##VIDEO ID:W6rhMSbtRec## we'll call the meeting to order all of us are present and accounted for so as is our custom on in the beginning of the meeting we will now say the Pledge of Allegiance please stand and join us I ALG 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 folks we have no additions or deletions to our agenda so I would look for a motion to approve the agenda as shown I will make a motion to approve it as shown Clint on the motion I'll second seconded by jool Lyn any other discussion all in favor the approval of the agenda say I I opposed that is car schedule presenters we have none um Schoolboard rep and Schoolboard committee reports does anything anyone have anything for the group about a committee or committees that you represent um the can Falls Ed Foundation we're coming up on or we are actively in um like give to the max day time so um the community um Education Foundation would take any donations and would greatly appreciate um and then they're working on um nailing their winter speaker so otherwise staff development they had their school Force training day um which I'm excited to hear what they think about that and all the information that they learned with that um and then they're just continuing to work on their read act and it sounds like it's going pretty decent actually so yeah questions for Jolan if you guys have any a chance to get down to the school Forest I would recommend doing that um even anytime obviously take a walk through there and see that the the staff over the last few years have done a great job of keeping that up to up to speed so um I think you guys maybe those of you on the finance and facility committee you guys have been notified I think um about those the the agenda will be coming out soon for those but we want to have one here up each in the next uh um a week or so um those will be meeting uh the finance committee to talk about the referendum piece and then the facility committee we want to get uh our new hire which will be approved I believe at the November 28th meeting uh Stephen Johnson was selected and he will start on Monday November 18th he's been in and out quite a bit actually over the last week or so so so we're very excited about that good deal anyone else moving down to administrative reports um you may not have it here but I think the elementary and Jeff had sent their information to us previously and you've had a chance to review it um but Jeff would you like to speak to the super through at all yeah the only thing I was going to mention I was going to talk a little bit about uh the hiring of Steven which I've already done and then also um Lori and jool ly and myself are going to be heading up to the nrea conference this coming Sunday at noon at least we're planning on leaving at noon I'm not sure Lor is up there from she's coming from the opposite direction of us Canadia um so we'll give a report when we get back on that about how that conference was so question jet moving along public input does anyone wish to speak to the board regarding anything on the agenda this evening you're allowed three to five minutes to speak we will close public input action items we have no old business and under new business we will start out with consideration to approve the resolution canvas ing returns of votes of the school district General and special election uh this is exactly what it is uh the first set here is for the uh school board members uh that were voted upon and Ry sh Blum Jolan Williams Peter Swinson and um Jody strain uh for the special election were voted in and will be seated uh uh come January so we need to approve the resolution canvasing the returns of the school board seat election in the special election that is the first one first of all congratulations to you and a big thank you for everyone that that uh that ran yeah yes absolutely so we need an approval of the resolution tion so so stated uh does anyone wish to make that motion I'll make a motion to approve Katie on the motion second second by Brian any other discussion if not clerk would you read that resolution you me to read bullets one and two why don't we uh refer to Lori who's our the first sentence and bullets one and two yeah okay be it resolved by the school board of Independent School District number 252 state of Minnesota as follows it is hereby found determined and declared that the general and special election of the voters of the school district held on November 5th 2024 in conjunction with the state general election was in all respects duly and legally called and held as specified in the attached abstract and return of votes cast voters of the district voted at said general election on the election of three school board members for fouryear term vacancies on the board caused by expiration of term on the first Monday in January next following the general election as follows want me to read name the results yes all of them okay Ry scham um 2337 jolen Williams 2,133 Peter Swenson 1,995 Cliff Gorman 1,65 Don Lanning 1,277 and Rin was 61 [Laughter] would you like me to end at number six yes okay Ry scham jolen Williams and Peter swensson have received the highest number of votes are elected to four four-year terms beginning on the 1 Monday in January 2025 as specified in attached abstract the return of votes cast voters of the district voted at said special election on the election of one individual to fill the vacancy in the term of school board member expiring January 4 2027 as follows Jody strain 3631 wrin 55 Jody strain having received the highest number of votes is elected to fill the vacancy in the term of a school board member expiring January 4th 2027 said individual shall take office as soon as he or she qualifies the clerk is hereby directed to certify the results of the election to the county auditor of each County in which the school district is located in whole or in part the motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by who ended up seconding this Brian Brian and upon voting being taken there on the following vote in favor of so we need yes or no vote Clinton yes Luke yes Bob yes Katie yes Brian yes and myself as yes okay that passes by a 604 one more time congratulations to you all number two consideration to approve the resolution authorizing issuance of certificates of election and directing the school district clerk to perform other election related duties and this is a resolution um authorizing certificates to the four people that were elected um and then we SAR them in later laori yes I contacted people you ready reached out and did that okay so we are looking for a motion to approve this resolution I'll make a motion to approve the resolution Luke on the motion seconded by whom I'll second seconded by Clint other discussion clerk do your reading Lori am I reading all the five yep okay all right um now therefore be it resolved by the school board of Independent School District number 252 um state of Minnesota as follows the chair and the clerk are hereby authorized to Executive um certificates of election on behalf of the school board of Independent School District number 252 to the following candidates Ry schlum jolen Williams Peter swensson who have received a sufficiently large number of votes to be elected to fill vacancies on the board caused by expiration of term on the first Monday in January next following the election based on the results of the canvas the chair and the clerk are hereby authorized to execute the C certif certificate of election on behalf of the school board of Independent School District number 252 to jod strain who's received a sufficiently large number of votes to fill the vacancy in the term of school board member exper in January 4th 2027 such individual shall take office as soon as he or she qualifies CER the certificates of election shall be substantially the form attached here to after the time of contesting the election has passed and the candidate has filed an all campaign Financial reports required by the Minnesota statutes chapter 211A the clerk of the school board is hereby directed to deliver a c certificate to each person entitled ther to personally or by certified mail the clerk is hereby directed to enclose with the certificate a form of acceptance of office and the oath of office in the substantially the form attached here to the motion of the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by Clinton and upon vote taken there on the following vote in favor of so I going yes or no vote by Clinton yes Luke yes Bob yes Katie yes Brian yes and myself as yes that passes by a 6-0 vote take a deep breath you're happy consideration to approve the resolution canding returns of special election certification of minutes relating to special election this is a resolution in regards to the operating Levy question as it was put on the docket um and it did not pass and these are the election results 2196 to 2477 and the resolution we do the resolution to consider a motion yes I'll make a motion K on the motion I'll second seconded by Luke other discussion Julian should I start at to be it resolved yes maybe just that one and then just read the vote numbers maybe that that would be fine okay be it resolved by the school board of Independent School District number 252 Minnesota that the special election held in and for the school district on November 5th 2024 was in all respects duly and legally held called and held and returns therefore have been duly canvased and the votes cast at the special election for and against the questions submitted to the electors were as follows I suppose probably should read the question huh the board of Independent School District number 252 Minnesota has proposed to revoke the school district's exist existing referendum Revenue off authorization of 500 per pupil and to replace that authorization with a new authorization of 1,250 per pupil subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation the proposed new referendum Revenue authorization would be first levied in 2024 for taxes payable in 2025 and applicable for 10 years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law the votes for this the yes votes were 2,196 the no votes were 2,477 you want me to jump down to May me so a motion in a second on the floor she done reading I'm sorry well no I think we need to vote for this one too yeah you need to vote y um so I'll get it yes or no vote from Clinton yes Luke yes Bob yes Katie yes Brian yes and myself as yes that passes by a six Z vot I was not sure if you were sorry right I wasn't sure either no that's that's okay okay that's okay number four consideration to approve the 2425 resolution directing the administration to make recommendations for reductions in programs and positions and reasons therefore uh this is a yearly resolution um that I would ask the board to pass normally we pass it either in December or January um but I'm asking the board for us to start now so that we can have a number uh I'm going to ask Josh to put together or start putting together the preliminary budget for uh FY 26 which would be next school year um to determine um a number to bring back to the board in December that I'm going to ask the board to approve for us to start directing Cuts uh for that we will need to cut um we don't know how much yet until we get that preliminary budget done and unfortunately the cuts will have to be going into the new board so it is good that you guys probably should start coming to board meetings we need a I will make I'll will make a motion to approve Clint on the motion I'll second seconded by Brian any other discussion clerk would you read that whereas the final Financial of the school district dictates that the school board May reduce exp expects immediately and whereas there has been a reduction in student enrollment and whereas this and or may include discontinuation of positions and discontinuance or curtailment of programs and whereas a determination must be made as to which teachers contracts must be terminated and not renewed and which teachers may be placed on unrequested leave of absence without pay or fringe benefits in affecting disc continuance of positions be it resolved by the school board of Independent School District number 252 as resol as follows the school board hereby directs the superintendent of schools and administration to consider the discontinuance of programs or positions and make recommendations to the school board for the discontinuance of programs curtailment of programs discontinuance of positions or curtailment of positions um we need to vote for this one as well yes or no vote Clinton yes Luke yes Bob yes Katie yes and Brian yes and myself as yes it passes by a 60 vote so ends our agenda for this evening I don't think we can walk out of here without at least some conversation because uh what happened was fair and uh it to some degree will distress the school district this is not the first time we've uh had a referendum or a bond issue fail in our community personally I've been involved with more than a dozen of them and the vast majority of them pass economics may have been a result there's just a lot of areas that could have been a result but it's not about the education process that we give our kids we've got a stellar education program here at this point in time it just was not in the car s for us to get that past and uh the people have really spoken but there's at least a couple of you in here that have I don't know if they asked to speak but I know it's it's in their heart to say something so I'm not sure if anybody on the board would like to speak but we need eventually to push ahead we hire our superintendent to do just this he is our CEO and along with other administrators that will bring forth a package for you after the first of the year sometime to uh to review what's what they deem is the best result for us and there is no such thing as a best result it's will probably be painful because I'm sure it's going to go across the board but before we part company this evening does anybody wish to to throw at anything on behalf which would include our ex official um I will just say that you're right you know it's unfortunate for happen but we will persevere we have a strong staff we have strong programs here um we will get through this and um I think it's it's up to the board obviously if you want to go back out and try again next year we can talk about that and what that looks like there are there are three options for operating levies just so that you guys have this information going forward uh you can only go out once a calendar year uh you can go out more often if you're in statutory operating debt which we are not if you decide to go out earlier than the election day in November uh the district can run its own election through mail ballots uh that they that we would run ourselves obviously and there could bring there could be questions that get brought up about that piece of it but that is an option I'm going to recommend at this point not to do that because if you do that earlier than November then that's the only chance you get that year to run it then you're waiting a full other into the following year at at this point after talking to elders and our financial advisers is I'm going to recommend that we that we go through the cut process and then aim for something in November at this point have next you thank you anybody else I guess probably like most of us I was pretty disappointed uh took a few days to kind of speak openly really about it and how I truly felt uh but I guess now for myself I'm trying to make it so try to look at this positive going through uh we talked a lot to the public about what would happen if this didn't pass and now unfortunately we have to show what's going to happen and I really didn't want to get to that point uh but here we are and like Jeff said we will power through uh we'll figure out a ways uh it's going to get a lot tougher but uh we will get through it so yeah I would just add that you know as I was out and about talking with people and meeting with groups and uh the folks that I encountered that that were on the fence or or knows um was pretty clear it wasn't necessarily much to do with the school itself or our teachers or our staff or anything like that it was more so of an economic thing and uh I I do think we got caught up in that um unfortunately but I think it's really important that our staff our teachers and our students know that this isn't a reflection necessarily of them I I really believe that and uh that's the feedback I got um obviously there was um a lot of people that that voted against this but I I I think it's important that those people know that unfortunately it's it's going to lead to uh tough conversations and and whatnot but um we'll get through it and um that was my the feedback that I got from voters else okay folks we set our piece and uh needed to be said at this point in time I would look for a motion to adjourn I'll make motion Julina on the motion I'll second seconded by Luke any other discussion all in favor of adjournment say I I I opposed we are adjourned