001I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. 3.0 is to approve the meeting agenda. I'll make that motion. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? I I I opposed. Agenda is approved. Uh 4.0 are acknowledgements and recognitions. Uh we don't have anything specifically on the docket tonight. Um 5.0 is our recognition of visitors and community comments. Uh our community comments is an opportunity for the public to address the board on an item included in the agenda in accordance with the guidelines printed at the end of the agenda. Uh no one has signed up to speak tonight. Uh but just welcoming all of our visitors. Hello to those of you in
002the room. Hello to everybody out in cyerspace either now or in the future. When it's dark out, we seem to get more attendance. Yeah, it's true. Starts to get light out. Oh, nobody. Yeah, that might be a metaphor also. Uh but anyways, thank you all for being here. All right, we'll slide into 6.0, which is our report section. First one up. 6.1 is the principal report and Mr. Blanchi is here. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening everybody and uh principal report for you all. The big thing going on in Sawtooth right now this week is we're doing our MCA testing with our third, fourth, and fifth graders. So they um did their reading and math test this week. They wrapped that up today and then next week our fifth graders will be doing the science um
003test. Um we also are going to have a swimming lesson starting up. So, this is again, we've been doing this for quite a while here. Uh, but the YMCA hosts all of our elementary students uh for daily swimming lessons. So, next week our kindergarteners through second graders are going to be learning how to swim. Hopefully, they can pass the deep water swim test. And then the week after that, our third, fourth, and fifth graders will be over there. That's with Mr. Tisman. He's working with the YMCA to collaborate and set those swim lessons up. So, that's happening the next couple weeks here in our middle school and high school. The fun thing going on right now is we have 11 senior high students right now as um I'm speaking down at North House building a
004timber frame structure which is I'm going to head down there after the board meeting and help them out. This is their long night. They're working till about 8 or 9:00 tonight uh to try to complete this structure by tomorrow. Um this again is something that's been going on for 20 years. Um sending senior high students down there to um build these structures. Last year they built a structure that ended up at Camp Menosian and then this year's uh timber frame is going to a school down in Duth. Um so that's been fun. I I stopped down there last night and saw the progress they're making and it looks great. Um also next week we have our second annual AMP event which starts for art stands for art, music and poetry. This is for our seventh
005graders. um in English class they've been working on memorizing a poem um and they've also been creating unique um art that kind of um describes or shows their poem. So on Friday um next week they're going to be performing in the ACA reciting poetry with their art um behind them and then in between poems they've also been working on different ensemble pieces in band. Um so they're going to be playing music. So, this is an event that's open to the public. Um, and would love it if people could come by the ACA next week to watch our seventh graders um and their AMP event. When was this? Was that When was it again? During the day. It's Nope, it's next week um at 7 o'clock in the ACA on Friday. Friday night. Sorry. Y Thanks.
006Yeah. Um and then springtime means prom's coming up. So May 3rd, we're going to have um prom. uh Saturday there'll be a grand march beforehand and then the dance and um the venue that it's at this year is down at North Point. Um also coming up uh we have our Grand Portage Awards night on May 14th and then our senior scholarship awards night is May 1st. And so just for the community again wanted to invite them to AMP next week Friday in the ACA at 7. And then we'll have our prom grand march open to the community as well on Saturday, May 3rd at 7 pm. And the grand march is here, correct? In the gym. Yep. Yep. Yeah. Kudos to Betsy and Mila and the team that did that. Last year was the first
007time. First time. Yeah. And it raving success. And so, um, that interdisciplinary teamwork is just perfect middle school teaching right there. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Well, the I have to give kudos for keeping the swimming lessons program going. Um, I know that's probably a little bit of a pain to orchestrate, but I think it's one of those things that's super worthwhile, especially here where kids are around water all the time. So, absolutely. It's great. Yep. Yeah. Well, thank you. Alrighty. 6.2. It's a superintendent report, Mr. Lindhol. Yeah, just a really brief report tonight. Um, on Monday, excuse me, next Monday is a no school day for students. Our faculty will be here starting their day, the elementary folks and ELA folks in AVID training from 8 to 10 and then others doing some curriculum work and
008some departmental meeting cereal. What's that? Cereal. I'm sorry. Yeah, carry all training. That's what I meant. Red eye training. Uh, that's uh how we're starting the day. Then there's some AVID stuff later in the day. There's curriculum stuff. um several other things going on. Uh and then in the afternoon, they'll be focusing in on their school improvement plans, looking back at what they've accomplished this year and what they're starting to set goal set goals and stuff for next year uh in their collaborative teams. Uh next Wednesday and Thursday, DSGW will be here for two days of user group meetings. Uh so staff that are involved in that have all gotten an email kind of got a coverage plan. The way that looks for people wondering is uh we we chunk out different areas of the
009project like elementary um special education and bathrooms. That's chunk. And we bring in the faculty and staff that engage in that area. And then we have another group for the locker rooms and gym spaces and do a user group there. Another group for the office space. So there's I think six or seven groups meeting over those two days just providing some some input. in my board report at the very end there's a link to a monthly progress report from ICS that's a public document if people want to look at that uh and see what um the construction updates are and then last but not least at late in the today I threw into my report uh we are looking at implementing a new software platform next year uh that'll be connected to our website to
010publish the nutritional information for our breakfast and lunch food that's a it's a missing thing that we should be doing right now and we're We're we're not uh so we're going to invest in a platform. Laura is going to invest a lot of hours over the summer populating it with the nutritionals. That's super important for our diabetic students and kids with food allergies to be able to look ahead um figure out what they can eat with can't eat and uh you know for parents especially of little uh kids with allergies uh and diabetes. So um thanks to Laura for taking the lead on that and that'll be a big project over the summer. It'll take a long time to get all that data uploaded and have it go live next fall. Does that have any
011impact on like what sort of the menu is so to speak like or will that facilitate that process at all or So yeah, the the planning side of the menu is actually kind of overkill for a school district our size. Yeah, you know, we we've been doing planning without it um per se, but for large systems like Duth, Proctor, Hermtown, it's super common to have a system like that to plan out your menus in your different schools, um making sure you're covering all the bases with the uh food service requirements and all that. So, it's it's very common to have a system. We're just so the planning part, but now that there's kind of this expectation with all the dietary needs that kids come to school with today that we got to communicate to the
012parents, what we're serving and uh that's the piece that's super important for our folks here. It doesn't impact necessarily what we eat. Uh it just helps with the communication part of it. Sure. And what is it? How come they just don't put like a PDF on the website? Well, we do that with our menu, but what it doesn't have is the nutritional breakdown of Oh, everything that's in that that little thing, you know. I get you. Yeah. So, for some kids, they have a unique allergy, right? And mom and dad have to look for something. Yeah. Is there any milk products, whatever. Exactly. Will that will that result in it being harder to like provide new meals? Like if she's like, "Oh, I want to do this dish." You know, will she feel hemmed in
013because it's now not like in her system that has all the nutritional stuff? I would say no. You know, all it all it means is entering the nutritionals for the for that oneal for the one meal and then it's populated and then it's in there forever. Yeah. So then it's just it rolls forward. Link to a database where when you put an ingredient in there, it it puts that nutritional stuff in. There's a fair amount preloaded. Yeah. Yeah. That are connected to the the vendors that we buy from. Right. So, yeah. So, the summer work is a lot, but technologies come a long way on that front, too. It's not like you have to go research all that. Right. Right. I think you can scan a lot of it, right? If it's manufactured food, there's
014just a barcode. Calorie counting is like that. You just scan it. I'm a calorie counter. I know it doesn't look like it. I am. I count them. I count them here. Yeah. Yeah, it's a lot eas. The platforms have come a long way over the last decade. It's it's pretty slick. Okay. All right. Any other questions? Thanks. All righty. 6.3 is our student schoolboard member report from Greta Young Doll. Her port report is in the packet, but she is unable to attend tonight. Um, so we'll move on to 7.0, which is our consent agenda. Um, if there's anything that needs to be pulled, uh, let me know. Otherwise, we need a motion. Motion second. Okay. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I I I those opposed. Uh consent agenda is approved. All right. 8.0
015are our discussion and action items. 8.1 is to accept our March expenditure revenue report here for March 2025. And uh we've got Oberg in the room with us this evening. If there are any comments you have, um the only difference about the report is that there's an additional column that's outlined um that is talking I guess 8.3. Um, but we're at 75% of the year. So, if you look in the far right column, you can kind of track where we are at in the different categories. It's not I'd say we're doing just fine. Like the instructional low, but that's because we will pay out the rest of the teachers through the summer. So, we're actually tracking right on spot. Um, as far as that goes, uh, our revenues versus our expenditures. uh to date we
016are right on I think what we're up by basically break even um but I guess as far as this report goes I don't have any other additional comments and I see that there's a discussion between so two items um correct great um well if there aren't any other questions from the folks we'll Just need a motion. I'll make a motion to accept the March revenue report. I'll second. Okay. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I I I. Those opposed? Motion carries. Okay. 8.2. Uh we've got a discussion piece on our construction project and referendum and we've got uh Miss Lori Christensen from ICS on the line. All right. In a car. In a car at a track [Laughter] meet. Uh, okay. So, just wanted to to give you an update kind of where we're
017at. Um, a lot of good things happening, a lot of um, positive things. Um, and related to the current project, uh, just so you guys all know, we did get the ILRB application in and so that's being uh, reviewed and fi, you know, we should hear something in May and that would be the request for that 7 million. So that's in and and I feel good about that. Um we also have um the sales tax exemption that Jeff and Gary helped us apply for and that's sitting in the legislature too too. So those are two really positive things that that they helped us with. Um the tax exempt would apply to the current project and then the RB would some be something that we'd use if you go towards the the um additional work in
018November. So, those are waiting to be approved. Um, but we do feel good about it. Chris, any other feedback on that? Uh, no. I feel good that all that all got submitted and it's on track. Okay. Excellent. We also have been we also applied for a the um LCCMR grant and that would be looking at investing another $250,000 in um well actually the grant would be 250 and we'd have a 25% match. So the total project would be around 330 and investing in your outdoor learning areas. Um some of it's um we have a nice little drawing that has you know different trails, hiking trails, learning spots where they can bring bring their classrooms. So we're hopeful. This is kind of an interesting one. Technically this would be uh spring of 2026 before we hear
019about it. Um, but we're pretty lucky. We have Gary and Jeff on our team and there's some of those funds that didn't get allocated last year or didn't get used. So, they're trying to position it that we could do something unique where those dollars not spent we could get with our application. So, they strongly encouraged us to go after that. Um, so again, we feel good about it. Uh, but waiting to hear how that shakes out. Um, so good things. Um, and then we also are looking at that donation of $100,000 um to also I you guys heard this uh I think Dan and um uh Rita you guys heard this during the PC meeting um that is going to go towards some sort of outdoor playground or play area improvements. Right now, what we're
020doing is Chris and I talked and the top three items that we're focusing on on utilizing that for would be some like the little kid play areas. Um, can we get some more um ADA or handicap accessible play um playground equipment? And then can we turf? There's a small section where the kids the elementary kids play football and and use some green space that turns to mud. So, is there a better surface such as turf that we could do and utilize those dollars? Um, right now we have uh I just received it today. We have like a list of um all sorts of different playground I mean playground you can go from 20,000 you could go to 600,000 or a million doesn't matter. But now we have specific items that we could look at and
021say okay we could get this specific playground equipment for 10,000 20,000. Um, so I have all that data pulled together so then the district could look at how do we prioritize that and and Chris was going to pull together a focus team to say, "Okay, what do we want to do with this?" Um, because the deadline for getting something to the Johnson Foundation is April 30th. So the goal is next week prioritizing and then finalizing it for the 30th. Anything to add on that one, Chris? Uh, no. I think you summed it up pretty good. The intent is to see what are our options and then bring it to a team to say what do you think? What's what's the highest priorities and um get that back to Lloyd Cape before May. Yep. So, lots
022of good positive things for your outdoor that that'll be happening and some nice extra funding for that. Um, and then finally, what we're working on is how how are we going to shape our our Q2 and Q3 or the referendum. What's that going to look like? So, currently, I think it was at our last meeting, we actually brought back staff and parent survey results. Currently, we have the community survey that's live and and this was a a survey monkey that RAP Strategies helped us put together. It's pretty much identical to what we asked the staff and parents because we wanted to be able to compare them. We want we want apples to apples so they we can understand um how it aligns. We also are encouraging staff and parents to take this one too. So
023right now as of today it's been live for about a week. We have 268 uh residents that have participated and of that I would say we're probably I don't know we're around 50% are non-parents or staff. So I think that's good just general public um getting their input is great. that is going to be live till April 24th and then those survey results I plan to be in the district on May 1st and we'll deliver those results and that should help us have the foundation of what where we're going to go and and what the scope looks like um if you guys are considering that referendum in November. So your our plan is May 1, that's a work session, right? So we'll review the survey at our next work session and see this is the
024community response. Um and have a good robust discussion about are we going out for a question, how big, how do we want to frame it? Um because then we got to turn around and vote on that at the board meeting in May or at the very least a special meeting in June. um so we can get referendum materials uh moving forward. Is that correct, Lori? Yeah. Yeah. I I would say if we could get something approved in June, we'd be sitting good. Um we are anticipating a pretty high number of referendums on the ballot. So just giving um Chris Kubish time to review. We want to probably if we can be to the table sooner, we sooner we can get it back. So it's kind of the goal is June. But deadline would be the
025the first week in July. Yeah. What what is the I don't know if you happen to know this, maybe this is a little more specific than what we're dealing with here, but the this ITR money should we be awarded it? Is that is would there be a possibility of like deferring that? No. uh they made very clear this is a match. It's a one-time offer and um it's kind of you get it now or you don't and then you go back for a run later in life. But yeah, you never really know. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. And that's one of the points, you know, if we don't pass it, we just left seven million on the table. Uh yeah, for sure. Yeah. And this I mean it might feel like this was kind of an easy
026thing but this is very unique and you guys are really fortunate to have this opportunity. Um so I don't see it coming back around. Um yeah it could be pretty hard to get in the future that uh came up in our PC meeting that I just want people to start percolating on. uh is and Reena and Dan, you saw the pictures as they've been doing civil engineering. Uh we saw the ramification of the new gym on the multi-purpose field behind the school that we use for FID and football practice and soccer and all of those things. Uh and the single stall gym cuts into that hill significantly as they try to figure out how to manage water flow behind the building. Um And my first look at that was, well, we certainly can't put on
027a second stall if it's if that's how big just one stall cuts into that because we need a field back there for for fiat and soccer. And now, of course, if the referendum were to pass, then we would have a turf field with a lot more usability that we currently don't have. So, one could argue that h might not be that much need, but um I've we asked them to kind of sharpen the pencil and maybe look at some other options like a retaining wall or pivot the gym a little bit, try to see if that changes anything. So, just know that um it cuts into that field pretty big. Uh and that's all that's one of the only flat spaces in Grand Marray uh that we have. So, stay tuned. is I guess is
028the the message. Is that fair, Lori? Yeah. Yeah. And maybe we can have a little bit more for that May 1st. Yeah. I can circle back with uh Steve and Matt and Damian. Yeah. And John and Cat. Yeah. Yep. And it's just going to be important to be able to say, "Hey, we can still get a full football field here or you know what I mean? Somehow." Um Yeah. That's what it's used for is basically football practice and soccer and not official soccer but soccer. Yeah. Yeah. I mean it seemed like during that meeting you know they they sort of tested the waters with that and got our response and it was kind of like well I think we need to look at this a little bit more. So getting some additional options will be
029good would be good for sure. So cool. Anything? Anything else? I'll see you. Yeah. Any other questions? Otherwise, I'll see you guys on the first. Nope. Doesn't sound like it. Okay. Well, thanks so much for tuning in. Appreciate it. Thanks. All right. Thanks, guys. Yeah. Bye-bye. Okay. Um, so now let's see. We're at 8.3, which is uh to approve the fiscal 25 revised budget. Um bring Miss back up. This is was the topic of conversation at our last work session. Yes, at our last work session. Um yep, we reviewed this sheet. It's also laid out on the um our normal um treasure treasures report or expense revenue report just so you can see it laid out that way that we look at all the time. Um so we did kind of discuss and um kind
030of at length about the different the things that are going into this budget revision. primarily it's um some revenues and offsetting expenses that were either didn't didn't know about yet or didn't have as um some grants that we got. Um and then also some like the literacy and read act aid that um I didn't have specific numbers for yet that didn't get um put in the original budget. Um and then the main thing was the fund six um the building construction. So, our referendum, so that's kind of highlighted. That's the largest component of this budget revision because prior to it there was zeros and have to acknowledge that revenue. Um, and so I guess if you want to talk through it more or if you want me to go through line by line or if
031you feel like you have enough information from the work session, I guess that would be how much detail would you like me to share? This is the same as we looked at, right? Correct. Okay. Yep. Um, currently what's shown I'll I guess I'll just note is that there's a a slightly less amount of revenues and a slightly more of expenses that are going into this. There's still um a our enrollment that is fluctuating and this still has the conservative enrollment numbers projected. So whether I feel still quite good that we will end the year with basically a balanced budget. And again the number epies is um well the 440 is the number that of students that we're getting revenue for. But if I were to say um okay let's see that's what you budgeted for
032correct correctly. Right. But you there's Well, I budgeted for K12 students 420. Okay. Plus those, right? E um early childhood special ed and the preschool which is 13.6. So that brings us to 434 is the number that are in this budget, but we are kind of standing at 440. So we're up about 10 students from budget the budget numbers. So there'll be more revenue likely than what I have projected. So about 70,000 more oh per student. No I mean total how much more revenue about I'm just trying to Yeah. Yeah. So basically this, you know, this u reduced revenue of 80 grand is totally a mute probably zero. 20 grand a kid is kind of the number I nap napkin math right because you have the um gened formula the $7,000 but then basic skills
033the numbers that number filtrates on all of the okay formulas that's our operational reference too right right it's driven by enrollment yep okay so so that's what I have for the revised budget Okay, great. Um, any other comments or questions for Teresa? All right. And we just need a motion to approve it. Motion to approve. I'll second. Okay. Further discussion. All those in favor? I I those opposed? Motion carries. Okay. Uh 8.4 four are is to approve the uh fiscal year 26 uh budget guideline. You don't have that one in front of me. Oh, and this was also the topic of conversation at our last work session as well. It looks like the updated sheet didn't get in there, but anyways, um yes, we talked about this at the work session. That highlighted blank number,
034I believe, is 8.8 million. the FY26 projected general fund revenue 8.8. Yeah. Okay. That um because we are doing a better job of projecting our enrollment, you know, coming out of COVID when we were projecting over projecting. um we have been able to kind of level some of that ups and downs and pull back after you know cuz if you project too high and they give you the money then the next year when they've reconciled the number of students they take that money back kind of thing. So I think our revenues are um pretty confidently stated at the 8.8 for general fund. Um our fund balance uh the first point at the top is talking about uh maintaining that unrestricted fund balance of 25%. Um we are quite close. We kind of teeter on the
035unassigned unrestricted fund balance between 20 and 25%. Um, so that's our goal and I know that Chris was mentioning to me the other day that legislation they're, you know, some schools are freaking out a little bit because they're like, "Oh, maybe we won't give them all their money up at once because the state gives us our funds, you know, 90% of the funds through the year." But in the past when they've had their own budget constraints, they have given it less frequently. And so if we don't get our funds, we need to have that cushion so that we have cash flow to pay our staff, pay for the bills, etc. So that is an important thing to maintain. We've talked about that multiple times. Um so this is kind of the the context and reality
036is kind of what we know and what is what we are expecting. Um the center column is things that you don't want us to do when we're building a budget. So um violating statute or policy and then the final outcomes um our goal is to um produce a budget that you know we know that there's 2.74 increase to the gened formula. We'll use assigned curriculum technology uh assigned funds for curriculum technology and buses if necessary. We do have those. Um, additionally, upon the unassigned fund balance, um, there's going to be an increase to staff wages. Um, we just don't know what that looks like yet. Um, we'll be in negotiations with the teachers, so that will be kind of unresolved. So, I'll have to put a number in there as far as what that um
037increase will be. Um, and that's salary, benefits, etc. Um, we will be increasing one FTE because we have a grant to do the Ojiway language um, teacher. So, we'll step that individual out of the their current role. We'll have to backfill that with another teacher and then the referendum projects will be happening throughout the year. So, I don't know if anyone has any questions or anything they want to add to this to charge me with while I build this budget. And the highlighted line there, FY26 projected general fund revenue will be around 8.8 million. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Which compares I'm just thinking about comparative comparative comparative numbers. Currently, this budget is what? 8 point. We're currently at 8.8, but we're dropping it to 8.7. So, it's going to be slightly more about the same that
038number down there protecting enrollment to stay flat. Stay flat. Yeah. Essentially, it's actually kind of maybe dipping because of those kindergarten classes. Next year will be our second kindergarten class of less than 20 and then there's the third one that we're all in that projection model and it's kind of showing true. I think maybe we're picking up a couple. So yeah, that's on the conservative side of things, I believe. But y I think that's a safe way to start. Okay. And then um as far as next steps on this um you'll have the in June the that when we'll May first May we'll I'll have some preliminary numbers to look at so that we have something to build look at build upon or at least so you're you guys are seeing it and asking me
039questions if they things look off. I start h how I'm going to start is I'm going to start with um within our database I start with an overview of the revenues but I start with payroll so because that's our biggest that's the big huna um so I will start with that I will you know add percentages to bump everyone up I will step people all the teachers so I will create that first and build on that so that's how I kind of process through um building the budget and by the work session In June, you'll be looking at a close to final budget. Y um that may just be tweaked a little bit between the work session and the final meeting, but that's when Teresa the last two years has given you that narrative that's
040quite detailed that we publish on our website for everyone to see um transparently. So um that's what will be going on over the next month. Kind of breaking it down by fund. Y chance to look at it. She also told me, Teresa told me also that the the rules on fund balance in fund two are shifting back to the way they were. I didn't know that. So, um there's a there's a rule about percentage of fund balance you can have in fund two. Um it used to be what, three months of expenses. Used to be three months and then they change it to six. And when it was three, we had so much in our fund balance that we had to submit a plan to spend it down to be compliant. Um then they changed
041it to six and we were okay. They changed it back to three. We we may have to work to spend it down. The good news is we're doing this project and you can spend things like you can spend fund too money on things like tables and stuff for cafeterias which is part of our referendum project anyway. So we should have opportunity here. Punishing districts that are a little more financially I know right. It's it's mind-blowing. It is. Well, I think for a while too it's I mean it's encouraging to have good food and have you know all those things. So I think maybe there were some years in there where yeah who knows had less staff whatever it was. I had the same problem in my last district. It was crazy. Great. So I read
042an article recently that of a district that they're having budget issues which if anyone reads about education is happens in a lot of places. Thankfully not here at this point um so far but um one of the things that they mentioned was that the MDE was advising districts to spend down their fund balances. Was that like kind of what you were getting at before in terms of we may not see the draw down of funds like you know have they I've never heard MDE suggesting to spend on fund balance. Yeah, that's what someone was. I'm sure it wasn't Ed Minnesota. No, it was Yeah, there was in one of the articles that MSBA sends out in there. I wonder if it was similar to like what you were saying, Chris, that maybe leaving it in
043restricted. Yeah, I don't know. And I don't know. I don't know what that would be about. I know some we get to a point then we're then we get, you know, slapped on the hand and then, you know, M to step in and say, uhuh. Yeah, there wasn't a lot of detail around that. It was just like a a quote in the the article. So I was like interesting. So our auditors recommend that we we maintain enough for 3 to six months of expenditures or 25% in our in our case and that's that's what we try to maintain. So we don't ever want to be caught unable to make payroll or whatever. uh the superintendents that are getting squirmy about the state holding back funds are our superintendents that were in the seat back in
044the penny days when they did that. Yeah. Um and it went from 90 to 80 to 70 and for a hot moment it was 6040 and that's when a lot of districts ended up having to spend money to borrow to make payroll to wait for the money to come in in the next fiscal year. and uh those people that were around at that time in this seat, those were painful, painful, painful days uh across Minnesota. Yeah. And MSBA doesn't think that'll be at all on the table this fis this legislative session bianium, but if projections of the next bianium are accurate, we don't know what's coming. Yeah. Anyway, this uh document uh gives the parameters to Teresa and me as we go and and work towards a budget. So, um we asked the board to
045preemptively kind of proactively uh approve this to give us the the guardrails. Uh and then what we bring back lines up with this. Cool. All right. I'll make a motion to approve these. I'll second. Okay. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I I Those opposed? Motion carries. Thank you, Teresa. Yes. Thank you so much. Um, okay. 8.5 is to approve the speech therapy service contract. Here we've got it in the packet. I would love to table this up if you please don't mind. Uh we currently employ a very very very part-time speech language pathologist Haley. Uh she was full-time the last two years and now this year she moved to point 2. Um which means the vast majority of our speech language students receive services virtually through speech partners. Uh and uh it works
046but it's not great. Um obviously we would prefer inperson speech services. Is that the lady from Canada? Yeah. Yeah. So, she's she works one day a week uh serving some students uh for us. Um I was contacted by uh a woman who's the agreement. You can see her name is Jane Wolf uh recently because she saw that we had a speech SLP position posted and she said her and her family have moved to Two Hars and um they have a cabin in Finland and um she was wondering if we could figure out some kind of vendor, you know, contracted services agreement. Um so let's talk. So I set up an interview with her and Tina Frederickson from the Northland Learning Center. We interviewed her. She interviewed off the charts. tons of tons of clinical and
047medical experience. No boots on the ground experience in schools except for when she was going through her master's degree and doing some um hours there. So, um I was very impressed uh with her background as was Tina Frederickson. Then she came up here and she met for a half a day with Melissa Oberg and we toured the building and kind of did another interview and uh I I'm I'm sold. Uh the agreement she's giving us is for the same price that we're paying for online services. We would be getting a a in-person SLP two days a week. Um her agreement says two days a week consecutively. So she would come up, work a day, probably stay at her cabin, come back, work a day, go home. Her proposal is for two days a week. Um,
048and then of course all the paperwork and some compensation for travel. But same price as virtual, just now we get it in person uh from a very qualified SLP. So my recommendation is that we approve this agreement. It's we have a start date of May one um because we think our ESY services and stuff will kick in. That's the um what's the acronym? ES extended school year. Thank you. Extended school year services through special ed that some kids get over the summer. Um she's willing to do that. Uh and um then the two-day a week agreement will start with the next school year and go through June 30th. Then we would renew this just like we do our greater Minnesota family contracts and our all of our other contracts. So re recommendation is to uh
049approve this and welcome and would this be um in addition to Haley or in place of that? Yep. Haley would still be 02 once once a week. So we'd have three days a week. Three days a week of in-person services essentially and then we would still have to have some virtual services because our case loads are that big. Okay. That wasn't my question. If it was going to We have enough case loadity. We have enough case load for basically two full-time speech language pathologists and we have now what point what would that be? Sixish. So, we do have to still use a virtual. So, okay. But which is we could ramp that back up if we needed to. Like if for some reason this agreement wasn't working out like for her, if she didn't want
050to Yeah. this then we could go back to that. We wouldn't be like left without No. No. Speech Partners has actually been very flexible with us. Like when Haley was here full-time, they adjusted down. She said point two, they adjusted up. Okay. So, uh that's one of the advantages of virtual. It's just not as good of a delivery mode, right? Especially for this type of thing. Yeah. But Okay. Um and when you say the cost is the same, it's the cost like the same that we would pay for two days of virtual. The $90 an hour is the same for both. Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. It's a $90 an hour rate. Keep in mind you're paying for a vendor who's paying their own liability insurance, their own health insurance. You know, they're it's just an hourly
051flat rate. I'm a vendor. Okay. Got it. Cool. And budget for this. We had budget for full time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll make the motion to approve this contract. Sounds like a good thing. I'll second. Uh, further discussion. Yeah, I just say thanks for being willing to be creative and kind of make stuff happen. It's kind of the the way it's got to be up here. So, thanks. That's great. Uh, all those in favor? I I those opposed. Motion carries. All right. 8.6 Six is to accept our slate of donations for April 2025. Here it's a resolution in our packet. Got a donation on there. Robotics for robotics. Right. Yeah. I just need a motion on this one. I can make that motion. I'll second. Okay. Discussion just thanks for you know donating donating and
052supporting our robot robotics kits for sure. Yes. Thank you so much. Okay. All those in favor? I I those opposed. Motion carries. Right. 9.0 is personnel. 9.1 is to approve our uh slate of new hires resignation sheets here as presented. I'll just table it up table it up by saying thanks to Josh and the many teachers and staff that have participated in interviews so far. We've hired um industrial tech, we've hired social studies, we've hired special education, all for next year. We've got um instrumental music underway. We've done the interviews and that's in process right now. Um elementary, you've done the interviews. Um so that's in process. Um and then we have the FIAD health position next with the AD position uh to tackle. So uh that's a lot of work. So thank you to
053all the people that have been part of that and Josh especially for setting it all up. For sure. And there's looking looking up on the outstanding positions. There's people interviewing, applying, and all that sort of stuff. By far the best pools of candidates that in my four or five years here. Yeah, it very strong pools when you start getting seven, eight apps for band. You know, that's way different than it was, you know, the last couple times we've hired that. So, yeah, it's a good day to be in Cook County. Awesome. Always a good day. Benefiting from these, you know, last fall when other districts were cutting. Is that kind of part of the deal or I I wonder, you know, there's a ton of people cutting all over the place. So, yeah. Yeah. Sweet.
054Um, all right. And if we can just get a motion. A motion. I'll second. All right. Any further discussion? All those in favor? I. Those opposed? Motion carries. And let's make sure. Yep. Okay, that's it. A motion to adjurnn. I'll make that move. All right, we're adjourned. 5:47. You always do that. So enthusiastic.