Regular School Board Meeting 2/27/2023

The “regular school board meeting” was held in the small group forum room at the high school. The agenda was long, I tried to summarize the main points here. Mr. Elstad used “Mission Moment” to recognize the Shrek directors and staff. With opening weekend behind us and 2 more performances, this weekend, we heard lots of wonderful compliments from those that have seen the musical already! My family loved the show as well, laughed a lot, but especially loved the dragon. We are biased since this beauty lives with us; we are so proud of Cali!

The OHS principal, Mr. Kath, as well as the 3 assistant principals, gave a presentation including a basic outline for the transition to the new high school this summer with upcoming online registration for classes. They presented information regarding Compass days that occur 2 times monthly. This is a school day with dedicated time offered to students who need to meet for advisement or intervention (counseling, tutoring, catch-up work), but allows for flexibility and freedom to those students who are caught up, giving them opportunities to join club activities. The volunteer groups DECA and Key Club have seen increased member numbers since Compass began. Mr. Kath stressed the benefits of helping students with the 3OTs: On Time, On Task, On Target. The WIN group meets every Compass day and consists of those students that benefit from a daily check in with Mr. Wanous. This group has seen a 41% decrease in failure grades for these students.

No one presented for the public forum at this meeting. No significant concerns were noted during the board forum. Our student rep noted that this is a very busy time of year for many students, many great accomplishments were noted among our students.

The enrollment report was noted, with no current concerns.

The first reading of policy review (policies 540, 619, 701, 702, 705, 706, 707, 710, 711, 712, 714) was done and no significant changes or discussion was noted. Revisions made by the policy committee are related to updated language and statutes, but no major changes. Board members received this information before the meeting in order to review the large amount of information ahead of time.

The administrative report included a summary by Ms. Krell on behalf of the American Indian parent advisory committee and there were no concerns. Mr. Elstad reported that bills are moving quickly through the legislature right now, one of them being a Universal Meals bill. He is also working toward equalization, meaning that all districts receive equal funding, which could mean lower taxes for Owatonna community members in 2024.

The board voted 6-0 to approve the new start and end times for our schools. Mr. Elstad assured that there will be supervision for our elementary students given that the later start time of 8:10am could be very difficult for parents with work commitments beginning at 8am.

The Resolution for Acceptance of Gifts was approved. Due to 2 snow days, the middle school’s Husky Pride day had to be postponed and ultimately cancelled. Families that gave money toward this were given the opportunity to receive a refund or give the money to the school. This month’s “gifts” list include many families that chose to donate this money to our schools. Thank you!

Lastly and maybe most importantly, I’d like to highlight the policy revisions that were approved. The second reading for policy revisions (policies 213, 420, 506, 509, 516, 528, 529, 534, 709, 721, 950) were presented for discussion and then approved. The main changes that I’d like to mention are regarding policy 950, Public Data Requests. The new policy title will be Public Data and Data Subject Requests. The additions to this policy include several definitions, including that for “Individual.” This definition is based directly off of the MN Statute 13.02 subd 8, which means that our district is required to follow this as law. The definition reads as follows:

“Individual” means a natural person. In the case of a minor or an incapacitated person as defined in section 524.5-102, subd 6, “individual” includes a parent or guardian or an individual acting as a parent or guardian in the absence of a parent or guardian, except that the responsible authority shall withhold data from parents or guardians, or individuals acting as parents or guardians in the absence of parents or guardians, upon request by the minor if the responsible authority determines that withholding the data would be in the best interest of the minor. ”

As I read this, it means that if your child confides in a school staff member and the staff member believes that it is in the best interest of your child to keep that conversation from you, they have the right to withhold information from you the parent or guardian. Now, I’ve been told, and I do believe, that our school staff will do their best to include parents/guardians in difficult conversations. However, by this statute and now our district policy, they are not required to share with you. In light of this, I urge you to connect with your children. Connect in the way that they need you to (The Five Love Languages books by Gary Chapman are great for help with this!) Parents, let’s put down our phones and talk to our children. Even if they don’t say anything, just be present. Pat them on the head, shoulder or back, even if they pull away. Give them a hug, leave them a sticky note, tell them you love them (even if they need a shower or just made a really bad choice.) As humans, we are sorely lacking human interaction, eye contact, and genuine presence with each other. Our kids NEED this from us. Love each other, even when we are unlovable. THIS is true love.