Adopt school board member appointments to committees
The Mountain Lake Public School (MLPS) School Board took steps at their Monday, February 23 regular monthly meeting to make adjustments for the 2015-2016 school year as to how revenue for the Mountain Lake Public School District is managed.
The 2014-2015 budget includes a provision to spend down the fund balance by $102,208 in order to balance the budget. The previous year, the unassigned fund balance dropped by $263,602.
According to board members, that trend is not sustainable.
The financial condition of the school district, along with a decrease in school enrollment, dictates that the school board must reduce expenditures immediately. This reduction in expenditures will include the discontinuance of positions (whether with the termination of teachers’ contracts or non-renewals, or teachers placed on unrequested leave of absence without pay or fringe benefits in discontinuing positions) and/or the discontinuance or curtailment of programs.
In order to accomplish those tasks, the board directed the Superintendent of Schools and other administration, including high school and elementary principals, to look at options and make recommendations.
School Board committee appointments
The board also adopted the following appointments of school board members to various committees as made by School Board Chair Doug Standerwick:
* Assistant Treasurer – Julie Brugman.
* Integration Committee – Pam Hoek, Julie Brugman and Ricardo Renteria.
* Pool Committee – Tim Swoboda and Tom Fast.
* Pairing Committee – Doug Standerwick and Chad Pedersen.
* Negotiations Committee – Julie Brugman, Chad Pedersen and Matt Gohr.
* Safety Committee – Tim Swoboda.
* World’s Best Workforce – Entire School Board.
* Community Service Committee – Rotation of Board Members.
* Building Committee – Vern Peterson, Cheri Hanson, Shawn Naas, Tom Appel, Jerry Haberman, Bruce Swanson, Tim Swoboda and Bryan Bargen.
In other business
* Approved to finish out the third and final year of the current Flexible Learning Year (FLY) plan for the 2015-2016 school year.
* Officially received five responses to the district’s recent Request for Proposals (RFPs) for architectural services – WOLD Architects and Engineers, MLA Architects and Educational Planners, Wendel Architectural Planning Interior Design, ARY Artchitects Rego + Youngquist and Honeywell Building Solutions.
* Approved spring coaches as presented.
* Heard a presentation from Mountain Lake Public Elementary Student Council members Daniel Gardiner, Carly Osland, Eryn Friesen, Caden Swoboda and Sam Stade on the needs for elementary playground equipment. The elementary student council is working with the Mountain Lake Area FFA Chapter and Advisor Lindsey Brown on grant options.
* Heard a presentation from students Jenny Wright, Ben Grev and Eric Wenner from the Mountain Lake Public High School Haydn-to-Hip Hop class on the two-year objectives and goals of the class.
* Learned that Guidance Counselor Jody Lepp has submitted her intent to utilize year two of her approved two-year Leave of Absence for the 2015-2016 school year.
* Heard from Vice-Chair Tim Swoboda as he recognized the four Cobra wrestlers advancing to the individual State Class A Wrestling Tournament, the One-Act Play that won the sub-section and placed second at the section, the Speech Team and members who placed at the Mankato East Public High School Fiesta Speech Invitational Meet and the celebration this week by the Mountain Lake FFA Chapter of National FFA Week