By Bill Morgan, Staff Writer

 

The Becker School Board met Monday to discuss the MSBA summer seminar, the consent agenda, policy adoptions, policy readings and strategic planning.

 

 

The school board’s annual agenda schedules school board governance education in July or August. Supt. Stephen Malone said possible presentations/topics include a futurist, demographer, technology, advocacy groups, staff, MSBA, etc. 

 

“It would be appropriate for the board to select a topic so that arrangements can be made for the August or September meeting,” he said. 

 

Topics in the past have been policy governance (twice), goal setting, high school electives/scheduling, a discussion of board-superintendent responsibilities based on a survey completed by the board and superintendent, a review of when various debt levies expire and an overview of the high school redesign process.

 

Malone provided the board members with three goals including stakeholder input by EO; All input 2018 and Board goals history and results. He recommended the school board start to develop goals in consideration of the stakeholder input.

 

 

Malone asked for attendance at the MSBA summer seminar Aug. 6 at the Minneapolis Marriott in Brooklyn Park.

 

The seminar is featuring keynote speaker Cindra Kamphoff, who will help boards learn how to gain a high-performance edge with her strategies. There will be an early bird session Aug. 5 to talk about youth and mental health, then Kamphoff’s seminar at 8:45 a.m. followed by insights into the 2018 legislative session by Grace Keliher, director of government relations, Minnesota School Board Association.

 

Lots of afternoon sessions will occur Monday with a Q&A with MDE Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, personalized learning, Minnesota’s new tiered licensure system, case law, school board self-evaluation and a closing session by Rick Kaufman, executive director of community relations and emergency management at Bloomington Public Schools.

 

Tuesday, there will be Phase I-II Combo training and charter school board training.

 

Malone said he will also be attending the MDE annual superintendent conference at the same location Aug. 7 & 8.

 

 

Malone asked the board to approve the following policies:

 

• Delegation to the superintendent –no changes;

 

• Board job description – clarification of title and grammatical improvements to first paragraph. II K added to identify principles;

 

• Macro governance – clarification in item III, B;

 

• Board superintendent relationship – no changes recommended;

 

• Superintendent– clarification to first paragraph.

 

 

Malone asked the board to read the following policies:

 

• Equal educational opportunity: definition of “sexual orientation” in the Minnesota Human Rights Act now includes “gender identity and expression;” 

 

• Open and closed meetings: provision added for Interactive Technology.

 

 

Malone asked the board to approve the consent agenda which included: 

 

• The acceptance of gifts from Egan Companies (2008 Chevrolet C2500 Truck), Inferno Volleyball Club ($3,000), LDI ($3,000) and LPI ($1,000);

 

• Accepting the 2017-18 wellness report; 

 

• Approving the 2018-19 fee schedule; 

 

• Approving the student handbooks; 

 

• Approving the long-term facilities maintenance revenue application; 

 

• Approving the student extended trip for the high school band and choir in March of 2019;

 

• Authorizing Kevin Januszewski to disperse expenses as specified;

 

• Approving the contract for transportation employees;

 

• Approving the contract for the director of buildings and grounds;

 

• Approving the contract for the director of transportation.

 

 

The next Becker School Board meeting is Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m.