ELY – While ISD 696 teachers, staff and students started the 2020-2021 school year last week with a full in-person learning plan, the school board will continue meeting remotely.
A motion made Monday night to bring school board members back into the Memorial building board room for regular business meetings, study sessions and special meetings failed on a 4-2 vote.
Board meetings have been held remotely, via conference call, since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last spring. Students and staff returned to school on Sept. 8; however, that learning model is already in jeopardy due to an increase in local COVID-19 cases
Board members have struggled with the telephone conference call for several months and discussed the possibility of returning to in-person meetings for the past several meetings.
Other governmental bodies, including the Ely City Council, and Morse and Fall Lake township boards returned to in-person and public sessions this summer.
School board members Tom Omerza and James Pointer have pushed for the return to in-person meetings. A lengthy study session discussion last month resulted in more discussion Monday night and a formal vote on the matter.
The motion, made by Omerza and supported by Pointer, called for school board meetings to again be held in an in-person format with the option for board members to participate remotely. The motion was amended to continue to keep the buildings closed to visitors. The community would have the option to listen in on all meetings via teleconference.
School board member Tony Colarich maintained his opinion that “remote meetings are cumbersome and difficult.” After the study session last month, Colarich leaned toward supporting a return to in-person meetings.
“Now with students back in school and the (COVID-19) spike in the community, maybe it would be better to wait a month or so,” he said.
School board member Rochelle Sjoberg agreed with Colarich.
“I find that unnecessary entrance (to the school) and potential exposure to the district is not something that we need to rush into doing,” she said. “Safety is most important.”
Marsnik also voiced concerns about moving to an in-person meeting format at this time. “Even in our blueprint plan, it says visitors to our buildings should be only those who are essential,” he said. “I consider those who are essential as those who are providing instruction for our students and those people who are working here and cleaning and keeping our spaces safe. I don’t consider us to be essential. I think we should limit traffic coming into the schools as much as possible.”
School board member Heidi Mann said she preferred not rushing into a return to in-person school board meetings.
Board member James Pointer said he prefers going to an in-person meeting format.
“But if we have to go to hybrid or distance learning, we should reconsider,” he said.
Omerza said he considers school board members essential, but indicated that he would support tabling the issue.
Marsnik suggested postponing the decision on conducting in-person board meetings.
“If we postpone this indefinitely then we can bring it back at any future meeting,” he said.
A vote was taken to approve the motion. Omerza and Pointer voted affirmative, and Marsnik, Sjoberg, Colarich and Mann voted against the motion. The motion failed 4-2.
Other business
In other business, the board:
• Heard from Supt. Erie that first-day enrollment was 556 students, nine fewer than projected.
• Set the date for the Truth in Taxation budget meeting for Monday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.
• Approved the 2020-2021 Ice Arena contract with Ely Blue Line, Inc.
• Approved the Managed Services Contract with Voltz Technologies.
• Approved an amended agreement with Architectural Resources, Inc. for the facilities project to reflect a lowered rate from eight percent to 7.25 percent of the project cost.
• Approved a two-year contract with Teachers on Call for substitute teacher services.
• Accepted the resignation of Chloe Kennedy from the paraprofessional position.
• Accepted the request from teacher Cory Lassi for a medical leave of absence, Nov. 30 through Jan. 3.
• Hired Timothy Singleton for the Foreign Language teacher position.
• Hired Stacy Hegfors for the Media Center Clerk position.
• Hired Karla Lundstrom, Kelly LaFrenier, and Dena Carey for paraprofessional positions.
• Hired Ron Riikola for a Bus Driver position.
• Hired Justin Olson for the Temporary Custodian position.
• Changed Kelly Hotaling’s FTE status from 88 to .86 due to schedule changes.
• Approved Trish Bulinski, Nicole Selmer, Shannan Harding, Toni Dewaulter, Todd Hohenstein, Carl Skustad, Ann Brenny and Sarah Spate as volunteer cross country coaches.
• School board members went into closed session to conduct an evaluation of the superintendent.