The International Falls School Board on Monday is expected to meet in closed session to discuss negotiation strategy following the regular board meeting scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at the Falls High School cafeteria.
An agenda is considered tentative until the government body begins the meeting and makes additions or deletions to the proposed agenda.
The closed meeting will allow members of the school board negotiating team to figure out an approach to take for the next time they meet with the officers of Education Minnesota International Falls Local 331 teachers’ union.
The teachers’ union last week voted against the first contract proposed in more than a year of negotiations.
Teacher contracts, which are negotiated every two years, expired in June 2011. Failure from both sides to reach an agreement on salary, benefits, and flexible scheduling at the high school has dragged the process along, and teachers are working off contracts developed in 2009. The negotiations are now under mediation through the state to help come to an agreement.
The board is also expected to consider a number of personnel items including the hire of Heather Sjoblom, Laura Hayward, Jenny Olsen, and Erika Mitchell as educational support professionals.
The board is also expected to consider leave of absence requests from Kevin Grover, dean of students, for 12 weeks beginning Jan. 2; Stacy Frederickson, business manager, for a minimum of eight weeks beginning Dec. 26; and Janet Underdahl, educational support professional, for up to one month beginning on Oct. 22.
The hiring of Tim Mellstrom as the head boy’s baseball coach is also expected to be considered.
Independent School District 361 Superintendent Nordy Nelson is scheduled to give an update on the FHS pool.
An open forum period is scheduled at the beginning of each regular council meeting. The public is required to fill out comment cards before the meeting begins to address the board on any topic they choose.
