CHERRY- Superintendent Reggie Engebritson had some good news to pass along to the ISD 2142 school board at their regular meeting at Cherry School on Tuesday – the teacher’s union voted to approve the switch to Blue Cross/Blue Shield for health insurance, insuring that the district will realize the full savings projected for making the change.
The board learned at its October meeting that switching from their current provider, the Minnesota Public Employees Insurance Program (PEIP), to Blue Cross/Blue Shield could save the district and its employees $344,192, as well as lock in a second-year increase cap of nine percent. But the figure presented was based on existing participation levels in the PEIP, and as the district’s largest union, state law gave the teachers a choice of staying with PEIP if they wanted. Such a move would have sent the district’s health insurance consultant scrambling to recalculate the possible benefits with a smaller-than-projected employee participation rate in the new plan.
The board had already approved the change for the rest of the district’s employees at a Nov. 14 special meeting with the understanding that the teachers would make their decision by Nov. 30.
Engebritson also told the board that the district will receive two years of additional partial funding from St. Louis County for the three-year old Check and Connect program, which provides mentors in schools to help students improve academics, attendance and behaviors. The extra money to fully fund the program will come from a specialized fund and will not affect the district’s general fund, Engebritson said.
In other business, the board:
• Hired Matthew Nelson as a part-time Check and Connect mentor for Vermilion Country School.
• Hired Blake Scofield and Jordan Villebrun as assistant boys basketball coaches at North Woods, with Villebrun being compensated at half of the regular stipend.
• Accepted the resignation of Kandi Olson as head volleyball coach at North Woods.
• Passed a resolution establishing combined polling places for school district elections not held on the same day as a statewide election, designating Orr City Hall, Cook City Hall, Tower Civic Center, and Babbitt City Hall as polling places for Districts 1,2,3 and 4 respectively.
• Approved an application to the Minnesota State High School League for Northeast Range School to participate in a cooperative boys basketball program with Ely, along with the Krekelberg Home School.
• Approved revisions to policies for family and medical leave and for development, adoption and implementation of policies.
• The next regular school board meeting will be Tuesday, Dec. 12 at the district office at 5:30 p.m. The Truth in Taxation public meeting will follow at 6 p.m.
• Entertained a question from board member Bob Larson about a presentation at the October meeting by North Woods Industrial Arts teacher Bruce Black regarding insufficient funding for his program. The budget has remained flat while materials costs have skyrocketed, Black said.
“Is that something we need to look at as a board?” Larson asked. “He took the time to come and talk to us and we should think about it. I understand there’s only so much money, but if there’s a way we could do something.” Engebritson noted that some new equipment was purchased for Black’s classroom and that she and finance director Kim Johnson could look over the budget to see what options there might be.