November 11, 2020 at 6:00 PM - Independent School District 507 Regular School Board Meeting

1. Grades K-6 will began the hybrid learning model on learning on Thursday, November 12th.  We expect the hybrid learning model to continue through the remainder of the calendar year.  Grades 7-12 will continue with the hybrid model.

2. Standard & Poor’s recently assigned an A+ underlying rating to the Nicollet School bonds along with a AAA rating based on the MN School District Credit Enhancement Program.  This is an outstanding credit rating and contributed to the low interest rate for the bond sale.

3. Save the dates!  The MSBA Leadership Conference is Thursday, January 14, and Friday, January 15, 2021.  It is currently scheduled at the Minneapolis Convention Center.  This is always an excellent professional development opportunity for school board members.

4. Congratulations to the school board candidates recently elected to the board.  I will be conducting an orientation during the weeks ahead.  Furthermore, the new board members will be registering for the MSBA Phase I and II sessions. 

5. There is a special school board meeting tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. (November 12) to canvass the election.

Financial Aid/Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Meeting

On the evening of Wednesday, October 7 the finance director, Jayne Dinse, from South Central College gave a presentation on FAFSA in the theater. The families who attended expressed how happy and informational the meeting was. I want to thank Mr. Cotton for setting this up. He is in the works already for setting it up next Fall. Unfortunately, Jayne is retiring after this school year and she has been a big help in the last few years.

Math Curriculum

We are in the process of evaluating curriculums. We will need to purchase a new curriculum for sure at the K-5 or 6 levels (depends on the program). We are also looking at higher-level math curriculums as well, but the pressing need is for Elem. because our current program is discontinued after this school year.

Master Schedule/Courses/College in the Schools

I received some great news regarding when staff members need to have the proper courses and degrees required to teach College in the Schools (CIS) courses. Fond du Lac, with who we partner for CIS courses, sent out an email regarding the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) change. The following is what was sent:

Due to the COVID pandemic, the HLC has extended the date for faculty credentialing to September 1, 2023. With situations that seem to change from day to day, hopefully, this extension relieves some pressure on instructors working towards credentialing. 

Flexibility/Understanding/Models/Schedules

Each change that the district makes, we take into consideration many factors. When we make changes such as to the recent Cohort Day, changes are meant to be positive changes. We will constantly be looking for ways to positively change the system. They can be minor changes or major, such as when Cohorts are on campus. I truly appreciate the continued support. We are still in this together and need to continue to be flexible and understanding.

Praise/Thank You/Teamwork

I want to thank and give praise to our staff for their flexibility, understanding, and "holding the rope." There is so many thank you’s to go around. When the tough got going and we had to shift models, a tremendous amount of people stepped up. This year has truly been a year where people have had to step up, and have done just that. What has been taking place is another example of people understanding the situation and pulling together for the greater good of our school community.

• Relating to General Obligation Facilities Maintenance Bonds, Series 2020A (Capital Appreciation Bonds) in an amount not to exceed $2,900,000.
• Relating to General Obligation Bonds, Series 2020B in an amount not to exceed $1,235,000.