March’s meeting was held at the William M. Kelley School Library. There were no financial reports at this meeting as the business manager was on vacation.
During the open forum, Marcia Oates gave her concerns about the state of WKS’s recently renovated auditorium, highlighting two key issues. First, according to Oates, the house lights are now dim to the point of being unsafe, saying “the recently added accessible seating platforms are now, ironically, a hazard in this low-light condition.” The renovation included fold-up desktops for a section of the seating to allow for use as an instructional area, which is not possible under the current circumstances. Secondly, the new HVAC system is noisy enough that it must be shut down during performances to allow the audience to hear. Oates noted that, as a retired educator, she is aware of budget concerns, but that the schools should balance that with wanting their facilities to “enhance and not hinder student experiences.” In response, it was noted that several school officials are aware of issues with the auditorium and are speaking with construction about solutions.
Next to speak was Amy Jordahl with a follow-up to her appearance at the last School District meeting. She thanked the Board for their recent policy meeting on school safety regarding dealing with problematic student behaviors, but expressed her lack of confidence in their response during said meeting, which, to her, seemed focused more on detailing the current strategy used rather than exploring improvements. She also spoke of being contacted by teachers and transportation staff who say they are unaware of what tools are available to them under the current safety system for dealing with problem students. Many of her concerns centered on what she sees as a continued lack of transparency, with her hope being for parents, staff, and outside experts to be included more in the policy-making process. The Board is planning a follow-up policy meeting on this issue, date still to be determined. This was followed by a rundown of the relevant March 3rd policy meeting, going over details of the school district’s current policies, including immediate threat assessment and ensuring thorough investigation of all issues.
New business included approving possible reductions in the annual budget and an application to the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Cooperative for the Girls Golf program at Two Harbors High School and William M. Kelley High School.
Next on the agenda, school reports started with Minnehaha Principal Shane Johnson, who celebrated the success of the school’s latest Variety Show and their recent Winter Carnival, where the fire department monitored a fire to keep attendees warm. The school will soon hold an event called BOOK BLAST, where students will have an opportunity to earn 1-8 books at no cost to students or the school.
William Kelley School Principal Dan Johnson covered the start of spring sports and Lake Superior Community Theatre preparing for their spring production. The French students are participating in a weeklong trip to France over spring break, from March 12-20. The yearly Transition Summit at Fond du Lac College went well, as did the robotics team at the Lake Superior Regionals at the DECC. Their robotics team will also be participating in more competitions, including one in Iowa.
Two Harbors High School Principal Mike Emerson thanked the Smith family for their donation of $2,600 to the high school. He also spoke with Lisa Hanson, director of Lake County Human Services, about their support for the students and families of the district. Rock Solid Robotics participated in the Lake Superior Regionals at the DECC. The First Witness Child Advocacy Center will do a health class presentation to discuss abuse/ harassment awareness; parents can opt out of having their child attend if they so choose. Regarding student threats, he mentioned the school’s use of GoGuardian. This is a surveillance software used to monitor online student activity, which Emerson noted had already allowed them to intercede with cases of self-harm and threats. Emerson will also be traveling to Washington D.C. to talk with Minnesota legislators as part of the policy leadership of the Minnesota Association for Career and Technical Administrators. Finally, several students are on a long-planned one-week trip to Iceland, with three teachers accompanying them.
Community Education Director Brett Archer spoke about the formation of a Lake County Community Forum focusing on educating community businesses on workforce, infrastructure, and keeping childcare affordable in small communities. The forum will take place on May 7th at Northshore Mining.
Superintendent Gina Kleive spoke last, addressing Jordahl’s comments by stating the purpose of the policy meeting as covering current policies, which are “a work in progress,” and the steps that are being taken to reach out to other communities for improvements. She responded to Oates’ comments with agreement that the auditorium in its current state is not adequate and that they are looking into fixes for current issues. In other news, Northern Lights Academy is in talks to possibly lease building space from the Cloquet School District, which would replace moving forward with new construction in Carlton County. Board member Jeff Radle was positive about the idea, saying, “It’s a win for all the districts involved.” Kleive continued on to announce the posting of several open TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) positions throughout the school district. The positions are open due to previous contracts ending. She thanked retiring coaches Ward Kaiser in Silver Bay (22 years) and Rick Ray in Two Harbors (44 years) for their service and concluded the meeting by noting the incoming Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) general fund for the next school year (26-27) was increased by 2.69%, which works out to about $202 per student.
