By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
At a special meeting of the NRHEG board of education Monday at Ellendale, members went through the stack of action items undone last week when there was no quorum.
Unfinished business
Bills in the amount of $346,682.22 were approved for payment. These included refrigeration work at both sites.
Resignations were accepted from kitchen staff Hannah Burg and Rob Coyer, and paraprofessionals Denise Tiption, Kristina Maas, and Kara Kahle, all with gratitude.
New employee hires were approved for paraprofessional Grace Nelson, new Licensed Practical Nurse Shannon Poplow, and new food staff Clayton Nelson and Debora Swenson.
P.E. teacher Onika Peterson was moved to full time after resolution of licensure issues.
A special education teacher to be shared between Secondary Life Skills and Elementary Special Education, and a Certified Nursing Assistant for up to seven hours per day to provide one-on-one support to a Secondary School student, were approved for hire.
The board approved the maximum levy amount for the 2016 payable 2017 Levy, which is currently $1,376,541.37. This represents a projected increases of $48,567.60, or about 3.5 percent.
The district’s annual Truth in Taxation hearing will be held before the December board meeting, Monday, December 19, at 6 p.m.
Statewide Enrollment options were approved for 10 students moving to the district but choosing to remain in their own schools, five students choosing online schooling, and nine not living in the district but attending school at NRHEG.
A donation was approved from the Waseca American Legion for $500 for the Clay Target Team.
Superintendent goals and objectives
Supt. Dale Carlson reviewed a modified draft of the Superintendent and School Board Work Goals and Objectives list produced at the Sept. 7 work session.
The Superintendent goals contained four objectives, one of which was folded into another category.
Goal 1 was revised to read “Provide leadership to develop a plan for ongoing review and evaluation of student test results, including World’s Best Workforce indicators.
Objective One would be, by June 30, 2017, for implementation beginning at the start of the 2017-18 school year.” Evidence to include completed actions as outlined in the district’s action plan.
Objective 2 would be the same for the following year, 2017-2018, with the addition of follow-up on staff utilization in instruction. Evidence to include the completed Action Plan and Staff Development Plan.
Objective 4 (3 was moved) would be “By June 30, 2017, develop a plan to provide the board and the community with feedback on status of goals, on a semi-annual basis.”
Goal 2 was for financial planning.
Objective 1: “By April 2017, work with the board to establish and develop a fund balance target range.”
Objective 2: “Implement a plan to communicate the goal to various audiences.”
Objective 3: “By June 30, 2017, develop a three-year district budget forecast, taking into account projected revenues and expenses and expected enrollment.”
The board discussed the difference between a “budget” and a “forecast” and decided on the latter.
Goal 3 was for quality staffing.
Objective 1: “Provide leadership to advertise, recruit, and retain quality licensed staff.”
Objective 2: “By June 2017, devrelop a plan to annually provide staff development opportunities for all school district staff.”
Objective 3: “Develop and implement a process to compare staff retention with related data on past and future hires.”
Objective 4: By June 30, 2017, will have implemented and learned teacher performance “I-Observe” tools and be beginning to use the data to inform improvements. Evidence to include completion of principals’ teacher evaluations.
School Board goals
The Board had their own goals, made more urgent by the upcoming election and the turnover of three board seats.
First is to develop and implement a mentoring process for new board members. Is it possible to have this working by October?
Supt. Carlson presented a draft checklist of points to touch on in an orientation interview, detailing the process of being a board member.
An October work session for mentoring and orientation was discussed and will be scheduled.
Also a Facilities study in the direction of another future facilities referendum should be completed by Sept. 2017, and a Superintendent Evaluation completedy by Oct. 2017.