Discussion on revenue budget planned for February
The International Falls School board handled mostly routine business done on an annual basis to start the year when it met Tuesday.
The short meeting was moved to Tuesday due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday.
In a roll-call vote, the board unanimously approved a resolution directing the administration, namely the district superintendent and other administrative staff, to make recommendations to the school board for reductions in programs and positions and provide reasons for the decisions.
Per the resolution, the action was taken because “there may be decline in student enrollment projections,” reductions in expenditures and enrollment may lead to discontinuance of programs and positions, and decisions will be made which teacher contracts to renew and which to terminate.
Superintendent Jeff Peura thanked member Will Kostiuk and others for their work on changing the traffic pattern in front of West End Elementary due to traffic congestion and unsafe conditions on Eleventh Street experienced at the beginning of the year.
With the return of school this month, the district rerouted traffic to the rear of the building and off the main street. Kostiuk had previously said he felt the Eleventh Street situation was dangerous.
Peura also provided the board two options for the 2011-2012 school calendars to review over the next month, with more discussion on the topic to occur in February. He said a recent meeting of the Minnesota School Board Association attended by himself, member Stuart Nordquist and member Dena Wenberg was productive and provided the group information on how to improve education in the district and how to increase positive public relations for the district.
Andy Fougner, Response to Intervention coordinator, gave a brief update of key events of that program over the past few months. He said the consensus among peers in other Minnesota schools that had visited recently has been positive about the progress made in the elementary grades through the RTI program.
Reelected board chairperson Michelle Hebner administered the oath of office to returning members Kostiuk and Darrell Wagner as well as new member Wenberg.
The board also elected Kostiuk to vice chairperson, Nordquist to clerk and Mark Lassila to treasurer. In addition, members were appointed to serve on 13 committees and board.
Peura asked that an agenda item regarding the tentative 2012 revenue budget be moved to February, when a more complete budget will be made available to the board.
During the open forum period, Kevin Grover, dean of students, read a letter of gratitude from physical education teacher Josh Koenig regarding new archery equipment that was made available to the school’s archery class because of local donations and a matching grant.
A total of $1,600 was donated to the FHS archery class to purchase bows, arrows, bullseyes and other archery equipment.
Following the meeting, the board met in closed session to discuss Local 331 negotiations strategy as the district prepares for bargaining.
