The Littlefork-Big Falls School Board approved a contract with non-certified employees Wednesday, according to Superintendent Fred Seybert.
The 2009-2011 ratified contract shows a 1-percent pay raise for the district’s secretaries, custodians, cooks, bus drivers and other uncertified positions. Insurance benefits for the group stayed the same, Seybert said.
Julie Lepisto, a former L-BF teacher, attended the meeting Wednesday and reported to the board on a 167-page Countywide Needs Assessment. Seybert said the report shows that 20 percent of students in Koochiching County are living at poverty level.
Seybert added that this initial research document is focused on demography, civil engagement, health and wellness, and older adults. It reports statistics on physical activity, poverty levels, health conditions, binge drinking and driving under the influence, among other topics. The key findings will require intervention, Seybert said; citing examples such as addressing the need for walking trails, focusing on family insurance issues and medical transportation.
L-BF plans to implement Smiles Across Minnesota, a nonprofit dental support plan for students without dental care resources. The free service offered through United Way should be in place in the next school year, Seybert said. The program will provide a local dental hygienist who will offer preventative measures such as cleaning, fluoride treatment and teeth sealants to eligible students.
A technology report was presented to the board that shows the district under budget, and with grants that supported several learning options. Seybert noted that parents will be able to view their school lunch accounts online on the campus program in the 2010-11 school year.
Board members Monty Nelson and Mike Imhof reported to the board on the district’s school forest timber sale. They noted that three tracts of school forest lands will be involved in the January state timber auction.
The board approved an agreement with Koochiching County that will provide a social worker for the district, one day per week, to assist students and their parents with emotional, behavioral or social needs associated with staying in school.
A bus-drop policy is expected to be approved at the next regular meeting. The policy will allow each student two options for drop locations. Seybert reports that policy adherence will ensure that drop points are limited to those options, and prevent buses from sometimes being used as “taxi service.”
Seybert reported that the district has received a one-time $1,000 Louise Romens educational scholarship.
L-BF October students of the month are senior high student Mitch Nelson and junior high student Agim Bekteshi.
