All speakers are asked to complete the Listening Session Sign-in Form including as much detail as possible and including a printed / written copy of your presentation if one is available. This is an opportunity for the Board to listen, the Board will not engage in dialogue. As a general rule, the Board will not comment on or respond to any comments made by speakers. Please do not include names of Greenbush Middle River employees or representatives, their title, or location in your remarks for your own legal protection and the legal rights of staff.

Each speaker will have five (5) minutes to speak: speakers may not roll their time to another speaker. Speakers will be timed and are asked to complete their comments in this time frame. Board members may ask questions if needed.  Please begin your presentation by stating your name and topic only.
In the spirit of fairness to all participants, we request that you respect the format above. Thank you for taking the time today to attend this meeting and share your concerns and suggestions.
Members of the public may wish to email Board [listening session] communication(s) to <info@greenbush.k12.mn.us>

attached

Attachments

01 General Fund
o  02 Food Service
o  04 Community Services
o  07 Debt Redemption
o  08 Scholarships
o  09 Student Activities
• *see attached 

- $50.00 donation to Softball Restroom Project in Memory of Orlan Dahl from Carrie Jo Howard
- $20.00 donation to Gator Readers from Stacy Dahl
- $25.00 donation to Gator Readers In Memory of Frank Youso from Stacy Dahl
- $20.00 donation to Robotics in Memory of Albert Penas from Judy Pulczinski
- $25.00 donation to Gator Volleyball In Memory of Rodney Nygard from Kent Christian
- $300.00 donation to Close-Up from Middle River Legion for working Legion Supper last school year (we just received this as they forgot to send last school year)
- $500.00 donation to FCCLA from Border Bank
- $750 donation from 1 Better Liquor for lunch accounts that are in arrears.

Suggested Board Action:  Motion by Board Member _________________ and second by ______________ to accept Memorial donations, CLOSE-UP donation, Gator Readers donation and donations to FCCLA.

Joint Powers Board Committee representatives report

The current GMR School Principal / Activities Director signed a one-year Agreement which expires June 30, 2023.  This will conclude a 37 year career in the GMR School District (12 Years of teaching and 25 years as an Administrator).

Moving forward:  The Board should begin to consider administrative [Principal] structure options effective July 1, 2023.

Board Discussion:

Board sub-committee report on Proposed softball rest room, storage and press box has been underway for nearly a year.  (see attached Timeline).

As Superintendent, I will not endorse nor will I recommend to not proceed with the proposed project.

If the Board approves to proceed I would recommend conditional approval that would include:

1)  Any and all costs related to development, site preparation, actual construction and post-construction site work to be absorbed / paid by the Softball Association.

2)  The District's financial position is such that it can not "carry" the costs of the project.  

3)  other____________

 

[WORK IN PROGRESS]

During the regular June 2022 Board meeting, the Board adopted a 2022-2023 budget based on "rolling over" of the previous year's (2021-2022) budget with the understanding the FY 23 Budget will be amended at a later date.    
 

The attached 2022-2023 estimated school budget documents provide a snapshot of administration’s best budget assumptions at this point in time.

The district is / has been reviewing ways to close the budget gap including implementing budget reductions effective in 2021-2022 and an infusion(s) of ONE-TIME Federal & State funds due to COVID-19.

What we do know is State general education revenue increased 2.45% for the 2021-22 school year and 2% in the 2022-2023 school year.  However, the increase in State aid will likely be off-set by declining K-12 student enrollment.

See (attached) cover page for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.  The importance of an operating referendum and budget reductions in previous year(s) can't be over-stated in order to improve the school district's financial condition.

(attached) enrollment data.

Moved by _____________ and seconded by _____________ to adopt the revised estimated budget for July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 (FY23).

The increase in school taxes in payable in 2023 can be attributed increases in property valuation(s), Board approved Abatement Bond for the parking lot and to a school operating referendum approved by District voters during a November 2, 2021 Special School Election.

See attached Truth in Taxation presentation  

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC

Suggested Motion: Moved by  ________________ seconded by __________________to adopt the  2022 Payable 2023 School Tax Levy in the amount of $_______________.  The amount represents an overall school tax levy for Payable 2023 increasing by $_________ or 9.54% over the previous year.  
NOTE:  This amount is an overall school tax increase and NOT reflective of an increase in each property owners' school taxes in payable 2023,

Public Comment opportunity

There are no school board elections scheduled for 2022-2023.

I can't foresee this happening, but, if the Board chooses to run an election (eg:  Bond Facility), the School District is responsible for all cost aspects (process, election equipment, election judges, protocol) of the election. 

Board Member _______________ introduced the following resolution and moved its adoption:

RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING COMBINED POLLING PLACES FOR MULTIPLE PRECINCTS AND DESIGNATING HOURS DURING WHICH THE POLLING PLACES WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR VOTING FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT ELECTIONS NOT HELD ON THE DAY OF A STATEWIDE ELECTION      

BE IT RESOLVED by the School Board of Independent School District No.2683, State of Minnesota, as follows:      
 
1. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205A.11, the precincts and polling places for school district elections are those precincts or parts of precincts located within the boundaries of the school district which have been established by the cities or towns located in whole or in part within the school district. The board hereby confirms those precincts and polling places so established by those municipalities.      

 2. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205A.11, the board may establish a combined polling place for several precincts for school district elections not held on the day of a statewide election. Each combined polling place must be a polling place that has been designated for use as a polling place by a county or municipality.The following combined polling places are established to serve the precincts specified for all school district special and general elections not held on the same day as a statewide election in the calendar year following the adoption of this resolution: (Set forth each combined polling place explaining which precincts are being served, such as:)  
     
Combined Polling Place:                                                                                                      
Greenbush Community Center           Middle River Community Center          
244 Main St N                                     250 Hill Ave
Greenbush, MN  56726                      Middle River, MN  56737

Greenbush Community Center
244 Main St N
Greenbush, MN  56726

This combined polling place shall serve all territory in Independent School District #2683 located in the following Precincts within Roseau and Kittson Counties located in Minnesota: 

·    Kittson: CARIBOU TWP
·    Kittson: KLONDIKE UNORG
·    Kittson: PEATLAND UNORG
·    Kittson: PELAN TWP
·    Roseau: BARNETT TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: BARTO TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: DEER TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: DEWEY TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: GREENBUSH
·    Roseau: HEREIM TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: HUSS TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: LIND TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: MOOSE TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: JUNEBERRY/BLOOMING VALLEY UNORG 
·    Roseau: PALMVILLE TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: POHLITZ TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: POLONIA TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: POPLAR GROVE TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: SKAGEN TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: SOLER TOWNSHIP
·    Roseau: STRATHCONA 

Middle River Community Center
250 Hill Ave
Middle River, MN  56737

This combined polling place shall serve all territory in Independent School District #2683 located in the following Precincts within Marshall County located in Minnesota:

·    Marshall: CEDAR TWP
·    Marshall: COMO TWP
·    Marshall: EAST PARK TWP
·    Marshall: EAST VALLEY TWP
·    Marshall: HOLT TWP
·    Marshall: HUNTLY TWP
·    Marshall: MIDDLE RIVER 
·    Marshall: MOOSE RIVER TWP
·    Marshall: ROLLIS TWP
·    Marshall: SPRUCE VALLEY TWP
·    Marshall: THIEF LAKE TWP
·    Marshall: WHITEFORD TWP
located in Marshall County, Minnesota.

Note: See Section 2.3.2 of the Election Manual regarding changing polling places in the case of an emergency or if the polling place is no longer available.     
  
*3. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Section 205A.09, the polling places will remain open for voting for school district elections not held on the same day as a statewide election between the hours of 7:00 o'clock a.m. and 8:00 o'clock p.m.       
Note: See Section 3.6 of the Election Manual regarding certain restrictions on voting hours.  
     
4. The clerk is directed to file a certified copy of this resolution with the county auditors of each of the counties in which the school district is located, in whole or in part, within thirty (30) days after its adoption.     
 
5. As required by Minnesota Statutes, Section 204B.16, Subdivision 1a, the clerk is hereby authorized and directed to give written notice of new polling place locations to each affected household with at least one registered voter in the school district whose school district polling place location has been changed.  The notice must be a nonforwardable notice mailed at least twenty-five (25) days before the date of the first election to which it will apply. A notice that is returned as undeliverable must be forwarded immediately to the appropriate county auditor, who shall change the registrant’s status to "challenged" in the statewide registration system. (If a combined polling place is changed, the change must be adopted at least ninety (90) days prior to the first election where it will be used unless that polling place has become unavailable for use.)  ____________________________________ 

Note: A resolution similar to this model resolution must be adopted by December 31 of each year, and the combined polling places specified shall be the combined polling places for the following calendar year. 

The motion for the adoption of the foregoing resolution was duly seconded by Board Member _____________ and upon vote being taken thereon, the following voted in favor thereof:
        

and the following voted against the same: 

whereupon said resolution was declared duly Passed and Adopted /  Failed.
 

There are restrictions to holding public meetings as per MN Statute.  Meeting restriction dates include the regularly scheduled January 16, 2023 (ML King Jr. Holiday) and February 20, 2023 (President’s Day Holiday).  see attached.  The School Board must determine alternate dates for board meetings in January and February 2023.
Board discussion / decision regarding regular monthly meeting date in January 2023 and February 2023.

Motion by Board Member _________________ and seconded by _______________ to hold the regular January 2023 School Board meeting on January ____, 2023 and to hold the regular February 2023 School Board meeting on February ____, 2023.

Minnesota Statute requires the School Board to elect its officers for the new calendar year at its first  regular meeting in January.  The first regular meeting in January is sometimes referred to as an Organizational Meeting.

M.S. 123B.14 states, "On the first Monday of January of each year, or as soon thereafter as practicable, (ie:  next Board meeting in January 2023) the board must meet and organize ..." 

Board members will nominate and elect Officers including:  Chair, Vice-Chair, Clerk and Treasurer.
Board Approval during the January organizational meeting will also include:  
Designation of official depository for school funds;
Designation of the Law Firm (legal counsel);
Designation of dates for the Regular monthly meetings;
Committee and / or representative appointment(s)

MN Dept. of Revenue released a State Budget Forecast on Tuesday, Dec. 6.   The forecast indicated a $17.6 billion surplus.  This forecast [surplus] will give Gov. Walz some guidelines to create a State budget that he will
propose in mid-January 2023 and will be addressed / amended by a Democratic majority in the MN House and Senate.  The next State budget biennium is 2023-2024 through 2024-2025.
With such a large and unprecedented budget surplus, expect a wide variety of interest groups seeking to access these funds.

see attached Legislative Up-date as provided by the MN Association of School Administrators and MN Rural Education Association.

2023 MSBA Legislative Platform - attached 

2023 MN Rural Education Association (MREA) Legislative Platform - attached

Staff Development schedule for ML King Jr. Day - January 16, 2023

Carrie Jo Howard began her service on the GMR School Board in January 2002.  Thank You for your dedicated service to the students and staff in the Greenbush Middle River School Community.

Shane Kilen began his service on the GMR School Board in January 2006.  Thank You for your dedicated service to the students and staff in the Greenbush Middle River School Community.

Motion by__________________        Second by ____________________ to ADJOURN

• Regular January 2023 School Board Meeting - January _____, 2023 @ 7:30 p.m. in GMR School Library