The Brainerd School Board welcomed Charles Black Lance aboard as a new member Monday, Jan. 14.
Black Lance, a district parent and the director of TRIO programming at Central Lakes College, earned the third-highest vote total among the seven candidates vying for three spots on the board in November's election. Incumbents Tom Haglin and Ruth Nelson garnered the top two spots, respectively. Black Lance replaced board member Chris Robinson, who did not run for re-election.
Sue Kern will serve as the board's new chair, replacing Nelson. Kern, who will now run board meetings, was first elected to the school board in 2012 and is in the middle of her second term.
"I want to thank Ruth Nelson for doing a wonderful job this past year with leading us through the referendum. You've done a great job, and I just appreciate that," Kern said after taking her new seat as board chair.
In Kern's absence, newly elected vice chair Tom Haglin will step in. Haglin is a nine-year board veteran.
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Board member Reed Campbell was elected board clerk, while board member Bob Nystrom will be treasurer.
In other business Monday, the board:
Designated the following as a official depositories: Bremer Bank (primary), Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Brainerd Savings and Loan, Frandsen Bank and Trust, Blackridge Bank, Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union, Deerwood Bank, Bank of America, Minnesota School District Liquid Asset Fund, and other financial institutions identified through MNTrust and Ehlers Investment Partners.
Authorized the district's director of business services and accountant to electronically transfer funds for the district when needed. The board also authorized Marci Lord, director of business services, to invest surplus funds and approve and confirm grants.
Approved a procurement management plan, authorizing the superintendent and director of business services to jointly approve all procurement activities-such as building projects-costing up to $50,000. The director of buildings and grounds can give a secondary signature if the superintendent or director of building services is not able to do so. The district's project oversight team can approve procurement activities up to $100,000 with a majority vote. Any activities costing more than $100,000 must go before the school board.
Designated the Brainerd Dispatch as the district's official newspaper.
Designated Rupp, Anderson, Squires and Waldspurger as district legal representation. The board also authorized the superintendent to retain other legal counsel, at their discretion, to the extent necessary to ensure the school district has adequate legal representation for matters requiring specific of unique expertise.
Agreed to keep board compensation at $4,200 per year.
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Set dates for the regular 2019 board meetings. The board will meet at 6 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the boardroom at the Washington Educational Services Building, with some exceptions to be noted before the meetings.
Approved the hirings of non-certified staffers: Michelle Erwin-Caponi, assistant cook/dishwasher at Forestview Middle School; Kathleen Glassman, a special education paraprofessional at Garfield Elementary School; and Anna Hinkle and Kelly Tretter, both special education paraprofessionals at Riverside Elementary School.
Approved the following resignations: Emily McDonough, speech language pathologist; Eric Disterhaupt, district custodian; Caron Long, food service at Baxter Elementary School; Jarietta Stout, special education paraprofessional at Riverside Elementary School; and Cathleen Wells, assistant cook/dishwasher at Forestview Middle School.
Authorized a field trip for junior and senior Brainerd High School choir students to go to Concordia College in Moorhead for a choir festival Friday and Saturday, Jan. 18-19.
Approved the final readings for the following policies, previously discussed by the board: Community education, visitors to the district, distribution of materials on district property and rewards for reliable information about those involved in crimes against district students or employees.
Accepted the following gifts and donations to the district: $261 from the Lowell PTA for nurse hygiene kits; $802.86 from the Baxter PTO for district technology purchases; $3,761.15 from Brainerd Sports Boosters for BHS volleyball equipment; $670.40 from Brainerd Sports Boosters for BHS varsity cheer uniforms; $5,000 from Brainerd Warrior Football Association for coaching services at BHS; $11,800 from Brainerd Amateur Hockey Inc. for BHS hockey coaching services; $92.60 from Lowell PTA for scanners and books at Lowell Elementary; $1,200 from Affinity Plus, $250 from the Brainerd Dispatch and $500 from Jeff Swanson for the angel fund; $2,000 from Nisswa PTO and $5,700 from the city of Nisswa for the community library at Nisswa Elementary; $1,596 from American Legion Post No. 255 for Thanksgiving at the Brainerd Learning Center; $1,000 from Brainerd Sports Boosters for BHS girls tennis coaching services; $100 from Anderson Brothers Construction for BHS robotics program; a $500 anonymous donation for the school readiness program and classroom supplies at Early Childhood Family Education; a treadmill from Brainerd YMCA for staff wellness at Baxter Elementary; $5,156.77 from Baxter PTO for books at Baxter Elementary; $200 from Kiwanis of Brainerd for BHS key club; $2,500 from VFW Post No. 1647 for BHS robotics program.
