September 28, 2021 at 5:30 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  Nikki Gieseke   ____    Jolayne Mohs     ____        Mark Sebring      ____    
Eric Schuster   ____     Timothy Jensen ____        Deborah Bandel  ____
Lori Weisenburger  ____   Student Representative Daniela Ortiz ____

Description:  Attached is a summary of policies with recommended revisions including a policy being proposed for adoption. Also attached are the policies with words with strikethroughs if they are to be deleted, and words that are underlined if they are to be added. All of these have been reviewed and discussed by the policy committee. This is the first reading of these policies.

Policies with revisions:
102 - Equal Educational Opportunity
104 - School District Philosophy
213 - School Board Committees
406 - Public and Private Personnel Data
413 - Harassment and Violence
501 - School Weapons Policy
503 - Student Attendance
507 - Corporal Punishment
515 - Protection and Privacy of Pupil Records
524 - Electronic Technologies Acceptable Use Policy
534 - School Meals Policy

Policy proposed for adoption:
220 - Student School Board Representatives

Policy for review only:
103 - Complaints
 

Description:  If desired, items may be removed from the consent agenda by request by an individual school board member for independent consideration.  A request is timely if made prior to the vote on the consent agenda.  The request does not require a second or a vote by the school board.  An item removed from the consent agenda will then be discussed and acted on separately immediately following the consideration of the consent agenda.

Roll call vote is required as the consent agenda contains the personnel report.

Description: 

The board must take specific action to certify the preliminary levy for the 2022-2023 school year.  These taxes are collected during the calendar year 2022.  The summary printout from the Minnesota Department of Education is attached.  The largest portion (64 percent) of the school district tax comes as a result of our community’s support of our bond and operating levies.  The attached figures indicate the total school district levy will decrease by approximately 1.46% percent. This compares to a 1.54 percent increase last year. This year, the state average for school district property tax levies is increasing by 4.5 percent.  As a further comparison, the city is estimating rate increases of roughly 9.75 percent. 

Including this year, the Owatonna school district’s tax levy has decreased or increased less than 1 percent in 8 of the last 16 cycles. Inflation during this same period has increased by 2.4 percent.  As is the case each year at this time, these numbers are preliminary and the school district will continue to work with MDE through the next few months to finalize this data for the December final approval.  

While each individual property is unique, the total market value for all properties within the school district shows an average increase per year of 3.6 percent since 2016. The school district portion of individual property taxes is determined by the market value of all properties and the proposed levy authority.  Because most market values are changing, not all property owners will experience a similar change to their individual taxes, as compared to the total school district levy change. According to the most current available data at the Minnesota Department of Education, a $150,000 residential property owner in Owatonna pays $823 annually in school district taxes.  The state average tax for the same property is $1,063, and the Big 9 average is $849. By acting on this motion, the board can expect to decrease the local levy authority by a forecasted amount of 1.46 percent.

Because the state typically recalculates the levy limit at least once prior to your final action at the December 13, 2021 board meeting, we ask that the Board take action here without specifying the final amount.

Description:  This task force would be convened to examine the future of the existing Owatonna High School facility, which will no longer be used for instruction when the new high school opens in 2023. As a part of the November 2019 bond referendum, the community voted to approve question #2, which allocated funds to re-purpose the existing high school. 

Description: 

Policy 706 establishes guidelines for the acceptance of gifts to the District.  As specified by Minnesota Statute 465.03, the School Board may accept a gift, grant, or property only by the adoption of a resolution approved by two-thirds of its members. Any gifts accepted of more than nominal value (more than $5), shall become property of the District (Policy 421).

The gifts are listed on the attached resolution.

Description:  Closed session in accordance with Minnesota Statute 13D.03: The governing body of a public employer may by a majority vote in a public meeting decide to hold a closed meeting to consider strategy for labor negotiations, including negotiation strategies or developments or discussion and review of labor negotiation proposals.