December 18, 2017 at 6:30 PM - Regular

Description:  Demuth, Habben, Hesse, Humbert, Schurman, and Wesenberg. 

Student Representatives:  Anna Maria Tomovic, Grace Sauer, Emily Haus, Alexa Hennen.

Description:  The School Board Chair will lead the board and attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Description:  Board action to approve the agenda for the meeting is expected.

Description:  Director of Business Services Bertram has developed the annual Truth in Taxation presentation regarding district financial operations. The opportunity to share this information with the general public is part of the purpose of the public hearing.

No formal action is required.

Description:  The agenda is open to visitors of the meeting to offer comments to and/or requests of the school board. The comments and requests should follow the adopted district guidelines which are printed and available at the meeting.  As a general rule, items introduced in the opportunity for comments and requests do not receive action from the School Board, but are taken under advisement or consideration for future action.

Description:  Action is requested on the following items of the consent agenda. Consent agenda items are typically adopted without discussion of the individual items because they are routine or ordinary in action.  Any consent agenda item may be removed for further discussion and deliberation by any member of the board.

Description:  The minutes from the Regular meeting of November 27, 2017 are included in the exhibits.

Recommend approval of the minutes from the meetings.

Description:  Board Treasurer Jason Wesenberg will have reviewed financial information for the board.  This information is included in the Treasurer's Report.  

Approval of Treasurer’s Report is recommended.

Description:  Treasurer Wesenberg will have been at the school site to review bills, ask questions, and confirm information prior to the meeting.  Approve the payment of December bills in the amount of $1,742,725.69.

Recommendation is to approve bill payment subject to any adjustments or direction offered by the Treasurer.

Description:  Mr Guetter has submitted a recommendation for Dirk Apel for a paraprofessional position for 6.5 hours per day.  This will be to replace Ariana LaVine.

Recommend approval of the offer of employment to the candidate.

Description:  Policies are submitted on the consent agenda for third and final readings.   

The policy, at this meeting, is #9-2 Search of Student Lockers.  The policy was adjusted only to fit the new format of district policies; there were no substantive changes to content.

The policiy as approved, becomes part of the formal ROCORI District policies.

Recommend adoption of the policy.

Description:  Vicki Hawkinson, Cook at the Secondary Schools, has submitted a letter of resignation effective December 8, 2017.

Recommend acceptance of the resignation letter.

Description:  Teachers who have completed taking classes and earned credits beyond their current lane are allowed to submit for a lane change in September, December and March.  The teachers  identified in the exhibit have completed the  appropriate process and are now eligible for School Board approval of the lane change.

Recommend authorization to change compensation on the salary schedule according to the lane changes identified.  

Description:  The master agreements with some of the ROCORI employee groups require posting of seniority lists before the first of the year.  The seniority lists have been distributed and had preliminary postings to allow time for staff to request any corrections.  At this point, it is appropriate for the School Board to approve the seniority lists in formal manner in order to allow them to be used for personnel decisions and direction.

Recommend approval of the seniority lists among the employee groups in the district.

Description:  Several items of strategic initiative are included in this meeting.  Given the fact there is only one meeting in December, the nature of this section of the agenda is adjusted from the normal work session format.

Description:  A number of schools in the region have made a change from natural grass fields for activities to various types of synthetic turf fields for competition.  The changes have been made at some large schools (Alexandria and Brainerd, for example) to some relatively smaller schools (Sauk Centre, New London-Spicer, Minnewaska) and several others are considering the change (St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Paynesville, Albany and others).  

Many of the districts have made changes because of the number of activities the schools host and the durability of the turf field to allow all programs to have access to the playing field.  In ROCORI, the additions of boys and girls soccer and boys and girls lacrosse have increased the demand for time on the main district athletic field.  The challenge, for all schools, is to keep the grass field in good, playable condition with all of the teams and types of activities desiring to play on the surfaces.  Weather, the nature of the game, and continual use can have significant effects on the natural grass surface and have more minimal effect when a turf surface is considered.

Community representatives have encouraged the district to consider supporting a change to a turf field.  John Young, representative of the Booster Club, has been part of changes at St. John's and is part of a community effort to explore replacing the grass field at ROCORI with turf.  The community representatives are asking to share information with the School Board in order to seek endorsement of efforts to fundraise resources to change the surface of the ROCORI field from grass to turf.

At this point, the district does not have immediate plans to replace the field with turf.  However, the concept has been endorsed in the Long Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) plan.  The plan does not have this as an immediate priority.  The community groups, based on some potential donations and current conditions, would encourage the board to authorize more formal exploration of fundraising efforts with the desire of advancing the turf on district priorities.

Because of Community conversation, several ROCORI representatives engaged in site visits to see the turf fields at New London-Spicer and Minnewaska.  The purpose of the visits was to observe the new fields but also to learn background information about financial processes, timelines for implementation, and gain a better understanding of issues related to turf installation.

Basic information will be shared by John Young at this meeting.  The information is a request for the ROCORI School Board to authorize community leaders to specifically examine fundraising efforts to support installation of turf field.  The group would operate within parameters expected by the district, but is seeking endorsement of efforts to raise funds.

Recommend endorsement of the concept with several expectations:  1.  The community group would report back to the full School Board by the end of February.  2. The community group would make no promises or commitments on behalf of the School District.  3.  All policies, directives and requirements of the School District will be honored in the processes.

Description:  Activities Director, Joel Baumgarten, is expected to offer a report on the activities program.  The fall season was very busy and very successful!   Beyond the fall season, however, Mr. Baumgarten is expected to review the plans and direction for the activities program overall with focus on strategic initiatives within the programs.  No formal action is required on the report.

Description:  Technology Director, Brian Michalski, is expected to share information about the initiatives and direction of the district technology program.  In particular, the community approval of the technology referendum will allow for additional resources to be incorporated into the technology department planning processes.  Mr. Michalski is expected to share information about the adjustments this will allow the Technology Department to take, the processes that are expected, and the role Brian expects the Technology Committee to play in helping to generate, coordinate, and determine direction. 

No formal action is required with this agenda item.

Description:  The principal leadership team of the district has been scheduled to offer updates and reports during alternating months.  The elementary team is scheduled to offer updates during the month of December.

No formal action is required on this agenda item.

Description:  The district is expected to submit the World's Best Work Force report to the Minnesota Department of Education as part of the process of academic accountability.  A summary report goes to the Department while the bulk of the report is provided through District resources (webpage) to the general public.  

The WBWF report offers an update of district progress on academic goals.  In the ROCORI District, much of the process is conducted through the work of the major committees:  Response to Intervention, Curriculum and Instruction, Staff Development, and Technology.  In addition to the committee work, each building develops its individual goals and plans through building level processes.

The WBWF Report includes information about district testing and is primarily about the progress, or lack of progress, being made in five goal areas:  

1. All children are ready to start kindergarten.
2. All third-graders can read at grade level.
3. All achievement gaps between students are closed.
4. All students are ready for career and/or postsecondary education.
5. All students graduate from high school.

Included in the agenda is district information which is part of the reporting process.  The School Board is asked to review the information and authorize its submission to the Department of Education.

Recommend authorization of the WBWF Report summary submission to the Department of Education.  (consensus that the report reflects ROCORI progress is expected; a formal vote is note required.)

Description:  Action items receive individual attention because of the nature of the issues, the need to discuss or review the information prior to taking action, or the specific kind of action required for the item.

Description:  The district takes action on bills to the Cold Spring Bakery, BSN Sports and US Games in separate action because of the role of individual board members in those organizations.  Bills are presented for each of the firms.

Description:  Approve Check # 97161 in the amount of $393.69.  

Description:  Approve Check #97017 and 97148 in the amount of $5,738.93.

Description:  Approve check #97284 in the amount of $20.08.

Description:  In September, the preliminary tax levy certification was approved with the action to set the maximum levy.  Since that time, the district has also seen the technology referendum approved by voters.  As noted in the tax statements distributed by Stearns County, the district revenues include voter-approved levy authority and levy authority established by the School Board.  Ultimately, the decision to implement any or all of the local tax efforts is determined in action to certify the school tax levy.

Information related to the final tax levy for the ROCORI School District is included in the exhibits.  With the public authorization of the technology referendum, it is recommended the full levy authority of the School District be assessed.  

Description:  As the district begins the budget process for Fiscal Year 2017, one of the first steps is to adopt a
resolution directing the superintendent to make recommendations regarding reductions and/or changes to district programs. The resolution is typically adopted with the idea that it begins the budget
development process and because it may be necessary to make reductions or changes in programs as the process moves forward. We are not anticipating a reduction cycle in the spring, however, the resolution also includes reference to changes to district programs, which is likely to happen. Again, the resolution typically begins the budget development cycle.

Recommend adoption of the resolution.

Description:  Legislative Liaison Schurman has requested two documents be incorporated in the agenda regarding MSBA resolutions on special education funding.  One is directed at the state level to encourage a reduction of special education "cross subsidy" requirements.  The other is directed at the national level to encourage the federal government to meet the funding expectations outlined in law.  The adoption of the resolutions allows MSBA to use its membership numbers as "leverage" within conversations and lobbying efforts in the state and national capitols.

Recommend adoption of the two resolutions.

Description:  Discussion items receive individual attention because of the nature of the issues and the need for introductory or other discussion in order to review the information prior to taking action.  This is also the agenda location for items which simply need school board review, but no formal action on the item is required.  Discussion items will typically return to the agenda at a future point for more specific action.

Description:  The following policies are being presented for a second reading: #7-3 Bully Prevention, #7-9 Health and Safety, #0-1 Behavior at Activities, #9-3 Open Enrollment, #9-5 Medication Administration, and #9-6 Communicable Diseases.

Recommendation:  Accept the policies as their second reading.  Bring policies to the next, or future, meeting for third and final reading.

Description:  At the last meeting in November, preliminary information related to the FY19 budget was introduced.  The budget assumptions worksheet was introduced as well as information about student enrollment projections.  To continue the preliminary budget conversations, these documents return to the board for final review and determination if they reflect the desires of the board.

Formal action is not required, but consensus regarding use of the information and assumptions is desired.

Description:  Administrative reports are requested of each administrator for update purposes.

Description:  The reports during the first meeting of the month are expected from the Academic team including principals and curriculum leaders.

Description:  The business office provides an update of district expenditures and revenues through the Budget Comparison Report.The report is intended to provide a financial picture of the district in a couple ways.One is to compare current year expenditures to the previous year.The second is to simply give a report on the current financial status.In addition to the report, special items of note are highlighted in the explanations offered. This report does not require formal action but is provided as an informational item.

Description:  Superintendent Staska is expected to have a report for the board regarding district activities and information.

Description:  Board members will report on activities within their portfolio of committee and representative assignments.

Description:  A calendar of upcoming issues of concern to the school board is included as part of the agenda.