monday, January 8, at 6 p.m. in Room #1.

+ Approved a pair of donations from the Southwest Initiative Fund (SWIF):

  • $288 for auditorium seats.
  • $261 for Early Childhood Initiatives.

+ Approved two Remick Grant requests:

  • Sixth grade trip transportation to the Minnesota State Capitol, capitol mall, James J. Hill House, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Summit Avenue and admission to the Science Museum of Minnesota and Omni Theater (Dream Big: Engineering Our World) and ending with a stop at the Minnesota History Center where the students will take part in a Play the Past activity, a hands-on exploration of digging for evidence in retelling the stories of Minnesota’s history (including recreations from history including flying in a B-52 Bomber as it is being shot down during World War II to living through a tornado in the Weather Room. The trip will be for 35 students, eight parent chaperones and two teachers. The grant request is $852.50 (total field trip cost will be $1,431.50).
  • Sophomore class trip for approximately 40 students to see a live theater performance of the play A Raisin in the Sun at Park Square Theatre in St. Paul and enjoy a post-performance lunch n St. Paul. Grant request is for $1,025.

+ Approved the hiring of Brent Jass and Daviana Winger as High School tutors for the 2017-2018 school year.

+ Approved the hiring of Justin Klassen as Assistant Track Coach for the 2017-2018 school year.

+ Approved the resignations of Sarah Tailowright as Fall Musical Director and Kelli Tucholke as Assistant Fall Musical Director.

+ Approved a resolution to invest in the Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund (MSDLAF) and become a member in the trust as was approved at the November 20 school board meeting.

+ Reviewed the 2017 birth-to-four-year-old census for the school district. It has been submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education.

+ Approved the tentative seniority list for certified union teachers with the Mountain Lake Education Association (MLEA). After review, and adjustments, if any, a final list will be approved in January or February.

+ Approved the tentative seniority list for members of the Mountain Lake Minnesota State Employees Association (MLMSEA) bargaining unit (non-certified union employees such as secretaries, paraprofessionals and custodians). After review, and adjustments, if any, a final list will be approved in January or February.

+ Approved the Minnesota School Employees Association (MSEA) contract.

+ Approved the Town and Country Day Care rates of pay for the next two years of its employees.

+ Approved nine open enrollments, all out of the district.

+ 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:

  • 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.

+ Presented “Thank You” recognition to two out-going board members – Doug Standerwick, who has served since 2010 and Tim Swoboda, a board member since 2014.

+ Closed the meeting (Minnesota Statute 13D – Open Meeting Law) to discuss a legal matter with which the district is working.

+ The next regular school board meeting will be Tuesday, January 16, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. in Room #1.

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