ELY— The ISD 696 school board considered a “rough draft” of the district’s long-term facilities maintenance plan (LTFMP) during a 29-minute meeting on Monday. Minnesota state law requires that every public school district must approve a LTFMP with a 10-year outlook on an annual basis.
The board offered little discussion about the plan, although school board member Hollee Coombe suggested that the district add new bathrooms for the baseball and football fields which she said “are very out of date,” and lack accessibility features. Coombe recommended that the bathroom facilities at the sports fields be added to the LTFMP.
District superintendent Anne Oelke noted that the LTFMP will need to be approved for the 2023-24 school year before July 30.
“We will need a special meeting,” Oelke remarked, for the approval of both the LTFMP and for “30 policies approved by the Legislature … which need to be approved before the school year.”
Oelke mentioned 30 policies, but she included a list of 50 items in the agenda packet for board members, most of which were policies approved by the Legislature.
Regardless of the actual number of policies, the July 24 meeting of the board is currently scheduled as a work session and not as a regular board meeting. At a minimum, the district will need to announce and hold a special meeting before the end of the month in order to approve the LTFMP. Aug. 28 may also become a special meeting day if the district hasn’t approved any of the required policy changes by that date.
In other action on Monday, the board:
• Approved the district’s June 2023 Financial Report, and the June 2023 receipts in the amount of $926,749 and disbursements in the amount of $481,244.
• Approved the hiring of Harry Carlson for the full-time custodian position effective June 5.
• Renewed the following fall and winter head coaches for the 2023-2024 school year as recommended by athletic director Tom Coombe: Louis Gerzin, head football coach; Megan Wognum, head volleyball coach; Jayne Dusich, head boys and girls cross country coach; Tom McDonald, head boys basketball coach; Todd Hohenstein, head boys and girls Nordic skiing coach; Max Gantt, head girls basketball coach; Jake Myers, head hockey coach; Desirae Cram, dance team coach; Donna Kari, head speech coach.
• Approved the following fall assistant coaches for the 2023-2024 school year as recommended by Coombe: Jim Wittrup, assistant football coach; Randi Walker, assistant volleyball coach; Kayci Zorman, junior high volleyball coach (stipend paid by Ely Net Club); Sarah Spate, assistant cross country coach; Troy Oelke, Tim Hogan, Eddie Prjatel, Louis Wiggen, volunteer assistant football coaches; Nicole Selmer, Carl Skustad, Megan Devine, Toni Dewaulter, Clara Roy volunteer assistant cross country coaches.
• Approved an extra-curricular assignment for Amy Kingsley, with Youth in Action, for grades 6-12.
• Approved the second reading of revised Minn. School Board Assoc. Policy 410 Family and Medical Leave, and revised Minn. School Board Assoc. Policy 417 Chemical Use and Abuse.
• Accepted a $5,500 donation from the Ely Educational Foundation for the weight room.
• Heard the report of Tom Coombe reminding the school board that “five weeks from today, (fall season team) practices will start.” Due to the yet-to-be-fixed gymnasium floor at the high school, Coombe remarked that sports sign-ups will probably take place on the baseball field. Coombe also noted that with the number of donors “lining up” to contribute to the weight room, there will likely be “little to no investment by the district itself.” Last, Coombe informed the board that the Ely baseball field will be the site of the 2025 Division 2 Legion baseball tournament.