April 4, 2014 at 4:00 PM - Superintendent's Weekly Update to the Board of Education

Description: 
We met with REM last evening to discuss their contract for 2013-15.  I don't have a lot to report until Mary has an opportunity to verify the numbers.  A few of the items they shared are the following:  
1.  Good with extracurricular changes as proposed
2.  Instead of a dollar amount, they want the occasional work duties converted into a percentage of the base salary
3.  They don't want to split out the BA+60/MA and want to keep the MA+15 lane
4.  They say the total package cost will be 7.29%  

Our next meeting is scheduled for April 10.

Description: 
In 2015, Labor Day is on September 7.  Under current law that'd mean school could not begin until September 8.  Representative Kim Norton is carrying an amendment that would allow school districts to begin the school year before Labor Day for the 2015-16 school year only.

SEE, MASA and several other school-related organizations are getting behind this amendment proposal.

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I haven't heard back from any board members about attending the referendum planning workshop in Alexandria.  I am registering myself for workshop next Monday.  Please let me know if you want to come along and if I should register you too.

Description: 
We had a productive small group meeting with Paul Youngquist and John Huenink (K-A).  The purpose of the meeting was to review and prioritize the deferred maintenance items for our two school buildings.  

In a phased-in plan that turns the current elementary into a grades 1-5 for 20 years, the deferred maintenance costs could be reduced from approximately $6,802,913 to $2,785,776.  This is completing only the necessary needs to make the school safe, attractive and a good learning environment for 20 years.  In a plan to make it last 30 or 40 years the dollar figure would need to be raised back up to the $6,802,913.

The MS/HS building will be kept in either decision - build everything now on one site or a 20-year phased in plan.  We were, however, able to draw down the deferred maintenance costs at this building too.  Instead of the $4,849,625 we can make it work with approximately $2,300,000.

So in the end we went from $11,652,538 down to around $5,000,000 in deferred maintenance costs.  That's a reduction of $6.65 million.  It's not the $2 million Paul budgeted for in the last facilities planning committee meeting (he thought we could get it down this low), but it sure is better.

With this new data added to the estimated costs for a new Pre-K-K learning center with its own food service and community education (see attachment), remodeling at the current elementary site (e.g., gym, school entrance, etc.) and 36,200 new square feet at the MS/HS for classrooms and other learning areas the total cost is approximately $28-$29 million.  The alternative option to build everything at one site today is over $40 million.

The small group is going to meet again one more time and then we'll be ready to schedule another facilities planning committee meeting.

Please call me if you have any thoughts/questions/ideas.      

       

Description: 
Enclosed is a sketch of the softball storage/concessions/press box.  Mr. Lieser's comments below speak well to our good decision last year to place some capital outlay dollars into activities/athletics.  The sentiment from some, in the past, is the school district was looking for community support without backing projects with district dollars. 

Mr. Lieser wrote in an email to me:

It is amazing how far $10,233 is really going to get us ($6,473 is capital outlay money and $3,760 is donated labor). Not to mention many of the senior members of the Lions Club were taken back that the school district funded the project and allocated $3,000.00 for the baseball project and possible more funds for the future. There is talk within the RBI/Legion members of getting a flag pole donated and the Legion will be able to supply us with a US Flag. This would really make our Softball complex a first-class venue and something our community can be very proud of!

Description: 
Two items in the attached 2014 SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATION FINANCE APPROPRIATIONS BILL that caught my attention are below.  The Executive Director of SEE said additional dollars on the general education formula are always a good place for the state to put money - equal for all school districts.

FORMULA INCREASE 
House: 1% on the formula, $58 million for FY15 
Senate: No change to current law

SCHOOL LUNCH 
House: Fully funds reduced-price lunch, $3.5 million in FY15 
Senate: Same

Description: 
Students will be handing their iPads back in one of the last days of the school year.  You will find attached a form David and the principals will use.  The purpose for turning back in the iPads is to clean them out, repair any damages, etc.  We plan on a redistribution, along with the new grades, in early August. 

Description: 
Lindsey Seawell is our elementary and high school Spanish teacher.  She is proposing a student trip to Costa Rica on June 10-19, 2015.  You can find attached a summary of the trip, including attractions and cost.  She has Mr. Swenson's and my support to put together a proposal for us.

Description: 
I'm not going to say a lot about the attached Health Insurance Transparency Act other than the following:

The Health Insurance Transparency Act has been a long hard fight by Education Minnesota to basically get into the employee health insurance business for $$$.  They use words like "Transparency" to suggest the current system is not.  In fact, they go so far as to ask for this language - Compensation Prohibits board members and school district employees from receiving compensation or benefits based on incentives or other money provided to the school district by a source of group insurance coverage.  

I'd like each of you board members to turn back in the money and/or other gifts you received from Health Partners.  The fact is this isn't happening and organizations like MASBO have asked for examples anywhere in the state this is happening...and I heard at a recent meeting of course no examples were provided.

Transparency goes in up, down, sideways and all about directions.  A person/organization is either honest and transparent or they're not.  There is no in between.  It is frustrating and unproductive for everyone when this isn't happening.  Education Minnesota is classic for this being "normal business".  Funny they use "transparency" in their request.

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Please find attached the weekly bills for your approval.