School Board approves updated school resource officer contract

BRAINERD — The Brainerd School Board approved a two-year school resource office contract with an 11% cost increase over last year’s contract.

The last contract with the city of Brainerd expired at the end of the 2020-21 school year.
The new contract, which board members approved at their meeting April 28, includes a cost of $84,948 for the 2021-22 school year and $89,454 for the 2022-23 school year to be paid for a school resource officer at Brainerd High School.

The cost increase, Finance Director Marci Lord said, is to be more in line with the amount paid to the city of Baxter for the resource officer at Forestview Middle School. The money for the expenditure comes from the district’s safe schools fund, which can only be used on security matters and which Lord said has enough money for the increase.

Under the contract, the school resource officer’s duties include protecting those on school property or a school sponsored event, deterring truancy, serving as a role model for students and the district community; advising on security vulnerabilities, deterring and investigating criminal activity on school property and at school events and responding to emergencies at the school.

Lord said the new contract includes more definitions and specificity than the last contract and allows district leaders input on the selection of the resource officer.

In other business April 28, the school board:

Authorized new hires: Hanna Anthoney, credit recovery teacher at the Brainerd Learning Center; Ah Mi Emig, long-term substitute developmental cognitive disabilities teacher at Forestview Middle School; Anna Hodnefield, speech language pathologist at Riverside Elementary; Amanda Imgrund, Autism Spectrum Disorder teacher at Baxter Elementary; Alexis Marcelo, ninth and tenth grade class adviser and student council adviser at Brainerd High School; Jane Martin, first grade teacher at Baxter Elementary; Alexis Roering, developmental cognitive disabilities special education teacher at Riverside Elementary; Brandy Borders Beach, districtwide custodian, John Hagen, districtwide custodian; Alexandra Hines, long-term substitute educational assistant at Baxter Elementary; Ruth Leinonen-Shepherd, education assistant at Forestview; Colton Offerdahl, districtwide custodian; Kathy Snow, long-term substitute school nurse at BHS; Noah True, long-term substitute educational assistant at Riverside Elementary; Jie Westphal, educational assistant at Forestview; Elizabeth Blackburn, districtwide Fun ‘N’ Friends program assistant; Grant Gmeinder, districtwide enrichment instructor; Traydon Hendrickson, concessions worker at Forestview; Deborah Innes, concessions worker at BHS; Michelle Johnson-Ding, districtwide event worker; Jayda Kline, ninth grade lead softball coach; Nova Larson, assistant ninth grade softball coach; Catherine Moraghan, districtwide enrichment instructor; Britni Rivers, districtwide Fun ‘N’ Friends program assistant; Taylor Ruhl, districtwide enrichment instructor; Noah Rushmeyer, athletic official at Forestview; Kade Stengrim, districtwide summer parks and recreation staff; Catherine Taylor, accompanist at Forestview.

Approved a memorandum of agreement with the teachers union, Education Minnesota Brainerd Local 697 for a one-time early retirement incentive, which includes $25,000 from the district into an eligible employee’s Health Reimbursement Arrangement for teachers who retire at the end of the 2021-22 school year.

Approved the second reading of a records retention policy, which provides a plan for managing governmental records under Minnesota Statute 138.17.