Our school board work session was held at 5:30pm May 8, 2023 at the district office, all 7 board members were in attendance, and we concluded at 7:30pm. Nutrition services began with a presentation and updates for the year. Sarah Brooks is a registered dietitian and leads our team. Owatonna schools have 7 kitchens within the schools that prepare meals on site, including catering for St. Mary’s School. Because nutrition services are funded by state and federal dollars, we are required to have meals that fulfill the nutrition guidelines given by the government. Every 5 years we have a review with the MN Dept. of Education, and this was recently a success. Our schools follow the concept “offer vs serve,” meaning students have many options to choose from and they are able to choose their preference foods. As our dietitian stated, “Kids have so few choices in life, food can be one of them that they do have.” (This is similar to the Ellyn Satter model for feeding children. If you struggle at mealtimes, you may love this info too!) We all have individual preferences and hopefully this reduces the amount of food waste. Bob Olson, our facilities director mentioned that we are looking into possible uses for “food waste,” whether it’s recycling or to local farmers. However, this is challenging because of many limitations and restrictions, it’s a work in progress. MN Legislature just approved a bill that will allow for 1 free breakfast and 1 free lunch for all MN students in grades K-12 for each school day beginning Fall 2023. Currently, we have 48.3% of Owatonna students receiving free or reduced-price meals. By the end of this school year, we are projected to serve about 250,000 breakfast meals and 500,000 lunch meals to Owatonna students for 2022-2023. We started the year with no negative meal balances, but are currently up to $17, 000 in school meal account balances yet to be paid and may not be paid. When our students present in line for a meal, we do not deny them food even if their meal account is empty. New this year, nutrition services uses the Infinite Campus online program for information and payments, which is a program already established in our district and should be familiar to parents. Thank you, team, for feeding our children!

Wold architects presented information for the remodeling of the existing high school spaces previously approved to retain, including drawings of the property’s aerial view, plus detailed descriptions of the new C-plaza. They met with user groups to discuss details for the spaces which will be district offices, conference rooms and a large meeting space. There will be a new boiler room, bathroom remodeling, and updates to fulfill ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. The gymnasium will house a new gymnastics center, locker rooms will remain. Public restrooms with stalls will be gender specific, plus there will be 5 individual unisex/family restrooms. The project will begin approximately in October 2023 (abatement and separation of buildings), and by January 2024 they expect to start the mass demolition as well as start the interior remodeling of C plaza. The goal is to be move-in ready by July 2024. Lori Volz, our finance director, gave a general overview of funding with reassurance that despite the increased cost of construction, the district expects to have available funds through a variety of resources, one of them being the approved referendum in 2019. Mr. Elstad also noted that it is a priority to not come back to taxpayers and ask for more money.

New high school updates: construction still moving forward as planned, expecting to move into the building by end of July. No property standing water issues, no roof leaking, the facilities committee reports that things continue to go well. There will be an OPEN HOUSE for the community sometime in September after the teachers and students have a few weeks to settle in. The date will soon be finalized!

Student successes: graduation rate has increased this year and we continue to work toward a 100% graduation rate. The Knowledge Bowl team is state champions! The Robotics team won Northern Lights regional competition and attended the national competition in Texas! Our high school speech team sent 12 students to the state tournament! The last spring play in the old auditorium successfully occurred last weekend. Spring sports are in full swing. There are a few music concerts still upcoming. Graduation commencement is June 2, 2023 at 7pm at the OHS football field, with lighting of the lights (for the last time) 9-10pm.

Future school board meetings: last regular meeting in the small group forum at the existing high school May 22, 2023. Until further notice, all future school board meetings after May 22 will be at the district office.

In follow up to the earlier post this week, I want to clarify that there are existing portions of current high school that will remain in place and updated with the previously approved referendum money. Hope this helps!

This link will answer some of the questions people have had: https://engageowatonna.com/the-high-school

Based on the information in this link, as I understand it, this is the portion that will be demolished:

• G-wing (Math, Science and Industrial Tech area)
• Lunchroom
• Atrium area
• Underground plaza areas
• 1921 portion of the building, including the auditorium

This is the portion that will be saved and renovated:

• The three-story portion at the northwest corner (C Plaza) is anticipated to be remodeled to house district administration offices.
• The Ag/Annex building is anticipated to be utilized for district maintenance shops.
• Tennis courts to remain available for district and community use.
• Gymnasium and locker rooms anticipated to house High School and youth gymnastics programs.
• Field and track to remain available for district and community use.

Twenty-one years ago, I was pregnant with my first-born child. Growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a mommy and here I was, finally anticipating and excitedly preparing for my own baby! I carefully chose my baby’s crib based on design, color, functionality and our budget. When the baby’s room was complete, I made up the bed and took pictures. Then when our precious son was born, I carefully laid him in his crib and stared at this beautiful baby boy we had been blessed with. As he grew, our second born, a daughter, also slept in that crib. By the time our third child came home, adopted at 2 years old, he wanted nothing to do with the crib, so we stored it away. As the years went by, that crib collected dust in the garage rafters. Then, we rented a dumpster and cleaned out the shed, the garage and the basement of things old or broken down. We looked at the crib. It was more than 10 years old, out of date, dusty and scratched up, with a few bite marks from children on the railing. By today’s standards, it’s not safe anymore because it’s outdated. We can’t sell it or even give it away, and it’s not worth paying money to get it up to code for any child. My heart skips a beat as I have flashbacks of each of my babies sleeping, jumping, crying, and reaching for me, in that crib. I love that old crib. We made the decision that day to put it in the dumpster, not because it wasn’t loved, well-used, or taken care of, but because it was past it’s time. We had good use of it and what’s more important is that my children were safe in that crib, it served its purpose and now they are grown. When they have their own babies, they will purchase new cribs (and I may have to get one for Grandma’s house!) I have pictures and memories of our previous home, my children’s bedrooms, and the old crib, and I love that. Yet, it’s just material, it’s not eternal and ultimately, it’s not important. My children are.

Last evening, the school board voted to cease negotiations with FOHS, LLC and demolish the existing high school buildings not previously reserved, and will thus maintain the green space for future use by the school district. This decision was met with contemplation and understanding for how difficult this will be for community members. Two weeks ago, at the school board work session, the Community Task Force presented the recommendation for the above vote, much to my surprise. To explain this difficult decision in more detail, here is what we know: 1. this process started about 1.5 years ago 2. FOHS, LLC was the only entity to come forth with a marketable business plan 3. the FOHS plan was full of questions and unknowns 4. the plan was opposed by many households neighboring the current OHS building 5. an organization that works to restore old buildings was involved for opinion, but could make no guarantees about restoration of the building 6. cost of demolition continues to rise and is significantly higher today than it was 18 months ago 7. many task force members that invested hours of time into this project had a goal of keeping the old building but in the end, made the conclusion that it was best to demolish 8. the cost of keeping the building open and functional is expensive (utilities approx $33,000/month) even while it sits empty after 2023 graduation 9. the cost to renovate and keep the structure up to code and safe for use by anyone is extremely high and maybe unattainable 10. the school district will take some items from the current site (lamp posts, donated items, building crest) and preserve them. 11. the district is working with online auction companies to sell the furniture items not needed in the new building that are in good condition, and the staff have been advised to not throw things away if they have potential use left.

Now, I drive by the old building and keep the memory in my mind. I won’t be there when the wrecking ball comes, but I can look forward to what is to come. I am eager to see the new high school. Fall 2023 will be an exciting time for our high school students to begin a new school year, with many memories to be made while old and beautiful memories are preserved!

The school board work session meeting was held at the district office with all school board members attending. First to present to the board were 4 members from the Owatonna Existing High School Task Force. From a Press Release dated April 12, 2022, the task force that began meeting in November 2021 made recommendations to the school board in April 2022 that included maintaining ownership and operations of the C Plaza, gymnasium and locker room spaces, VoAg building, and some surrounding parking spaces. They suggested a Development Agreement with FOHS (Former Owatonna High School), LLC to consider potential developments of the other spaces, and then a call back to action after approximately 180 days (as requested by the developer to allow ample time to form partnerships and a plan). The task force created these summarized criteria for projects on the existing high school property: 1. be financially responsible 2. benefit the community as a whole 3. benefit the surrounding neighborhood.

The task force last met March 16, 2023, we were given a copy of their meeting minutes to review. Each of the 4 presenting members recognized the old high school building for its tradition, history, memories and beautiful architecture. However, after initial enthusiasm for a potential renovation, then much deliberation and discussion, they now recommend that Owatonna end negotiations with FOHS, LLC. The meeting minutes report, “The proposal lacked secured funding… The proposal had no assurances… The proposed phased purchase of the property would leave the district unable to proceed with their projects until all portions of the building have been bought or not (therefore the district would have to maintain utilities costs of approx $35,000/month for many months)… The Task Force has concerns of FOHS selling the property to other developers…” Therefore, the Task Force recommends that the district “proceed with the District’s project on their own timeline. The project should demolish the portions of the building that will not be used by the District and retain the green space.” The members of the task force recognized during the meeting that this decision endured a very long and challenging process, but they asked us all to keep an open mind. During the review process, task force received much concern from the surrounding neighborhoods about the negative effect of the proposed projects on them. The members noted that the FOHS projects had too many unknowns, was not proven to be “actually feasible” and appeared “fiscally irresponsible” for the district. More simply, they did not meet the criteria noted above.

Honestly, this is not what I expected to hear. When I toured Owatonna 7.5 years ago deciding whether or not to move here, it was the beautiful old high school building that made a big impression on me. I love this old building, and I’ve only lived here for 7 years. Mr. Elstad, the task force members, and the school board each recognized that there are many memories and emotions tied to this old building. Regardless of the decision for the future of this building that will be made by the board in the near future, Mr. Elstad noted that there will be memorable pieces of the old building taken to the new high school. There will be “goodbye tours” of the old building for anyone who desires to walk through. There are students creating memory projects to share with the community. Moving to the new high school will be exciting, but also in part a grieving process for some.

Next, we had a presentation by Dr. Jamie Bates the principal of the Alternative Learning Center (ALC) and Owatonna Online. Dr. Bates moved to MN last summer and started her work here for the 2022-2023 school year. In past years, our ALC graduation rate has been average among ALC schools in the state at approximately 20-21%, but she is bringing this rate up to >67% this year! She states that the biggest need her students have is support, and this is individualized per student depending on needs. As Mr. Elstad pointed out, one of the greatest benefits the ALC has is the option for flexibility in learning. Dr. Bates has also found that the parents of her students have been wonderful allies in helping their children and working with the school. In addition, Owatonna Online has grown and improved over the last few years. Our Director of Teaching and Learning, Michelle Krell, has been instrumental in bringing forward this program, and recognized the great teamwork and efforts by Dr. Bates and Ann Mikkalson in this process. Owatonna online incorporates Owatonna curriculum through Pearson online for elementary aged students and Edgenuity online for our secondary school students. This has been a great option for students that work best at home or need self-paced learning. Families are able to choose from 2 different pathways with different levels of teacher support. Online school also can incorporate IEP, English Learners, social work services, and counseling services for its students, which is not often available in other online programs. Online students can attend field trips and service activities with ALC students if desired. Currently our online program has about 130 students enrolled, approximately 70 of those are open enrolled from other districts and this number is expected to grow as Northfield and Faribault are closing their online programs soon.

The board had ongoing discussions regarding the book, The Governance Core, that we are reading together. This conversation focused on governance efficacy, coherence, and culture.

We closed the meeting with brief updates during the board forum. The facilities committee had a recent meeting and the new OHS construction is still on time, on budget, and preparing for early completion in July 2023.

We have much to think about and consider. Enjoy the sunshine, take care and keep in touch.

Curriculum… this is a big topic and I’m just beginning to understand it! Our district has the Department of Teaching and Learning, currently led by Michelle Krell (/https://www.isd761.org/district-services/teaching-learning). Owatonna school district education policies are found here: https://www.isd761.org/our-district/school-board/policies , specifically policy 601: https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1614284439/owatonnak12mnus/bc19ra9w3iwfbvlbdbr1/601_1.pdf . See also policies 603, 604, and 606.

Basically, as I understand it today, academic standards are written by the Minnesota Department of Education and then approved by the MN State Legislature. Standards are updated and revised every 10 years. School districts are allowed to choose curriculum that teaches students what they need to know to meet these standards. Five areas of standards are outlined by The World’s Best Workforce (https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/wbwf/). The district uses tools such as Ed Reports (edreports.org) and What Works Clearinghouse (ed.gov), among others, to evaluate various curriculum options which aids in choosing what the district feels is best for our students. Owatonna has the District Curriculum Advisory Committee (DCAC) which includes 2 school board members (Mark Sebring and Tim Jensen), plus 4 community members, plus 9 teachers, plus 9 district administrators (https://www.isd761.org/district-services/teaching-learning/dcac). This committee works on data analysis, reviews “vision cards” from the schools and discusses the strategic direction of the district. They will approve new courses, such as the fire fighter courses offered next year. As academic standards change, as they have recently for science, the curriculum is adjusted to reflect the new standards. Student assessment of learning is completed by testing, such as the MCA tests (/https://www.isd761.org/district-services/teaching-learning/assessments).

The District Staff Development Committee is responsible for ensuring teachers know how to teach the curriculum they are given. I’ve been told that the curriculum “is full”, and that “it doesn’t leave much room for teachers to include any supplemental material.” However, any supplemental material that teachers desire to add to the curriculum, should follow the guidelines given by the administration. As a parent and a school board member, I would like to see these guidelines defined and written so that parents feel aware and confident in knowing what is or isn’t being said in our schools. I would like to be proactive in setting boundaries, rather than reactive and acting only after a concern is identified.

Just recently, one of my sons informed me that one of his elementary school teachers a few years ago had told the class that they could be anything they wanted to be and referred to the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Whether or not you agree or disagree with the teacher’s liberty of telling the children this, we need to have clear guidelines for these topics that are common in our world today, these are topics that fall outside of our basic literacy, math and science education. Thereby deciding which topics and/or opinions can be discussed in classrooms. While our teachers have basic guidelines for what they are teaching with the curriculum, understandably administration cannot know everything that is being said in the classroom. Our teachers, principals, and the superintendent need to know from parents if you are concerned about something at school. If you have questions or comments, please bring them to the school board meeting’s public forum.

Social Emotional Learning has become the norm in many public schools today, including Owatonna. What is it? How does each school define it? If we consider any of the 5000 students that come to Owatonna schools each day, what about the children who are experiencing abuse or going through a difficult situation at home (illness or death of a family member, parents’ divorce, etc)? How many of our students have complicated socioeconomic circumstances? These children at any age are going to struggle more at school. What if they aren’t being taught the coping and self-regulation skills at home, or getting the love and guidance and discipline they need from their parents or caregivers? Do we expect the school to do this? Should they do this and what happens if they don’t? Social Emotional Learning, in essence, can benefit children that need help with coping and self-regulation, therefore allowing them to learn more at the end of the day. In theory, this is how SEL works. In reality, SEL is vague and could be very different from one school or district to another. Do we want our schools to incorporate SEL, and for whom? How do our teachers feel about this?

These situations noted above ask the question, what are our expectations for public school? We need to decide how much of our students’ day should be utilized for academics vs social emotional learning vs other (counseling, dental care, vision screening, and the many other mandatory requirements outside of academics). We need to determine if all students need SEL, or just those that are struggling. What percentage of our students are struggling? We need to determine if and what part of the curriculum devoted to SEL is required by MN State standards and what is only our district’s choice. Who makes these decisions? How do we approach these topics? Lots of questions, lots of learning and understanding is needed. Please take this journey with me for our children. The school board needs to hear from you so we know what you are most concerned about.

Check out the upcoming FAIR event in Owatonna: https://openowatonna.org/special-event

MN Dept of Education virtual listening session: https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aV7skfotrcI49Iq

Prager U interview, “We need an educational revolution.” : https://www.prageru.com/video/we-need-an-educational-revolution-in-america-with-jill-simonian?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_6541993

Lastly, just for fun, this is what I’m making for Easter Sunday dinner with my family: https://www.allthingsmamma.com/cheesy-potato-casserole-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-26627 as we celebrate our risen King, the one and only Jesus. God bless you and your family this year.

In follow up to the last post, there are several other bills that are currently being discussed at the capitol. Our superintendent and director of finance have mentioned these in past meetings, including the concern for the challenging financial impact they will have on most, if not all, school districts in MN. While they may sound beneficial on the surface, the statutes can be restrictive and may not come with any funding from the state. This will place a huge financial burden on our district, one that I am still trying to understand as I learn school finance. Kyle Christensen is the chair of the school board in Farmington, MN (where I lived for 14 years and my children started school there). He explains some of the effects on districts well, “HF 1522 (introduced as 1690/1691) and SF 1384 (introduced as 1632/1633) will take inherent managerial rights of school boards and school administration and make them a term and condition of employment that must be bargained. This includes items such as class size, staff to student ratios, e-learning days, and student testing. Requiring school boards to negotiate e-learning days with labor unions erects a pointless barrier preventing school districts from flexing due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. But most of all, the cost of provisions in this legislation will bankrupt school districts by requiring hiring of hundreds of additional staff (unclear if that’s fully funded) and the need to create additional classroom space for smaller classes.”

Just a few of the hundreds of House bills mentioned above:

/https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/bs/93/hf1690.pdf

/https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/bs/93/hf1691.pdf

/https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/bs/93/hf1271.pdf

/https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/bs/93/hf1348.pdf

From MN School Boards Association (MSBA):

They have created a spreadsheet with education related bills and will have regular updates on their website: /https://mnmsba.org/at-the-capitol/stay-connected/#bills

A nice summary and explanation of legislation and how MSBA is working for our schools: /https://mnmsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MSBALegislativePlatform2023.pdf

This is quite overwhelming. If you have a mind and skill geared for finance, government, and lobbying, this suits you well! Contact your representatives, senators, and the education finance committees of the House and Senate. If you are a concerned parent or community member, teacher or school staff member, please express your concerns at our regular school board meeting public forums. We need to hear from you! /https://www.isd761.org/our-district/school-board/meeting-dates

Somewhere and some time ago, I heard someone say, “If you only do what you’ve always done, you’ll only get what you’ve always got.” We can’t do the same thing day in and day out and expect a different result. That’s insanity, right? When left alone, without effort or care, disorder and chaos ensues.

I also want to recognize that many families are hurting deeply due to loss of loved ones. Please be kind to one another. You are in my prayers.

HF 1269 /https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1269&version=latest&session=92&session_number=0&session_year=2023

This bill is currently in the MN Legislature, and it’s very long. I’ve only copied/pasted a very select group of statements that stood out to me, but there may be many more sections that stand out to you. What do we do with this information? If this bill is worrisome to you as it is to many including myself, then please find a way to speak out and tell your story. They won’t know, until they hear from you. I’ve included a few testimonials speaking against these changes, plus a few opinions from local organizations that also stand against these changes.

(The underlined statements come from the bill directly and represents the new language added to the statute.)

Sec. 9. [120B.025] ETHNIC STUDIES.

“Ethnic studies” means the critical and interdisciplinary study of race, ethnicity, and
indigeneity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people of color within and
beyond the United States. Ethnic studies analyzes the ways in which race and racism have
been and continue to be powerful social, cultural, and political forces, and the connection
of race to the stratification of other groups, including stratification based on gender, class,
sexuality, religion, and legal status.

Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 120B.11, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section and section 120B.10, the
following terms have the meanings given them.

(a) “Instruction” means methods of providing learning experiences that enable a student to meet state and district academic standards and graduation requirements including applied and experiential learning.

(b) “Curriculum” means district or school adopted programs and written plans for
providing students with learning experiences that lead to expected knowledge and skills and career and college readiness.

(c) “World’s best workforce” means striving to: meet school readiness goals; have all
third grade students achieve grade-level literacy; close the academic achievement gap among all racial and ethnic groups of students and between students living in poverty and students not living in poverty; have all students attain career and college readiness before graduating from high school; and have all students graduate from high school.

(d) “Experiential learning” means learning for students that includes career exploration
through a specific class or course or through work-based experiences such as job shadowing, mentoring, entrepreneurship, service learning, volunteering, internships, other cooperative work experience, youth apprenticeship, or employment.

(e) “Ethnic studies curriculum” means the critical and interdisciplinary study of race,
ethnicity, and indigeneity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of People of
Color within and beyond the United States. Ethnic studies analyzes the ways in which race
and racism have been and continue to be powerful social, cultural, and political forces, and
the connection of race to the stratification of other groups, including stratification based on
gender, class, sexuality, religion, and legal status. The ethnic studies curriculum may be
integrated in existing curricular opportunities or provided through additional curricular
offerings.

(f) “Antiracist” means actively working to identify and eliminate racism in all forms so
that power and resources are redistributed and shared equitably among racial groups.

(g) “Culturally sustaining” means integrating content and practices that infuse the culture
and language of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities who have been and
continue to be harmed and erased through schooling.

(h) “Institutional racism” means structures, policies, and practices within and across
institutions that produce outcomes that chronically favor white people and disadvantage
those who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Subd. 12. 

Nonexclusionary disciplinary policies and practices; alternatives to pupil
removal and dismissal. 

“Nonexclusionary disciplinary policies and practices” means
policies and practices that are alternatives to removing a pupil from class or dismissing a
pupil from school, including evidence-based positive behavior interventions and supports,
social and emotional services, school-linked mental health services, counseling services,
social work services, referrals for special education or 504 evaluations, academic screening
for Title 1 services or reading interventions, and alternative education services.
Nonexclusionary disciplinary policies and practices require actions by school officials to
intervene in, redirect, and support a pupil’s behavior before beginning dismissal proceedings.
Nonexclusionary disciplinary policies and practices include but are not limited to the policies
and practices under sections 120B.12; 121A.575, clauses (1) and (2); 121A.031, subdivision
4, paragraph (a), clause (1); 121A.61, subdivision 3, paragraph (r); and 122A.627, clause
(3).

Sec. 36. [121A.611] RECESS AND OTHER BREAKS.

(a) “Recess detention” as used in this chapter means excluding or excessively delaying
a student from participating in a scheduled recess period as a consequence for student
behavior. Recess detention does not include, among other things, providing alternative
recess at the student’s choice.

(b) A school district or charter school is encouraged to ensure student access to structured
breaks from the demands of school and to support teachers, principals, and other school
staff in their efforts to use evidence-based approaches to reduce exclusionary forms of
discipline.

(c) A school district or charter school must not use recess detention unless:

(1) a student causes or is likely to cause serious physical harm to other students or staff;

(2) the student’s parent or guardian specifically consents to the use of recess detention;
or

(3) for students receiving special education services, the student’s individualized education
program team has determined that withholding recess is appropriate based on the
individualized needs of the student.

Sec. 39. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.09, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given to them.

(a) “Eligible institution” means a Minnesota public postsecondary institution, a private,
nonprofit two-year trade and technical school granting associate degrees, an opportunities industrialization center accredited by an accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education, or a private, residential, two-year or four-year, liberal arts, degree-granting college or university located in Minnesota. An eligible institution must not
require a faith statement from a secondary student seeking to enroll in a postsecondary
course under this section during the application process or base any part of the admission
decision on a student’s race, creed, ethnicity, disability, gender, or sexual orientation or
religious beliefs or affiliations.

Sec. 2. [120B.25] CURRICULUM POLICY.

A school board must adopt a written policy that prohibits discrimination or discipline
for a teacher or principal on the basis of incorporating into curriculum contributions by
persons in a federally protected class or protected class under section 363A.13 consistent
with local collective bargaining agreements.

ADDITIONAL INFO FOR OPPOSING THE BILL:

Kofi Montzka testimony: /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDfhmhM0-s4

Hillary Swanson testimony: /https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noc24Mj5w8U

FAIR Twin Cities: /https://www.fairforall.org/twin-cities/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2023/03/230307-FAIR-TC-Written-Comments-to-SF-1311_signed.pdf

Center for the American Experiment: /https://www.americanexperiment.org/intentionally-ideological-how-familiar-terms-are-being-hijacked-to-advance-an-illiberal-worldview/

ANOTHER BILL CURRENTLY IN LEGISLATURE WHICH SEEMS TO EXCLUDE SCHOOLS FROM OBSCENITY LAWS. I hope that I am misunderstanding this bill, but I am not aware of any other laws keeping sexually explicit material out of our schools.

SF 2434 /https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF2434&version=latest&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0

In light of the announcement of our new director of special services, Dr. Sarah Knudsen, plus my recent conversations with frustrated foster parents, I decided to look for the resources Owatonna and ISD 761 have for parents and their children with special needs.

This is a great starting point: https://www.isd761.org/district-services/special-services/special-services .

For all children not yet attending kindergarten, the website reports, “If you have concerns about your child’s development you can call (507) 444-7900 or make a referral online at MN Help Me Grow. Screening, evaluation and services are free to students who meet eligibility criteria.”

For parents of children with special needs that want to have more active participation with the school district, you can attend the advisory council meetings: https://www.isd761.org/district-services/special-services/special-education-advisory-council-seac

Other community resources if you are searching for help: https://fernbrook.org/ and https://www.steelecountymn.gov/public_health/index.php . There are other wonderful counseling centers in Owatonna as well!

Navigating this world of information, assessments, eligibility, and scheduling can be a long and challenging process. Please continue to work for your children with respectful persistence. You know your child best, trust your parental intuition and press on for them! Thank you mamas, dads, foster parents, grandparents, guardians and caregivers!

Highlights of the agenda discussions and votes for our regular school board meeting in the small group forum room at the OHS, beginning at 5:30pm. For Mission Moment, Mr. Elstad recognized an Owatonna community member who is an adult student earning a Life Long Learner award. She moved to the United States, came to Owatona, is working on her GED, obtained a driver’s license and US citizenship, and is now helping her daughter who is enrolled in an Owatonna Public School. Welcome to Minnesota and especially to Owatonna!!

Public Forum: a sophomore student at OHS introduced himself and a class project he is starting for the Options class. He will be taking photos and creating a farewell video for the OHS building. If interested, please contact him. His info can be found on the video recording of this meeting. Best wishes for this project, I would love to see the finished product!

OMS principal Julie Sullivan, along with 2 assistant principals, and 4 OMS students gave a convincing presentation explaining “Away for the Day,” the new cell phone rule at OMS. Student at OMS are not allowed to have their phone during the entire school day. The results from this change are astounding, and everyone spoke very highly of this change, even the students. The positive outcomes noted include: increased student engagement socially and in class, more learning and fun in the classroom, less nagging (to put phones away) and more learning and relationship building between teachers and students, less teasing and bullying among students because students cannot post things during or between classes, more respectful behaviors toward each other.

McKinley principal Justin Kiel, along with several McKinley teachers, gave a presentation about life at McKinley Elementary School. They stressed that learning is lifelong for students and staff (leadership teams, collaboration, power hours for teachers and all staff) as well as “voice matters.” This includes listening sessions and surveys. Lastly, having a safe/supportive/predictable school culture which includes partnering with parents, positive recognition, and family interactions is the third goal.

The enrollment report gives the number of students in each grade level at each school and numbers will be coded red if the class size is 3 more than the recommended number of students. This report is reviewed prior to the meeting and no concerns noted at the meeting as all classes are within the recommended size. Only a few classes had 1 more student than recommended. From my visit to Lincoln, I know that they are outgrowing their space and using the classroom pods for a few classes. This may need attention in the future if the class sizes are growing.

Mr. Elstad’s administrative report included an introduction of Dr. Sarah Knudsen, our new director of special services. He reported on his day at the capitol, learning more about upcoming legislative decisions: cross subsidies might increase (meaning we will be getting more state aid to cover costs of special education services, which will reduce the need for the district to cover the gap with its own funding); he also mentioned the impact of proposed mandates which will put a significant financial strain on the district (as well as most districts in the state). The district is partnering with Mayo Clinic to provide telehealth services to staff, hopefully reducing health care costs for everyone. He recognized our student board members for their success in the recent speech meet and also Hailey’s piano concerto performance last week. Well done students!

There were 5 votes required at this meeting, all passed 6-0 (Deborah Bandel was absent tonight). The previous meetings’ minutes and the personnel report were approved. The 2022-2023 revised and final budget was approved with minimal discussion. We had a detailed discussion at our work session one week ago for this. The Resolution Relating to the Termination and Non-Renewal of the Teaching Contract of Probationary Teachers was reviewed and approved. The generalized letter was given for our review before the board meeting and a list of employees this pertained to was given at the beginnings of the meeting. It was verified that these employees have been made aware of this decision prior to this meeting. As a board member, I know nothing about these particular employees and what brought them to this circumstance. The second reading of Policy Revisions was briefly reviewed and approved with no further questions or concerns. There were no major changes or updates and the full list of policies we reviewed can be found under the meeting notes on the district website. Our OHS Robotics team won the state competition and are traveling to Texas for the national competition, we simply had to approve an extended trip request. Lastly, we approved the list of gifts given to the district.

Not noted at this meeting but announced last Friday (and in the People’s Press 3/21/2023) was notice that our assistant superintendent Michelle Krell accepted a position as the Executive Director of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association (MESPA). She stated that she has loved working with Owatonna schools but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to do this work with MESPA. Best wishes to you, and thank you for your work in Owatonna!

We had our work session at the district office on Monday 3/13/2023, beginning at 5:30pm. Our new director of finance and operations, Lori Volz, and assistant, Sarah Cramblit, presented a finalized budget plan that we will vote to approve at the next regular school board meeting which is Monday March 20,2023 (moved up one week from the normal schedule due to spring break). Overall, our finances appear to be in a “break even” place, with a 12.45% (8.5 million) unassigned fund balance (goal for this is 8-10%). The plan is to move $500,000 to the assigned fund balance for the career pathways program, which still leaves us with >10% unassigned fund balance. This balance is essentially a “buffer” and will help cover 1-2 months of operating expenses if needed, especially because the state aid is never given at 100% in a given year. There are delays in state aid payments to school districts and sometimes the aid is not ever fully given. Ms. Volz and Mr. Elstad also discussed the bills working through the legislature right now, one of them being HF 1269 (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF1269&version=latest&session=92&session_number=0&session_year=2023). While there is potential for increased state funding, this is going to come with restrictions and mandates that could end up costing the district more money and thus could prove to be very challenging. There was quite a bit more detail reviewed with the budget and this information is available through the district website.

Bob Olson, our director of facilities, infrastructure and security presented information about our early childhood facilities. A few months ago, we were given information describing the challenges that our pre-K children and staff have with the current buildings they use (Owatonna Education Center and Roosevelt building). Mr. Elstad noted that in 2015, we addressed the K-8 facility needs, then in 2019 we addressed grades 9-12 needs, now we have to start thinking about our youngest children, our preschoolers! To start this process and conversation, Mr. Olson presented 3 possible solutions for our preschool facilities: 1. Renovating the existing sites. 2. Add on to an existing site or build a new facility. 3. Lease an alternative site in the community and renovate as needed. The current OHS is not an option due to the high cost of renovations that would be required. There are multiple factors to consider with the 3 options presented, the pros and cons with each, ultimately with a goal to move forward with something by the school year 2024-2025. The school board and Mr. Elstad recognized that community members have “levy and bond fatigue” with all the decisions and costs related to our school buildings in the last several years yet understand that our pre-K students and staff are struggling.

Also on the agenda was a discussion of the book, The Governance Core. One of the basic concepts discussed was the role of a governance board. The example from the book described a forest fire. The school board represents the fire fighters in the helicopter, seeing the big picture and forming a plan to contain and stop the fire. This role is different from the fire fighters on the ground, working to fight the fire right in front of them. They all have the same goal, but have different roles to play. We need the helicopter view and the frontline view to accomplish our best work.

During the board forum, we were given a brief update on the new high school from our facilities committee members. The new school construction continues to be on budget and on time for completion in July 2023.

Next regular school board meeting is Monday March 20, 2023 at OHS. Take care everyone, spring is coming!!